Laney freshman female wrestler makes county history

Elaina Pollock is the first female NHCS wrestler to win a tournament, and expect her to win many, many more

WILMINGON, N.C. (WWAY) – On Saturday at the Jolly Roger wrestling tournament, an eager Elaina Pollock heard her name called for the first time at a high school tournament. It was also the first time any Laney Buccaneer female has ever heard her name called.

“I did know that (before the match),” said Andre Adams, the head wrestling coach at Laney High School. “This has just been a long time coming.”

Please join us in congratulating our very own Elaina Pollock on her historic win at the Jolly Roger wrestling tournament yesterday. Elaina is the first Laney female to wrestle in a tournament AND first high school female to WIN a tournament in NHCS history! @NewHanoverCoSch pic.twitter.com/4q7gMohL85

— . . ℍ (@LaneyHighSchool) January 16, 2022

Pollock had some knee trouble to begin the season, preventing her from taking the mat, and postponing this achievement. It was inevitable though, with her work ethic and her skill.

“Her body was our first priority. We knew her ability. We knew as soon as she could get on the mat, she was going to do great.”

Now that Elaina is healthy, expect to see her winning many more tournaments.

“From talking to her for a few minutes, you can see she is a special young lady, ” said Adams. “She is going to bring a big opportunity for us to hopefully introduce more female athletes to the sport. Women’s wrestling is the fastest growing sport in America right now, so to have someone be successful… and her personality is just so easy to be around. I knew when she got here, this was going to be a plan for us to start growing. I am looking for Laney to be known for women’s wrestling in the next couple of years.”

Even though this was her first high school tournament for Laney, she is no stranger to the sport or the mat.

She was introduced to the sport in 2016 while watching her brother, Correy Pollock, and her father, who was a wrestler for Hoggard. It only took her one year to place second at nationals, and some time after that she earned All-American honors. She then went on to win a national championship with Dunn Pal.

And she doesn’t just beat the girls – in her second year, she won the state title in the boys 12u division.

What is even more amazing than that, is the poise and clairvoyance the 14-year-old high school freshman shows when speaking about being the first girl to be doing what she is doing, and how she hopes other girls can see what she is doing as inspiration to try and reach their goals, no matter the obstacles or what people say.

“This opens up a portal for all women. All women. Not just me, anyone. Anyone who wants to do something out of their comfort zone. It’s available if you want it, you just have to want it. Honestly, wrestling is a good opportunity for every woman. I think that it’s not just for women of color, any gender, anyone can get involved in it. If you’re having second guesses about anything in your life, find a way around it. Because I promise you once you do, you’ll be satisfied. If you think about it, no matter what you do, someone is going to hate. So you might as well do what you want.”

She may call herself a “girlie girl”, but once the match starts, it’s game on.

“I like how much aggression it has. As a child, me and my brother used to bump heads a lot. It became a thing where we had something in common. It was kind of a way of getting anger out. Once you get in to it, it’s just something you grow love for. It’s literally how you feel about it. If you like it, do it. You don’t need to let anybody else hold you back from that.”

Even as dominant as she is, Elaina had doubts and fears. She credits Dad and Big Bro for helping her get over them.

“I was scared of people being taller than me, being bigger than me. I think he really helped me get through that. So did my brother. He was around with me. Even though we weren’t the closest. He was around for me.”

Fast forward to Saturday – it seems those fears the young girl had faded away, and have been replaced by a young woman who exudes confidence in herself and her craft.

“I had no butterflies,” Elaina chuckled. “I told them I am going to win. I had a feeling in my heart I was going to win. I was going to try my best, because I wanted it more.”

Elaina has goals of wrestling in college. But first, she has 4 years of eligibility at Laney. Head Coach Andre Adams says this is the first year girl’s wrestling will have a state champion.

I’d like to see the girl who is going to defeat her.