February's Wrestler of the Month: Samirah Conners-Reed

Samirah Conners-Reed was faced with a dilemma at the end of the season. She was unsure of whether to enter the beginners or advanced bracket at the Beat the Streets youth tournament. By all accounts she was a beginner, not even having completed a full season of wrestling yet. However, her dominance in the practice room gave her the confidence to challenge herself in the advanced bracket. The decision turned out to be the right one, as she reeled off 4 straight wins including a pin in the finals to take home the championship. The bracket was co-ed, and Samirah beat male wrestlers in both the semis and finals to win and was the only female placer in the weight class. The 7^th grader at Wissahickon Charter School took naturally to wrestling and began to excel immediately at practice. Her combination of strength, body control, and gut instinct made her dangerous right from the start, and her strong work ethic and competitive nature helped her progress rapidly. Samirah displays a strong desire to get better, and consistently works to hone her technique in the wrestling room. Her hard work has paid dividends and she recently placed 2^nd in the Folkstyle State Tournament. For taking 1^st and 2^nd her first ever tournaments, Samirah has been named the March Wrestler of the Month!