The Fox Chapel Area girls wrestling team is carving out a strong identity in just its second season as a program separate from the boys. With a growing roster that has expanded from 14 to 22 athletes, the team is filling more weight classes and showing steady improvement.
The sport’s demanding nature requires special kinds of athletes, those with grit, resilience, and endurance, qualities demonstrated by two sets of sisters on the team: Mira and Evelyn Owens and Andrea Wang and Elaine Huang. These duos not only support their siblings but also encourage their teammates to aim high while keeping the experience enjoyable and rewarding.
Owens Sisters: Pushing Each Other to Excel
Second-year head coach Laura Ward describes the Owens sisters as quiet and intelligent athletes who bring fierce intensity to the mat. Both Mira and Evelyn are multiyear starters for the team.
“When Mira and Evelyn practice together, they don’t take it easy on each other,” coach Ward says of the sisters. “They go 100% and show their competitive spirits. You might think that sisters wouldn’t try as hard when practicing with each other, but the Owens girls go extra hard. Neither girl is going to give her sister a point; they must earn every point they want.”
Evelyn Owens
Evelyn was the first of the sisters to start wrestling, signing up for the co-ed team in middle school. She hadn’t planned on taking up the sport, but when a friend encouraged her to try it, she did. She later encouraged older sister Mira, a junior, to try it too.
“Even though I had been on the wrestling team for a year longer than Mira, she had experience in high-performance sports and just high school in general,” Evelyn says. “She made me feel comfortable (on the high school team) and has motivated me to keep working hard. She’s also helped me with my mindset, because I tend to get hung up on winning and losing.”
Evelyn describes herself as a slower, more calculated wrestler, while she says Mira is fast and aggressive.
“I think Mira and I both have some things that we could learn from each other’s style of wrestling,” says Evelyn, whose goals in her sophomore year are to “build more confidence” and “win more matches than I lose.”
Evelyn credits the creation of a girls-only team as making a significant difference in her progress.
“Being on a separate team from the boys has made such a difference,” Evelyn says. “Almost everyone was new (last year), and we had no idea of what we were doing, but the wrestling room was a safe environment to learn and make mistakes.”
“Evelyn is a smart wrestler,” says coach Ward. “I keep telling the newer girls to watch her since she does everything correctly when she’s on the bottom (defensive position). Evie will say that she isn’t thinking, just doing. That’s what makes her so good. She has great instincts and just knows what to do to get out of situations.”
Mira Owens
“My coach (Ron Frank) has said that champions come in pairs because each person pushes the other to be better,” says Mira. “Evelyn and I both have high expectations for each other, which keeps me pushing forward. I know Evelyn sees me as a strong athlete that faces every challenge confidently, which is not always how I feel, but I wouldn’t want to let her down.”
Mira says they have differences about how they handle outcomes and their mindsets, but still are close and understand each other. “I could just give her a look without saying anything and she’d know (what I mean).”
Mira recalls her first experiences when she went to open rooms with her sister.
“Evelyn already had one year of experience, so she showed me the basics,” says Mira. “At those times, we just drilled moves, but once the year started and I had more background, we were able to challenge each other more.”
Even with Mira’s natural athleticism, she says her first match was eye-opening.
“I knew I needed to be aggressive,” says Mira, who was surprised with how long the six-minute periods seem to last. “The very first match of the day, I wrestled a girl with seven years of experience – I only found out after the match was over – which was important because she set my expectations for the rest of the day. She started right off the whistle and showed no mercy. I use that experience as motivation and set her skill level as the goal I want to achieve for my wrestling career.
“You have to use every ounce of strength in your body to compete. It also takes mental conditioning to persevere through the workouts and matches when your body is tired. A crucial skill is to have a solid growth mindset, you have to want to learn, which means taking the losses and turning them into motivation and experience that is used for improvement. If you have the right mindset, everything else will fall into place.”
Andrea Wang and Elaine Huang – On the Same Path
Andrea and Elaine bring contrasting personalities to the mat but also have some commonalities. Among their shared interests is running. Andrea is on the cross country and outdoor track teams, while Elaine participates in outdoor track.
“They balance each other out and both bring their strengths to the mat for success,” notes coach Ward. “They work hard and want to improve at every match and practice. Both girls are tall and use that to their advantage, and both are bright and learn things quickly.”
Andrea Wang
Andrea, a senior returning starter and co-captain, has had a positive influence on her younger sister, Elaine, and their teammates.
“Andrea encourages everyone, and she is there to support, teach, and cheer on her team all the time,” coach Ward says. “She is incredibly fit and has great cardiovascular endurance.”
Andrea, who has three years of experience on the mat, describes sister Elaine as energetic and bold, while she considers herself more on the quiet side.
“I believe the reason Elaine joined the team is because it was a way to relieve stress,” Andrea says. “I always encourage her to be patient. That can be applied to life and in wrestling. If you wait and wear out your opponent, it’s easier to take them down than jumping into it without a clear shot.”
For her final season, Andrea has focused on her takedown techniques.
“One of my biggest goals last year was to pull away from head locks and try to get in more single leg or double (takedowns),” Andrea says. “I think I have improved a lot from not being shy to get under and take a shot.
“Trying hard and proving yourself on the mat and learning from so many people is so great.”
Elaine Huang
“This isn’t my first year on the Fox Chapel wrestling team, but from last year I continue to find new reasons to love the sport,” says Elaine, a sophomore who is also a returning starter. “I chose to wrestle because it offers a great outlet after a tough day, helping me clear my mind and stay focused.”
Elaine explains the importance of having her sister beside her.
“While my sister and I don’t always get paired up on the mat, when we do, it’s always a unique experience. The best part of being on the team with her is the constant support she gives me. Her caring nature really shines through – especially in wrestling. She’s always positive and encouraging, pushing me to stay focused and motivated. Her advice to me is simple but powerful: wrestle hard and be patient.”
“Elaine is focused and determined on the mat,” adds coach Ward. “She has a serious look of determination when she steps onto the mat. She spent a lot of time in the off season working on getting stronger and it shows.”
Building a Legacy
By the end of 2024, the team had won all its early regular season competitions, defeating Peters Township, 66-6; North Allegheny, 42-30; and Shaler, 33-24.
At the year-end Pine-Richland Ram Slam, both Evelyn and Elaine closed out 2024 on a high note. Evelyn earned four pins, while Elaine had two major decisions. (Mira and Andrea did not participate in that tournament.) Their teammates also did well, boosting the team to a ninth-place finish out of 30 teams.
“Our team’s growth means we can challenge ourselves more,” says Mira. “We want to make sure that wrestling for girls continues to grow.”
“All of the girls are using what we’ve been working on in practice and are doing great,” says coach Ward. “We are so proud of them and their hard work. It is fantastic to see them growing. I’m really excited for the rest of the season.”