By Chris Villani

Ella Costa got into wrestling when she was in middle school, watching her older brother compete in the sport. 

“I thought it was cool, and I wanted to be like him,” Costa said. “So, I joined the wrestling team in middle school as well.”

The Milford resident and Blackstone Valley Tech junior put together a strong postseason that included advancing to the Division II state finals and a top-10 finish in the all-state meet.

“I felt like I improved a lot compared to last year’s season,” Costa said. “I definitely exceeded my own expectations. I didn’t expect to do as well as I did in the girls’ state and all-state tournaments.”

Costa, 17, wrestled against boys throughout the regular season. She said she struggled at times, but the competition helped her improve a great deal by the end of the year.

“I got more comfortable and more in-depth with my knowledge and skills,” Costa said, adding that she was pleased to peak at the right time of the year.

“I felt pretty good about the way I performed, though I wish I did better at all states,” she said. “The second day was a lot more difficult, because I had wrestled a lot more by that day.”

While Costa was pleased with the second-place finish, it did leave her hungry to try to take the top spot next winter.

“I would love to get a banner at my high school, and at Bellingham where we co-op,” she said.

Costa said the fact that she is a wrestler catches some people by surprise.

“It’s definitely a big shock factor,” she said. “People don’t think of it as a main sport that people play in general, and on top of that, a girl wrestling, it’s a surprise, but my friends are all supportive.”

Costa said some of herfriends were “a little confused at first, but they come to my meets and they always cheer me on.”

In addition to wrestling, Costa also competes in cross country and track and field at Valley Tech, sports she hopes will help her improve her cardio fitness. She also plans to join a wrestling club, practicing a few days per week over the summer. Costa has hopes to wrestle in college, and said she will spend the next year looking at potential women’s programs in the area.

“I really love to wrestle,” Costa said, “and I would love to wrestle in college.”