SOU student named Oregon Sports Awards’ Athlete of the Year

ASHLAND, Ore.- A Southern Oregon University student becomes the first ever women’s wrestler to be named the Oregon Sports Awards’ Small College Women’s Athlete of the Year.

21-year-old Carolina Moreno says wrestling has been a huge part of her entire life.

With her father being a wrestling coach, Moreno’s been competing since elementary school.

This achievement adds to her already impressive resume, which includes a 130-pound NAIA championship, a 28-0 record with 10 pins and 14 technical falls and the Cascade Conference Women’s Wrestler of the Year award.

She says this is only the beginning for her wrestling career.

“I plan on training for the 2028 Olympics. I actually was fortunate enough to qualify for the Olympic tryouts this year, but my first match, I dislocated my shoulder. So, I’m really excited to get back out there,” Moreno said.

Moreno says she owes a lot to her team who helped her get to where she is today.

She encourages women to commit to sports like wrestling as she finds it very empowering and fun.

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NBC5 News Reporter Lauren Pretto grew up in Livermore, California and attended University of California, Santa Cruz, graduating with a double major in Film/Digital Media and Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing. Lauren is a lover of books, especially Agatha Christie and Gothic novels. When her nose isn't buried in a book, she knits, bakes, and writes.
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