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Like most sophomores, David Marrow was nervous when he had his first date with senior Whitney Conder.
It wasn't a traditional date -- it was wrestling practice at Puyallup High School.
Marrow had heard plenty about Conder, one of the top 103-pound wrestlers in the state, who placed sixth at the 4A state tournament last season.
It didn't take long for him to realize she was the real deal.
"She outscored me with ease," Marrow said. "She could have pinned me at will, but it was the first of many lessons with Whitney. She's taught me more this season than I knew in all the time I wrestled before meeting her."
Other wrestlers are getting the message, too. Saturday, Conder became the first female wrestler in state history to win a district title, and Friday will begin her quest for a Class 4A state title at Mat Classic XVIII at the Tacoma Dome.
Condor is 33-5 this season and hasn't lost to an in-state 4A opponent. Preseason, she was ranked No. 2 in the nation at 105 by the United States Girls Wrestling Association.
Four wins without a loss this weekend and she becomes the state's first female wrestling champion.
She has a legitimate shot.
Brent Barnes, head coach at Lake Stevens and a member of USA Wrestling's national coaching pool, says Conder could make the U.S. junior world women's team he'll coach.
"Whitney is a real competitor," Barnes said. "She's not a sideshow, she's an athlete. She's just as motivated to succeed as anyone. We're seeing more and more girls come out to wrestle, and having it as an Olympic sport can only help."
Wrestling is in Conder's genes. She has two brothers who wrestled at Rogers High School. Her father wrestled in college and has been a constant source of knowledge.
At age 8, she resisted her mother's pleas and began competing in the sport.
It seemed to come naturally.
"I loved it right away," Conder said. "It was great to finally wrestle kids my own size and age after getting pounded by my brothers."
Puyallup coach Bryan Bartelson refers to her as a one-person public relations firm for Puyallup wrestling. She represents the team when she travels to out-of-state meets and is a varsity co-captain.
"Whitney is very knowledgeable and a great mat technician," Bartelson said. "She is very outgoing and goes out of her way to help anybody on the team. She's a great role model. In fact, my daughters are always saying they want to be like Whitney."
Conder's dream expands beyond high school competition.
"My sights are on Colorado Springs," she said, referring to the U.S. Olympic Training Center. "I want to be part of USA Wrestling. The Olympics ... I'd like that."
She's already qualified for OTC consideration, and has a full scholarship offer from Northern Michigan University.
Condor's voice trails off when talking about the Olympics. She does the same when asked if she'll win the 4A 103-pound title.
She refuses to take anything for granted.
"There's a lot of tough kids out there," she said. "This sport can be so mental and anything can happen at state. Every year you see guys predicted to place, then they go out, lose, and can't recover from that negative frame of mind. My goal is to stay focused on each match and improve from last year's sixth-place finish."
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