Friends and Neighbors: Sierra Starr

Like her name, ten year old Potter-Dix Elementary fifth grade student, Sierra Starr, is somewhat of a "star" these days.

In addition to being named Potter-Dix's February student of the month, on Feb. 14 Starr competed for, and won, a berth to a state wrestling competition in Scottsbluff on March 26.

She is very passionate about wrestling; has been active in the sport for the past three years and has won several wrestling medals and trophies, competing in several tournaments in Nebraska and Colorado this past year.

As a wrestler with the Tri-State Grapplers, Starr has learned the Batman roll, the fireman's roll, take down and the suplex – an offensive move used in both professional and sport wrestling which involves lifting an opponent and bridging or rolling to slam the opponent on their back.

What does it take to be on this team?

"You have to get good grades, be nice and work really hard!" Starr said.

Starr's grandmother, Penny Hobbs, is also her biggest fan "I'm proud of her. She has worked really hard and she enjoys the sport." Hobbs said. "In the Sidney "Smackdown" competition she had three pins in thirty-three seconds, which is really good."

In addition to her biggest fan and her coach, Starr gets motivation from another young female wrestler, 14 year old, Jerzi Menke, who like Starr began wrestling at a young age in Bridgeport.

Menke has been wrestling for eight years, and started when she was in first grade – currently she is in eighth grade and will graduate in April of 2020.

Menke recently took first place in an all girls tournament and will now start wrestling as a cadette in Worlds and will try out for the World Team in Texas on May 20.

If she continues, perhaps we can expect similar accomplishments from young Starr.