Lily Grogan’s list of ailments over the past two years would have been enough to send most high school student-athletes to the sidelines for good, regardless of their sport of choice.
But Grogan, a sophomore wrestler at Fairfield High School, didn’t see things that way. Instead, each passing issue — a torn labrum, a shoulder hyperextension, a partially torn ACL, an overextended MCL and two dislocated fingers — only added to her resiliency level and desire to return to the mat.
The reward? That will come this weekend when Grogan, in the 170-pound class, will become Fairfield’s first-ever girls participant in the OHSAA State Championships at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
“It’s been a hard road getting here,” Grogan said. “I have just always wanted to prove to people that I can do things. I also wanted to prove to myself that I could overcome all of these things that have happened.”
Grogan was a child prodigy, thanks in part to coming from a wrestling family as her older brother, two uncles and a grandfather were all mat standouts at Fairfield.
Grogan was determined to continue that family tradition, so much so that, when she was in kindergarten, she took up the sport seriously, training under legendary Dayton-area coaches John Sopczak and Zarina McLachlan.
An immediate hit on the mat, Grogan’s ascent in the sport was natural and smooth — until she suffered a torn labrum at the eighth-grade state tournament.
The injury required surgery and was so serious that Grogan was unable to compete at Fairfield as a freshman. Forced to the sideline and unable to gain match or practice experience, Grogan found other bountiful ways to learn the sport, including serving as a coach for her younger brother’s middle school team at Fairfield.
“It was actually good for me because I was able to see some things that you can’t see when you are actually out there wrestling,” Grogan said. “It kind of changed how I viewed some things and I learned a lot just watching other people.”
Still, Grogan’s return to the mat was delayed by more injuries before she finally made it back midway through this season for the Indians.
Finally in action, Grogan posted a 16-3 record and finished third in the districts, which was good enough for her to earn the historic berth to the state meet.
And to top things off, Grogan even received a royal sendoff to Columbus as part of a ceremony at FHS, where students lined the hallway and the band played as part of her farewell.
“It was really cool because I’m also in the band (as an alto sax player), so having all of my friends there to support me was nice,” Grogan said.
The next time Grogan sets foot on the FHS campus, she hopes to have a little hardware to display around her neck to commemorate what she hopes will be a strong performance at the state meet.
“I definitely expect to finish in the top four and I definitely think I can win it,” Grogan said. “I haven’t really shown all that I have yet. With all of the hard work I’ve put in, I expect to do well. And the way I’m wired, I always want to prove that I am just as strong as the boys — I’ve been that way my entire life."
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