Trailblazer Aireaana Gavere continues to prove she belongs

Milton’s Aireaana Gavere on top of the medal stand after winning the 130-pound state championship at the FHSAA State Wrestling Tournament at Silver Spurs Arena back in March. (Photo courtesy of Aireaana Gavere)

BY BRANT PARSONS — When Aireaana Gavere started wrestling nearly 15 years ago in Minnesota, she was the only girl in her area competing.

She would get a lot of looks and even some parents would not want their boys to wrestle her. Those reactions just made Gavere work harder.

“I wasn’t looked at as the same so I needed to work 10 times harder that every other person that was in that room,” Gavere said. “Because I was the only girl and I was constantly told that it was a boy’s sport, I wanted to prove myself and keep showing that I can be the best and be a good role model for other girls who want to wrestle.”

The Milton senior has continued to prove herself and did it again in March with a Florida girls state title after winning the 130-pound weight class with a 6-3 win over Matanzas’ Brielle Bibla.

“I just went out there and trusted my training and doing what I train,” Gavere said.

That training included a year in Las Vegas. After her family moved to Florida after her sophomore year, Gavere spent her junior year living in Las Vegas and training with Bill Sullivan.

“I improved my mat preparation and the mental side of it and working on just going into each match and doing what I needed to do,” Gavere said of what she learned in Vegas. “I learned to trust myself and trust my training.”

Gavere also traveled out of the country to compete but wanted to come back to Florida for her senior year.

During her senior year, Gavere decided to keep wrestling boys when she could during the season.

“I wrestled boys my whole life and a certain point that’s what made me better,” Gavere said. “If you’re the best person in the room, you’re not in the right room and if I’m going to practice, I want to be getting by butt kicked.”

“This year I had the choice so I entered myself in every single boy’s individual tournament because I wanted the matches, the wins and losses didn’t matter to me.”

The strategy paid off for Gavere with the state title and now she’ll move on to college to compete with some of the best female wrestlers in the country.

Gavere’s next step in the sport will be at McKendree University in Illinois.

“I’m going to be going to the top program in the country right now and I’m just excited to be in a room full of other girls that want the same thing that I do - a national championship,” Gavere said. “I’m excited for that next level and I can’t wait to get up there and prove that I can hang with them and get better.”

If history continues for Gavere, she will prove she belongs again.

Aireaana Gavere won Milton’s first wrestling state title. (Photo courtesy of Aireaana Gavere)

STATE CHAMPION FEATURES

Kabra Wrestling is looking to feature as many state champions as we can over the next few months and tell a little story about what makes them special.

If you won a state championship and would like to be featured, please contact Kabra Wrestling to set up an interview.

2023 State Champions

3A-106: Andrew Punzalan (Cypress Bay)

3A-113: Tyler Washburn (Palmetto Ridge)

3A-120: Luis Acevedo (South Dade)

3A-126: Ethan Vugman (Bartram Trail)

3A-132: Cavarius Liddie (Buchholz)

3A-138: Elvis Solis (South Dade)

3A-145: Anderson Heap (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-152: Cooper Haase (Kissimmee Osceola)

3A-160: Adrian Ochoa (Southwest Miami)

3A-170: Lawrence Rosario (South Dade)