Athletic sisters a success on the mat and in the classroom

Mimi and Ariela Westlake find their place in male-dominated sports

John Jackson Petaluma High senior Mimi Westlake, left, and sophomore sister Ariela are not only strong academically, but also important members of the Petaluma High wrestling team. Zoom Photo

For any siblings, the high school careers of the Westlakes would be impressive. The older Westlake has been a three-sport standout in football, wrestling and track and is reigning North Coast Section champion in wrestling. The younger Westlake, a sophomore, has participated in all three sports.

What makes their story even more remarkable to almost everyone but them is that Mimi and Ariela are sisters playing predominantly male-dominated sports.

The sisters are far from athletes first and students second. Sophomore Ariela has a 4.0 grade point average. That is second best in the family. Mimi has a GPA of 4.6 and is among the top 10 percent of the Petaluma senior class. Ariela is also in choir, enjoys drama and is a cast member of the Petaluma High spring performance of the “Wizard of Oz.”

Mimi was a good enough football player to get into almost all the Petaluma games this fall as a tight end and defensive lineman, although she wrestles at 132 pounds.

For all their accomplishments, Mimi, 17, and Ariela, just turned 16, are most enthralled with wrestling.

“It is the best sport in the world,” says Mimi.

“I love it,” adds Ariela. “From now on, I’m just going to wrestle all year.” Last year she played football and ran track.

The sisters’ love for the sport comes naturally.

“Ariela and I have always been aggressive,” says Mimi. “It is only natural that we want to do something physical. We grew up on a dairy and we both did karate.”

They also like the no-nonsense Petaluma wrestling program. Assistant coach Mike Lopez is their cousin and assistant Mike Butts coached Mimi on the freshman football team and convinced her to try wrestling.

Both say they have fit right in with the other Petaluma wrestlers and have been readily accepted by the male wrestlers.

“We get along well with the guys,” Mimi says.

“Girls are way more irritating in a large group,” Ariela adds.

They are not intimidated by wrestling guys, and, actually prefer it to wrestling girls.

“Girls are way harder to pin,” explains Mimi. “They are so flexible, they are almost impossible to pin. And, I practice against the guys all the time.”

And, of course there is the pride factor.

“Beating a guy is so much more fulfilling,” says Mimi, who defeated about half her male opponents this season.

“If I lose to a girl, I’m mad,” says Ariela. “When you wrestle a guy and he can’t pin you, it makes him mad.”

Mimi lost only twice by pins all season, both to guys.

Correction. “According to the refs I got pinned twice. That was bull,” she says. “I was so mad. I was so totally not pinned.”

It is not only the chance to compete that attracts the sisters to wrestling.

“It is a mind game,” explains Mimi. “You can’t be afraid. You have to be the aggressor. You have to attack. You have to feel like you own them (your opponents). Even when you are behind, you have to feel like ‘I can get out of this, and pin them.’”

“Whoever fights longer wins. It is whoever wants it more,” says Ariela.

Mimi had an outstanding season, not only beating half the boys she faced, but going on to win the North Coast Section championship in her weight class. She was 3-2 in the girls state tournament.

It was a more frustrating season for Ariela, who hurt a knee in a dual match against Sonoma, later suffered a minor back injury and pulled a hamstring in the North Coast Section meet.

Both are looking forward to the summer club freestyle season and then they will go separate ways.

Ariela will be returning to Petaluma next fall and is looking forward to a healthy and successful high school season.

Mimi is headed to Franklin College in Switzerland, where she will stay active in some kind of sport. “I don’t know if I can do it, but I would love to stick with wrestling,” she says.

Not only did Mimi and Ariela make valuable contributions to the Petaluma overall team, they recruited other girls to join them. This year there were six girls were among the Trojan wrestlers, with the other four all recruited by Ariela and Mimi.

For the Westlakes, it isn’t about being pioneers or trailblazers, it is about competing in a sport both love.

(Contact John Jackson at acsports@arguscourier.com)