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Sharlotte “Pacquiao” Dela Cruz is a fighter.
After she battled her way to first place at the Peninsula Institutional Tournament on Dec. 4 at Half Moon Bay High, it comes as no surprise that her teammates nicknamed her after Manny Pacquiao, the agile and indestructible Filipino boxer and current World Boxing Organization World welterweight champion.
As co-captain and one of three girls on the Lowell girls’ wrestling team, Dela Cruz combines not only strength and agility, but also passionate leadership and a hard-working mentality.
Despite suffering an ankle injury on Jan. 9 during a match at the Viking Invitational, Dela Cruz has managed to continue placing fifth or above in every tournament in which she has participated. “Wrestling with a bum ankle has been hard, but I love the sport so much that I barely even feel it,” Dela Cruz said.
Fellow wrestlers agree that Dela Cruz is a role model to admire.
“As co-captain and a good winner, she shows excellent sportsmanship when she wins and loses a match,” sophomore wrestler Manuel Varguez said.
Year: 12
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 130 lbs.
Position: 126 vars girls, 130 vars boys
Club Team: Wrestling
Statistics: 14 wins, 6 losses
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