Serratos Sisters Leading the Way in Girls Wrestling, One Mat at a Time
SANTA ANA, Calif. — For the Serratos family, wrestling isn’t just a sport — it’s a way of life.
Sisters Alicia, Angelica, and Anabelle Serratos have grown up with the sport, and together, they’ve become one of the most formidable families in the Southern California girls wrestling scene. While girls wrestling is still a relatively young addition to high school athletics, the Serratos sisters were grappling on mats before they turned 10.
“Wrestling teaches you a lot — not just about the sport, but about life in general,” Alicia said. “There are so many lessons we’ve learned through this journey.”
Their introduction to the sport came early, thanks to their father, who coached at Trabuco Hills High School. For the sisters, tournament weekends as kids were less about winning and more about being immersed in the wrestling culture.
“My dad coached, so we were always at tournaments,” Angelica said. “We’d be running around, playing with the high schoolers. It was just normal life for us.”
What began as a childhood routine has evolved into a shared passion — and a historic run. Anabelle, now a sophomore at Santa Ana High School, made history as the school’s first freshman to win a wrestling championship.
“It’s insane,” Anabelle said. “I remember when it was a big deal just to have another girl in our bracket. Now, the girls’ side of the sport has just exploded — our brackets are full, and the competition is amazing.”
The sisters say the rise of girls wrestling has brought not only better matches, but also deeper friendships.
“All the girls in California are really close,” Alicia said. “We’ve made so many friends through this sport. It’s been so cool to watch it grow.”
Despite their competitive nature — especially during practice — the bond between the sisters remains unbreakable.
“We’ll be rolling around, scrambling, and just end up laughing,” Angelica said. “We drive our dad crazier than we drive each other. But we’re so competitive — we’ll fight for that last Gatorade based on who scored on who at practice.”
That in-house competition, they say, makes them better athletes and better teammates.
“Our wrestling has improved so much, especially this year,” Alicia said. “We push each other, support each other, and have fun doing it. There’s nothing better than that.”
As Alicia wrapped up her senior season, the family knows the future holds even more opportunities. Anabelle has two years of high school left, and Angelica has three. With the growth of women’s programs at NCAA Division I schools, college wrestling is becoming a realistic goal.
“Programs at Michigan, Oklahoma State, Penn State — they’re all growing,” Alicia said. “If Anabelle keeps working, she can go wherever she wants. That’s the coolest thing ever.”
But before thinking too far ahead, the sisters are focused on finishing this season strong — together.
“It’s our only year all three of us are competing at the same time,” Alicia said. “We just want to soak it all in and do it as a family.”