Popularity in women’s wrestling has grown at Lewiston High School largely due to Junior Joley Slyter. Slyter was nominated for the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame for the 2022-23 school year and has already won a state title. The Bengal’s Purr asked her a few questions about her past and future wrestling career.
Bengal’s Purr: Can you tell me a little about how you got into wrestling and why you did it?
Joely Slyter: Basically, my brother got into [wrestling], and the tournaments took forever, and they made me go to them. One day, I was complaining about it, and then my dad said something like ‘If you keep complaining, we are going to enter you into the tournament.’ Then I said, ‘Okay,’ and then I went to a practice and fell in love with it and just didn’t stop.
BP: Who are some people that have helped support you?
JS: My family and my cousin. My cousin actually got my brother into it. His name is Jack Brinkly; he goes here, to Lewiston. My coaches have been a big help. And then I just have people all around who support me.
BP: What moment are you most proud of in your wrestling career?
JS: Last summer at nationals, I went into a match with this girl who’s a four-time national champ. I had wrestled her before, and she beat me pretty badly a couple of times before that, and I won that match. I won it by one point, and it was a very exciting moment because it let me advance to the national finals.
BP: How do you train for wrestling season
JS: I´ve been training just as usual, getting in five days a week. Doing lifting and running, I do my club practices, which are from an hour and a half to two hours, and I get lifts in before, and I go on runs and just eat well.
BP: When do you start training
JS: I usually train from the beginning of September to the end of July. So I usually only take August off from wrestling…about two and a half months before the season starts.
BP: Do you have any goals for the upcoming season, and how are you working toward them?
JS: My biggest goal is to recruit more girls and have a good girl’s team. We won districts last year, and I’m hoping to get a top-five finish at the start tournament for the girl’s team. And then, individually, I want to top off with another state title and hopefully get another one after that, be a three-timer. And be Lewiston´s first two-time girl´s state champ.