Taylor Cavanh, Liberty High

Watch Taylor's Video

On Feb. 6, senior Taylor Cavanh capped a pioneering career for the Liberty girls wrestling team with an eighth-place finish at State. Wrestling at 2A 105 lbs, it was Cavanh’s first time on the podium at Xtreme Arena in Coralville.

Firsts are nothing new for Cavanh, who was one of just nine founding Liberty team members when the sport was sanctioned in Iowa four years ago. This season, the program she helped to grow finished fifth at State with eight qualifiers and six medalists. 

“I have had a lot of firsts, which is just a testament to how much this sport has given me and helped me to grow,” said Cavanh. 

As a freshman, Cavanh earned the first win and the first pin in program history. She was the first Bolt to qualify for the State Tournament, and she went on to become Liberty’s first MVC champion. 

Cavanh was also the first Liberty wrestler to reach 100 wins for either the boys or the girls teams. 

“I am kind of a pioneer for the sport,” said Cavanh. 

Cavanh is a leader at Liberty, participating in both the Student Council and the Athletics Student Council. She is also a National Honor Society student and member of the speech team.

“In the past, I have been the only girl in the wrestling room,” said Cavanh. “To see our team’s performance at State is extremely incredible. I think it’s a testament to the program we have built.”

Liberty girls wrestling is coached by Derek Coorough, a staff member at North Central Middle School and former Hawkeye wrestler.  

“From day one, Taylor was leading practices and team talks,” said Coorough. “She organizes summer running and team events. She helps teammates stick it out when things get hard.”

Beyond the current team, Cavanh coaches youth and middle school wrestlers in her free time. Coorough says she is laying the foundation for Liberty’s future. 

“Taylor is always looking for that next generation,” said Coorough. “She works with my own daughter on technique. She is setting the stage for them to break her records and get to 100 wins faster than she did. She wants that.”

For Coorough, wrestling has opened doors and taught essential life lessons. He says he is honored to pass that tradition on to a generation of girls wrestlers. 

“Boys have learned a lot of life lessons in this sport,” said Coorough. “I think it is a great honor to be able to teach a group of young ladies about mindset, confidence, growth, and progress.”

“Taylor has learned a lot of lessons in this sport and gained so many new experiences.” 

One of those experiences: an international tournament in the Netherlands where Cavanh competed against girls from countries such as France, Germany, and Sweden.

Cavanh wrestled in the city of Utrecht and was able to visit both Germany and  Amsterdam. She earned the silver medal in her eight-person bracket. 

“It was a lot of fun because I got to meet a lot of new people,” said Cavanh.
“I got to experience the culture shock.” 

Cavanh said her father encouraged her to compete overseas as an opportunity to see a different side of the world and the sport. 

“It was really cool to compete against other high-level athletes from all around the world,” said Cavanh. “We wrestled freestyle, which is the international and collegiate style for women’s wrestling.” 

“Wrestling has a way of taking us places,” said Coorough. “It also has a way of coming back. Wrestling will always be part of Taylor’s life, whether it is as a coach, a parent, or lessons she takes with her.”

Wrestling came into Cavanh’s life in much the same way. Her father is a military serviceman, so she has grown up in many different places. He encouraged her to try wrestling, but it wasn’t until moving to the Iowa City area that she took the idea seriously.

“This is Wrestle Town, USA,” said Cavanh. “We started going to the men’s duals. When the Iowa women’s wrestling team was established, they really inspired me.”

Cavanh says watching the Hawkeye women compete and seeing her friends at school try out was enough for her to finally make the leap. 

As a lightweight wrestler, she soon found it was the sport that best matched her athleticism. It also tested her physically and mentally. 

“It takes courage to put that ankle brace on and walk out there with one other person,” said Cavanh, “but that is also what I love so much about the sport: it takes away the excuses.”

She says those experiences, which only became accessible to girls during her freshman year of high school, came at the perfect moment in her life. 

“I have grown so much in this wrestling room. I have become a stronger person mentally and physically. I have become a more well-rounded person. I am more resilient and hardworking. I want to see other people succeed. I am here today as the person I am because of wrestling.