Gerald signs with Manchester for wrestling

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Rochester senior Lilly Gerald (front middle) signs with Manchester University to continue her academic and wrestling careers surrounded by family and high school coaches Wednesday. Gerald said she plans on double-majoring in exercise science and athletic training. She is already a two-time state placer with the Lady Zs.

Rochester senior Lilly Gerald signed with Manchester University to continue her wrestling and academic careers Wednesday.

Gerald finished eighth at 105 pounds at the inaugural IHSAA state finals in January. She also finished fourth at state at the 2023 state finals at 98 pounds as a freshman. She did not participate in the 2024 state tournament series due to elbow and knee injuries that required surgery.

“I’ve known since as soon as I started wrestling that I really wanted to go there,” Gerald said of Manchester. “I had a little bit of hesitation at the beginning of this year. I guess I just realized how real it was, and I knew that this is a really big decision, so I think I was just thinking too much. But I really like the coaching staff there. I like the atmosphere. The campus is really nice. I’m excited, and I know that’s where I wanted to go.”

Gerald said she heard from a “little bit of everywhere” during the recruiting process.

“It was pretty cool seeing all of that,” Gerald said.

Gerald’s first combat sport was Brazilian jiu jitsu, which she said she started in “second or third” grade but later converted to wrestling as a sixth-grader.

“First match I ever won in middle school,” Gerald replied when asked when she knew she loved wrestling. “I had one of the varsity boys tell me that if I lost this match, I’d never wrestle varsity again. And I won, and I just loved it. I loved the feeling of winning and just being really dominant of the person you’re wrestling. It means a lot. It’s insane.”

She said she knew she wanted to wrestle in college when a coach in the recruiting process asked her if she would be OK if she had to stop wrestling for a week and she said no.

She was undefeated as a sophomore when she suffered her season-ending elbow injury.

“It was so hard coming back,” Gerald said. “I had to. I didn’t have a choice. I needed to come back. There were a lot of issues with coming back throughout my junior year, but overall, I think I got what I deserved. Eighth place at state was what I had deserved.”

Gerald said she wants to double-major in exercise science and athletic training. Exercise science would potentially lead to a career in the physical therapy field. She also said she loved spending time with former Rochester certified athletic trainer Christina Hughes as she recovered from her own injuries.

“So a lot of similar classes,” Gerald said. “Not entirely sure what I want to do yet, so that’s why I’m looking to double-major. I’ve taken a couple college classes through their courses already, their early onset college over the summer. Really nice actually.”