One… Two … Three… That’s a pin! 

Senior Nebi Tsarni is a seven-time American wrestler and has won three national state championships. She is in her final year at Watkins Mill High School and has mixed feelings about it. 

Tsarni is on her way to Air Force Academy, a school without a women’s wrestling program. Wrestling is and has always been a huge part of her life, so she is working with the academy’s men’s coach and trying to start a women’s program or at least find a way for her to continue training. 

“I just want the program to keep on growing after I leave,” Tsarni said.

Being a big part of the wrestling program at Watkins Mill has felt “super awesome” for Tsarni. She has enjoyed watching the team grow during her four years here and feels good knowing she has had such a positive influence on it. 

“With all of her national championships, you naturally look up to someone talented like that,” Coach Daniel Cassini said. 

Tsarni has been an inspiration to all of her teammates at WM and always pushes others to their full potential. “Obviously, I’m sad to be losing her, but I know she’s going to do amazing things [in the future],” Cassini added. 

A fellow teammate, freshman Isabella Peluso said, “She has always been there for us.” Nebi has always acted as a mentor for Peluso in many ways, reteaching, helping her with new moves, and “explaining things in ways coaches can’t.” 

Another one of Tsarni’s teammates is her cousin, sophomore Ziyaudi Khozhugov. Khozhugov is new to Watkins Mill this year as he transferred from Kazakhstan. Tsarni has “helped [him] in many ways, taught [him] new techniques, and explained how the competitions are held in schools.”

It can be hard to adapt to American ways, so having Tsarni to guide him was helpful. 

WMHS will miss Tsarni’s presence, but as Cassini said, “It’s high school, you’re here for four years and then you leave.”