She quit cheerleading and started wrestling. Now this freshman could win a state title.

Savannah Bramhall casts a knowing glance at her parents when someone asks if she’s worried about getting injured during a wrestling match against a male competitor.

“Cheerleading — now that’s something to worry about,” she said with a laugh.

Her days of “dangerous” cheerleading behind her, Bramhall is now a standout freshman wrestler at Union County’s Parkwood High School.

And Saturday, she’ll be aiming for a state championship in the girls meet in Concord.

With a 13-5 record against mostly male competition and a championship in the prestigious Holy Angels tournament to her credit, Bramhall will be a contender in the 152-pound weight class.

Bramhall began wrestling in middle school, competing on a club team. She said her older brother Morgan, also a member of Parkwood High’s team, got her interested.

But Savannah also was a cheerleader in middle school. That ended with a serious injury when she fractured her spine nearly two years ago during a fall.

“It took a while to recover,” she said. “And I’ve retired from cheerleading.”

That’s why when her parents are asked if they worry about their daughter’s health as a wrestler, her dad, Chris, simply says, “Not at all.”

“To be honest, it makes me a bit nervous when she’s wrestling against the guys,” he added.

Support from fellow wrestlers, coach

Savannah said she trained with a friend, Parkwood sophomore Sarah Morrison, and her brother. Parkwood coach Ryan Dunn and her teammates have been a big help to her.

“They’ve supported me and helped me,” she said.

Dunn says Bramhall “has good technique and is learning quickly.”

“She’s willing to try new moves,” he says.

Dunn is no stranger to having successful female wrestlers. Parkwood’s Amber Parker won the 138-pound title last year, when the N.C. High School Athletic Association held its first state championship for girls.

“We’re going to recruit more girls next year,” Dunn says. “It’s great to have a girls program, because there’s definitely an interest in it.”

Bramhall’s mother, Tracey, said wrestling has helped her daughter, who earned straight A’s in her first semester of high school.

“It’s funny,” she said. “You worry as a parent that the demands of a sport will take their focus off their grades, but it’s done the exact opposite.”

Tracey Bramhall said wrestling “is not just a sport for those who truly love it. It is their fuel … the thing that keeps them going.”

Savannah Bramhall, who is quick to credit God for her success, said she sometimes thinks of the Biblical story of David and Goliath when she wrestles. Despite her record of success, she sees herself as David.

“I remember what it says … I can do anything, if it’s in His will,” she said.

“I’m glad I have a chance to do this,” she said about wrestling. “I guess I’m just competitive.”

Girls’ state wrestling finals

The Women’s Wrestling Invitational Tournament, sponsored by the N.C. High School Athletic Association, is Saturday at Carolina Courts, 24 Spring Street SW, in Concord. Competition begins at 10 a.m. Admission is $8.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.