Lexi Page, the talented senior wrestler at Cumberland County High School, has had a great athletic career with the Lady Jets.
The experienced wrestler burst on the scene her freshman season and had a good rookie campaign, topping it off with a visit to the state championships.
Coming into her sophomore campaign, expectations were high for Page. She was expected to get back to the state meet once again. However, she fell during a match in the regular season and suffered a concussion. She was out for most of the rest of the year.
But no worries. How did Page respond? She merely came back with a vengeance her junior year, had a good regular season, and earned another trip to the state championship, the second time in three years.
And because of her comeback story, Page was tabbed for the 2024 Crossville Chronicle Award for Co-Female Athlete of the Year at Cumberland County High School.
“A lot of it is mentality,” said Page, the daughter of Jennifer Palmer and Justin Page. “I started my junior year worried that I was going to get hurt again. So, I was watching my opponents trying to get to me instead of me getting to them.”
“I did pretty good my freshman year. I was in good shape, and I finished in the top 16 in the state,” Page said. “I had a good start to my sophomore year. But, I was at a girls tournament, got my feet tangled with a girl, and I fell backward. I ended up having a concussion.
“You lose a lot of strength and stamina when you can’t work out, and this past year was the hardest year I have ever had. I put a lot of work into building myself back up and was able to get back into the top 8 in the state. I worked hard for that.”
Sports has always been a big part of Page’s life. She grew up playing everything from baseball, to basketball, to cheerleading and gymnastics. If it was happening, Page was part of it.
“When I started wrestling, it was just so much fun, and it is such an exciting sport,” said Page, who wrestles at 132 pounds. “I instantly fell in love with it.
“I am the very first person to ever wrestle in my family. When I first started, there was a little bit of a worry that I might get hurt. However, mom was the one who signed me up for wrestling. I had to convince my dad to let me actually do it.”
Page said she was unaware of what high school wrestling was all about because her only reference for the sport was the shows she grew up watching on television.
“So, I seriously thought we were going train and do that kind of [TV] stuff,” she laughed. “The first thing I thought about when I started working out with the team was ‘This is a lot of running.’”
High school wrestlers train hard to compete in a match consisting of three 2-minute rounds.
“Wrestling is a total team effort … but once you step on the mat, it is you and the other person,” Page said. “So you are fighting to show your worth and how much heart you’ve put into it.”
Page’s development over her time with the Lady Jets has been remarkable.
“I thought about not wrestling again after having my concussion,” Lexi said. “I have had other concussions, and if I have another one, it won’t be good. I thought about it, but I wanted to come back.
“The support from my teammates, and my coaches, and my family were great. They made me feel comfortable about coming back, and I needed their support.”
And now Page is focused on her senior season, with one main goal of getting back to state, and earning her highest finish ever.
“I want to get to at least the top four or higher at the state meet this year,” Page said. “The only way to do that is with a good mentality and a lot of effort. I am going to work so hard to make that happen.”