Juan Diego CHS wrestler wins second state title

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DRAPER — Juan Diego Catholic High School senior Yvette (Star) Vargas, 17, claimed the 1A/2A/3A state title in the 110-pound weight class in UHSSA Wrestling at the state tournament Feb. 15 at the Sevier Valley Center. She was also named Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament.

In the season, Vargas finished undefeated 15-0, competing against girls in several weight classes.

“I got a good variety of different fields of girls, and it was a good way to end the season – winning all my matches,” she said.

Vargas became a strong leader of the team this year, Juan Diego CHS wrestling head coach Zac Petereit said. “She took other wrestlers under her wing, helped them get better and did more than just go out and win her own matches — she helped the team improve as well.”

At the state tournament, Vargas wrestled with a torn shoulder, Petereit said. “She had a pretty significant injury. The doctors told her it wasn’t a good idea to wrestle, but she wasn’t going to take that for an answer. She had one tournament left, so she bit down on her mouthpiece and just went to work and got it done with one arm, basically.”

Vargas said she competed with the injury because she wanted to finish her high school wrestling career strong. “Might as well finish it off; I can deal with the pains,” she said.

In anticipation of the state tournament, she rested her shoulder for two weeks and experienced no lasting injury as a result of competing, she said.

Vargas first began wrestling at the age of 8 in El Paso, Texas along with her sister Belle, after her father enrolled their younger brothers in wrestling classes. When the family moved to Utah five years ago, the sisters began wrestling with Champions Wrestling. Belle Vargas was the state champion in wrestling in 2021, the first year girls wrestling was a UHSAA sports. Star Vargas took time off from wrestling for a year but decided to get back to the sport for the 2021-22 school year.

Although Petereit said he has been contacted by several college women’s wrestling programs interested in having Vargas wrestle for them, she has decided not to continue in the sport after high school.

“I’ve done it for eight years, so I feel that I’m done with it,” she said. “I love the sport but I’m not in love with it.”

Rather than compete at a college level, she is planning to pour her energies into attending the University of Utah this fall and pursue a degree in child psychology.

Still, she has learned many lessons wrestling that she will use in her life, she said. “It toughens you and teaches you not to give up and to understand you have work hard to get where you want.”