Deanna Gamache ended an historic season with the Wells High School wrestling team by placing second in the 115-pound weight class at the Maine Girls Wrestling Invitational at Gardiner High School on Feb. 16.
Wells coach Scott Lewia said Gamache went 2-1. She lost by pinfall in the championship round to Amber Libby of McAuley.
Although she doesn't have a title to her name, Gamache has set the bar pretty high for girls at Wells. She is the first female wrestler at the school to win a match, she is the first to wrestle all four years of her career at the school and has the most wins for a girl in school history with more than 30.
Lewia said she went 11-10 this year.
"She was pretty solid for us all year," Lewia said.
One disadvantage Gamache had was, when she wrestled against the boys she landed in the 112-pound weight class. That spot in the Warriors' lineup was occupied by three-time defending state champion Vanya Tomaszewski, so Gamache didn't see much varsity action and when she did it was at 119 pounds sometimes.
Still, she managed to stick with it. Rather it was with the junior varsity squad or on the varsity team, Gamache kept plugging away win, lose or draw.
Lewia said Gamache was raw when she started as a freshman, but had certain natural traits that helped her wrestling.
"She's really flexible," Lewia said. "It's hard to pin her."
As the years moved along, however, Gamache developed in to a more rounded wrestler and started to pick up more wins.
"In the last couple of years she started to use moves," Lewia said.
Because Gamache wrestled with the junior varsity squad so often, Lewia didn't get much of a chance to see her in action. He did go to Gardiner to watch the tournament and was impressed with what he saw.
"It was the first time I saw her against other girls," Lewia said. "She did well. She did really well."