From Newbie To Champion: Northeast’s First Female Wrestler Blazes Trail on the Mat

Special to the Journal

Superintendent David DiBarri is pleased to share the achievements of Northeast Metro Tech’s first female wrester, Shelby Galex, who has won three female wrestling tournaments so far this season, excelling on the mat as she aspires to be in the Olympics someday.

Galex, a junior in the Culinary program at Northeast Metro Tech, has been wrestling since the third grade, when she picked up the sport from watching her older brother. Galex, who also has a purple belt in Judo, has been wrestling ever since via youth programs in her hometown of Woburn and for the Doughgirls team out of the Doughboys Wrestling Club in Lowell.

Galex was already an experienced wrestler when the COVID-19 Pandemic forced her to take a year off. When she became a freshman at Northeast Metro Tech, she was a little scared but still tried out for the wrestling team, becoming the school’s first ever female wrestler.

“It was definitely a little bit scary and nerve-wracking because I had to get used to a new high school and new people and a new team — a team that wasn’t exactly used to females,” Galex said. “There was some culture shock on both sides, but my teammates were very accepting and supportive to everyone.”

Her record on the mat since that time is 31 and 15. Galex is 21 and 4 while wrestling against other girls. This year, she is 12 and 0 against other girls she has wrestled in tournaments, remaining undefeated as she earned first place at the Phil Thomkeil Tournament in Agawam, the Brendan Grant Memorial Tournament in Belmont, and the Senators All Girls Kick Off Classic in Orange, MA.

Galex wrestles against boys as well, wrestling in the 150-pound weight class for the Northeast Metro Tech junior varsity team.

She was voted this year to be one of three team captains for the Northeast Metro Tech varsity wrestling team, having earned the respect of her teammates and coaches.

Galex’s goal is to win the state championship in her weight class this year, and also to wrestle in the Olympics someday.

While the Olympics may still be a ways off, Galex has already finished third in the state against girls in the 136-pound weight class, and in the 2021-2022 school year she finished third in the state against girls in the 113-pound weight class.

She also won the Massachusetts State Freestyle and Greco Roman championships in the 136-pound weight class against other girls last year.

Galex said wrestling has helped her handle her emotions better, and that wrestling has also taught her that you need to put in work if you want to get good results.

“I’ve learned that not everything is going to go your way, but I’ve also learned that the more you put into something the more you’re going to get out of it,” Galex said. “You’re going to have ups and downs, but you’ve got to go along with it if you want your goal bad enough.”

Galex’s coach, Northeast Metro Tech Varsity Wrestling Coach Bruce Rich, said Galex is a class act who has earned the respect of her teammates and coaches with her work ethic and mastery of wrestling techniques.

“Technique wise she’s as good as anyone in the room. She displays outstanding sportsmanship and she sets a great example for all the other kids,” said Rich. “She puts a lot of time into the sport and wrestles year round. She’s definitely one of the top girl wrestlers in the state.”

“Shelby is a fearless student athlete whose hard work has paid off in a winning record on the mat, and also earned her the respect of her teammates,” said Superintendent David DiBarri. “We are very proud of Shelby and her groundbreaking accomplishments. She is truly a terrific wrestler and a fine example of a Northeast Metro Tech student athlete.”