The Maryland high school player profiles series is presented by the U.S. Army.

Graduating senior Jaylen Hyman, a wrestler out of Randallstown High School was nominated for the Maryland player profiles series by Rams head coach Earnest Davidson.

“Jaylen is an exceptional student-athlete. Jaylen started wrestling her sophomore year and immediately made an impact,” Davidson said. “With the girls’ wrestling program still growing, Jaylen had to train and compete with bigger and stronger boys. She accepted the challenge and surprised a lot of people because she’s beaten a lot of boys in the last couple years.”

Hyman is a three-time state champion and three-time All-American. She won the 2020 Super 32 championship at 172 pounds after coming into the tournament unseeded. She was recently ranked as the No. 6 wrestler in the 180-pound weight class by USA Wrestling. She is currently training for the 2021 US Marine Corps/USAW Junior Nationals in July.

She took some time to answer a few questions about receiving this honor.

PressBox: What does it mean to you to be recognized for an honor like this?

Jaylen Hyman: I’m happy. People recognized and saw that I had potential in this sport where some people doubted me.

PB: Did you have a wrestling season this winter and if not, what did you do instead?

JH: Our school didn’t participate in this wrestling season, so instead, I was wrestling nationally.

PB: How did you first get introduced to and get into wrestling?

JH: I started wrestling in 10th grade. I’ve always been an aggressive person, so I gravitated toward more aggressive sports like football. I decided to ask my mom to wrestle, and originally, she said no, but quickly she went along with it.

PB: How tough was it when you first joined the program at Randallstown and were you the only girl who came to wrestling tryouts and practice?

JH: I was new at the school, so I didn’t really know how others felt about it. There were a few other girls there for preseason workouts, but I was the only one who took it seriously.

PB: When did you start realizing how good you were at the sport?

JH: Out of all of my teammates, me and a few others were the type to hit up our coach for extra practices. I always wanted to get extra training on the mat. I wanted to perfect my craft. It took me two weeks to notice my accomplishments and within six months, I placed eighth at a national tournament in Oklahoma and became an All-American.

PB: What are some favorite memories you have on the mat?

JH: Many of them are with my coach and team. He’s not one to beat you down after a loss. He motivates you, he pushes you, and my team, they’re always there to support me.

PB: What are your post-graduation plans?

JH: I committed to Life University [in Georgia] for wrestling and I’ll be studying business administration. I plan on doing the best I can and trying to place in the national rankings. Other than college, I’m also training for the Olympics in 2028, or if I progress more than expected, in 2024.

To nominate an athlete or team for a future U.S. Army Player/Team Profile, visit PressBoxOnline.com/Impact.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Gerald Rasheed