The History of the LISD Ladies Cup: How a Trophy Became a Tradition, a Legacy, and a Powerhouse Movement

We may be missing a few team pictures from the early years—especially the COVID year—but the story of the LISD Ladies Cup goes far beyond photographs. It’s a story of friendship, grit, growth, elevation, and the rise of one of the strongest girls’ wrestling districts in Texas.

Where It All Began: Team Texas, 2017

The summer of 2017, Coach Brooks (LHS), Coach Salazar (TC—now at Southlake), and I coached together on Team Texas. That experience didn’t just build wrestlers—it built a bond.

We became best friends who also happened to be competitive to the core. And like all best friends… we wanted bragging rights every time we hung out. At the same time, all three of us had just been hired as the first-ever female head coaches for girls’ wrestling in LISD. Marcus and Hebron didn’t even have programs yet.

In the middle of our summer coaching and friendly trash talk came a ridiculous idea that somehow stuck:Let’s create a massive trophy and battle for it every year.Winner keeps the cup. Winner gets the bragging rights.

And so, the LISD Ladies Cup was born.

Rewinding Even Further… The Birth of FMHS Girls Wrestling

Right before my student teaching semester in early 2017, fate intervened.

A Brittany Orellana transferred to Flower Mound from a small school where she had wrestled as a freshman.

She walked into FMHS confidently saying, “I want to wrestle.”

She was hit with a HARD NO and told she’d need to move to LHS—since they already had a full girls’ program.

She refused.

And she pushed back.

FMHS told her, “Find some girls to join you, and you can stay.”

She did.

Because of her persistence, I was approved to student teach at FMHS—and immediately began working with the probationary girls wrestling team. By spring, we had almost nine girls.

That tiny spark became the Lady Jaguars Wrestling Program.

Year One: The Inaugural LISD Ladies Cup

We entered the first Ladies Cup proud but very young.

And… we got smoked. TC and LHS battled it out for the win, and it was close.

But that loss lit a fire underneath FMHS.

Year Two: The Coin Toss That Changed Everything

FMHS entered year two with numbers, experience, and a little grit behind our ears.

Then came the dual-deciding moment: The coin toss.

Coach Brooks made a fatal lineup mistake, bumped the wrong girl, and sealed the meet.

FMHS took home the cup.

We weren’t expected to win—but we did.

And it felt GOOD.

Year Three: The Cup Returns to LHS

We walked in that year confident we were repeating, but we underestimated LHS.

They wrestled lights-out, earned the win, and took the cup back. And their celebration? Let’s just say sparkling cider + trophy = needing a whole new trophy. 😂

The loss stung.

But our girls united and promised: Never again.

And to this day, the cup has stayed at FMHS.

Building the Circle: More Schools, More Coaches, More Growth

Over time, Marcus and Hebron added their own programs and head coaches—who quickly became part of our coaching sisterhood. What began as three friends evolved into five female-led programs, each pushing the others to rise. Myself here at FM, Coach Brooks who remains at LHS, Coach Brittany Marshall at Marcus, Coach Maria Mulero at Hebron and Coach Aerika Edwards at The Colony. Coolest part... We were all wrestlers in either High School or College. We have been there. Coach Marshall and Coach Mulero, they are LHS Graduates!

We may be enemies on the mat, but off the mat?

• We are allies.

• We support each other.

• We give honest feedback.

• We hold each other accountable.

• And we always put athletes and the sport first.

  
  

Now, after years of building, two of the five LISD girls wrestling programs have added assistant coaches—a milestone that proves the depth, size, and success of our programs.

We have grown enough that we need more than one coach.

We are expanding.

We are leveling up.

We are on our way.

Did we mention Coach Dudley the FM Assistant is an FM Graduate?

A District Like No Other

There is no other district in Texas—maybe even the nation—where:

• Every high school has its own independent girls wrestling program

• Every program is led by a female head coach

• Programs are growing so rapidly that multiple campuses now require full coaching staffs

  
  

This is a #GrowWomensWrestling moment.

When I wrestled in high school, there was ONE female coach in the entire state.

Now we have five in LISD alone.

The Future: Nail-Biters and Powerhouses

Every year, the competition gets closer. Numbers rise. Skill rises. Expectations rise.

And soon—very soon—every dual at the Ladies Cup will be a nail-biter.

Because across LISD:

• Powerhouse coaches are building powerhouse programs

• Strong girls are becoming strong women

• Traditions are becoming legacies

• Legacies are becoming history

  
  

This competition is more than a trophy.

It’s a statement.

It’s proof of growth.

It’s our pathway to middle school wrestling.

It’s our message to LISD that we belong among the elite programs.

We are a powerhouse district.

We are history in the making.

And every Ladies Cup writes another chapter in the story of LISD Girls Wrestling.

2025 LISD Ladies Cup – Hosted Tonight at Flower Mound High School

Tonight, we write the next chapter of this tradition as Flower Mound High School hosts the 2025 LISD Ladies Cup right here in the FMHS Navy Gym. With growing rosters across the district and two programs now supported by assistant coaches, this year’s Cup is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in LISD history.

📅 Thursday, December 5th, 2025

⏰ 6:00 PM

📍 FMHS Navy Gym

🎟️ $3 Students / $5 Adults

Every dual tonight has the potential to be a nail-biter.

The talent is deeper, the coaches are stronger, and every program is hungry to prove they belong at the top.

Whether it’s a key match, a smart bump, or one gritty moment, anything can decide who leaves with the Cup.

Come out, fill the stands, and witness another piece of LISD Girls Wrestling history in the making.

See who will take it. 🏆💜🤼‍♀️