For the third time this season, first-year Abbi Cooper won a tournament championship at East Stroudsburg University. On Jan. 24, she took first place in the 117-lb weight class. As of Jan. 29, she’s currently ranked fifth in the nation at that weight.
At the Pennsylvania Collegiate Wrestling Championships, Cooper won all three of her bouts by technical superiority. The victory marked her third East Stroudsburg University title of the season after placing first at the East Stroudsburg University Open on Nov. 2.
A California native, Cooper was first introduced to wrestling in middle school when a neighbor invited her to a practice.
“I really liked (wrestling) in sixth grade, but my mom didn’t want me to start until high school,” she said. “Once I got to high school and tried freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, I really started to enjoy it.”
During her sophomore year of high school, Cooper said she knew she wanted to wrestle collegiately. She said she chose Lehigh for its combination of strong academics and competitive wrestling program.
Before coming to college, Cooper gained international experience as a member of Team USA, qualifying for and competing on the U20 U.S. World Team.
From Aug. 17-24, Cooper competed at the World Championships representing Team USA in Samokov, Bulgaria. She said the experience broadened her perspective on wrestling and competition.
Cooper placed fifth in Samokov after competing in the bronze medal match at 53 kg, which equates to 117 lbs.
First-year teammate Natalia Accorsi trains alongside Cooper and said her work ethic sets the tone for the team. Off the mat, Accorsi said Cooper has a great personality and often starts practice with a joke.
“She’s passionate about her goals but also about growing the team as a whole,” Accorsi said. “Off the mat, she lifts others (up) and keeps the team culture fun.”
During the team’s home dual against Presbyterian College on Jan. 30, Accorisi said Cooper walked out to her favorite song with a huge smile on her face. She said Cooper’s love for competition shows in the work she puts in every day.
In September, the Lehigh women’s wrestling team added Guesseppe Rea to its coaching staff. He said he’s quickly been impressed by Cooper.
“(Cooper) is either the first person at practice or the last to leave,” Rea said. “(Cooper) is super fun to coach, always asking questions, doing extra work, and (Cooper) genuinely wants to get better every day. Her work ethic sets a standard for the whole team.”
Rea said Cooper’s Greco-Roman background gives her a significant advantage, noting that she wins nine out of 10 positions. Cooper said the Greco-Roman wrestling style is upper-body focused, which Rea said is one of her greatest strengths.
At the wrestling championships, Cooper faced the same opponent she’d previously defeated for the title.
“She had a highlight throw that she does to everybody,” Rea said “It was really cool to see her do that again,” Rea said.
Looking ahead, Cooper said she has ambitious goals for her future.
“For this season, I want to be an NCAA champion,” Cooper said. “In the future, I’m hoping to qualify for the Olympics in 2028.”
The NCAA championships will be the first official NCAA tournament for women’s wrestling and will be held in Coralville, Iowa, from March 6-7.
Cooper most recently returned to the mat on Feb. 7 at The Grand View Open in Des Moines, Iowa, where she went 4-0 and won first place for her third title this season.
Lehigh women’s wrestling will return to the mat for NCAA Regionals on Feb. 21 in West Liberty, West Virginia.
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