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Battilochi headed to Panama

WHEELING — For the second time within a year, Wheeling University assistant athletic trainer Jess Battilochi’s love for the sport of wrestling has her travelling the world.

Last December the 2009 Buckeye Local High School graduate spent nearly two weeks in China as part of the USA Senior Women’s Freestyle team. Tuesday she will depart for the 2019 Pan American Championship in Panama City, Panama, as a member of the USA U15 team where she will serve as its athletic trainer.

“I’m pretty excited. After the first (trip), I was hoping they liked me enough to ask me back. So, when I got the phone call to travel for another competition I was really excited and honored,” she said recently outside the Alma Grace McDonough Center. “I’m excited about visiting another new country. It’s supposed to be good weather while we are there, hopefully.

“I’m just excited about being involved in an international competition. I’m anxious to see how international competition works and seeing some of the elite athletes from other countries.”

She credits her experience in Beijing as a stepping stone.

“I think my first trip went really well. The ATs (athletic trainers) that choose who goes on trips and, hopefully, the coaches and student-athletes had some pretty good things to say about me,” she added. “I was pretty nervous. I didn’t know if they liked me on the China trip and would ask me back, but, obviously, they did and I got selected.

“It was a very unique opportunity for our athletes, many of whom aspire to compete in the Olympics, to train hard with the Chinese team almost every day,” she explained of her 10 days in China. “It was cool to see both teams train and push each other to get better, despite the language barriers.”

Wheeling University President Ginny Favede said Battilochi’s achievement is what the school strives for.

“As part of our continued commitment to service, for and among others, we encourage our staff to engage in community projects both near and far. The university provides Mission and Community Leave that affords our employees the opportunity to give back as part of their commitment to serve under our university mission.”

Battilochi’s responsibilities will include helping the athletes prepare for and recover from competition through manual therapy, stretching, and other conditioning techniques, as well as tending to any injuries that may occur.

“Typically, when I worked at the high school level, those athletes are usually two-or three-sport athletes, whereas college athletes are usually specialized in one sport,” she assessed of the different type of injuries she may see. “You’ll see more chronic injuries and sports-specific injuries in college whereas high school is a little bit different, a wider range of acute injuries.

“I’ve worked with middle and high school students before. There’s not a big difference in the injuries that I’ll probably see,” she continued. “But, I don’t want to say they’re more susceptible to injuries, but you have to treat them a little bit different than you treat college athletes.

“I’m excited to get my first international competition experience as an athletic trainer,” she allowed. “I’m hoping to do well and be invited back by the team for more competitions in the future. Obviously, I hope Team USA leaves Panama City with plenty of medals and a team title!”

Battilochi is a 2013 graduate of Wheeling University and has served as the assistant athletic trainer since the fall 2017. She has worked with the wrestling, rugby, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, baseball, and men’s basketball teams at WU. During her tenure as assistant trainer, the Wheeling Cardinals wrestling team has earned the 2018 national runner-up ranking in NCAA Division II.

“Wrestling has always been my favorite sport to work. I’ve always liked being around it and watching it. Then working at the collegiate level the past two years has allowed it to become my passion. It’s the sport I love to work with the most.”

She also handed out some well-deserved praise.

“I would like to thank everyone that has been so supportive of me. Ginny Favede, our new president, our athletic director Rudy Yovich, my co-workers and bosses who are filling in with my teams, my coaches are super supportive and my student-athletes who are excited for me and are wonderful to work with everyday.”

As for what the future might hold?

“I don’t think (the Olympics) are a possibility in 2020 because that is really close, but, hopefully after that if I stay around USA Wrestling and get the opportunity to work at either the World Championships or the Olympics, that would be really, really nice.”

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