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Troup’s Evey Hill is making history. The sophomore became the first female wrestler in school history to place as high as third in the state when she did just that last weekend at the state championship in Macon.

“I didn’t have any nerves all season except at the state tournament which is to be expected,” Hill said. “I was ready to go out there and win and even though I didn’t end up winning, being out for half the season and still finishing third made me proud of myself.”

In some ways, finishing this high at state felt like a pipe dream. Hill missed half of the season recovering from surgery that kept her off the mats for an extended period of time.

“I honestly expected it to be harder after coming back from being away from the mats for so long,” Hill said. “It was a very long process and the first match back was easier than I expected. I expected to go out there and feel slow.”

It took a little while for Hill to get back into a rhythm. Once she found that rhythm at practice, she was not even nervous about the integrity of her leg.

“I was very sore at first and my endurance was terrible,” Hill said. “I was so out of breath so quickly and it took me a little while to get back close to where I was before the injury.”

Hill is quite possibly the most talented female wrestler to ever hit the mat for the Tigers. It is not a sport that runs in her blood or that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is a sport she found on her own.

The most exciting part for everybody in Hill’s corner is that there is still so much room to grow over the next couple of years. The work does not stop now that her sophomore season is done. There is no off-season for elite wrestlers.

“The national competitions have even more competition and it features wrestlers that I don’t face (with Troup)” Hill said. 

Hill will be taking part in an all-girls high school competition and nationals in Virginia Beach in the coming months.

One of the reasons Hill has been successful is that she goes against boys in practice day in and day out. 

“It made it 1000% easier and going against the boys every day at practice and last year made me stronger,” Hill said. “Working every day with guys that are bigger than me made me work that much harder.”

Last year, Hill competed in the boy’s bracket, but she decided to declare for the girl’s bracket before the 2023-24 season started.

Her plan now is to win state in the girl’s bracket as a junior before trying to make another run in the boy’s bracket during her senior year. 

“I am already planning on going back to the boys if and when I win state,” she said.

Hill also wants to be a part of an all-girls duals wrestling team at Troup High. The girl’s program is expanding, and Hill is at the forefront of this evolution.

“Last year I was the only girl from Troup to place in the area, but this year we had two other girls placed in the area,” Hill said. “It’s a lot more fun having the girls along with me.”

With two seasons left on the mat for Troup, Hill is not going anywhere anytime soon.

“I want to be the first girl to ever win state for Troup,” Hill said. “That is something that they can never take away from you.”