GILPIN COUNTY – A student at Gilpin County Schools since the seventh grade, sophomore Alice Carlson entered the sport of high school wrestling differently than most.

Since the age of nine, she has practiced the martial art of jiu-jitsu and participated in local tournaments through the Easton Training Center in Littleton—a year-round commitment on Carlson’s part and that of her parents, who drive her back and forth from their mountain home every week. Their investment is paying off.

Now accomplished and performing at a high level, Carlson competes each summer at the PANS Kids World Championships held in Florida. Hosted by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation, it is the largest jiu-jitsu tournament for children in the world, with 2,700 participants aged between five and fifteen years old taking part. It is where you will find the future stars of the discipline.

Wrestling was a natural fit for Carlson, since it shares many of the same holds and techniques used in jiu-jitsu. Both employ takedowns, leverage, positional control, and endurance.

In folkstyle wrestling the emphasis is on points and pinning your opponent. In jiu-jitsu, the goal is to achieve a submission. Carlson likes doing both because they are combat sports. She notes that “they go hand in hand.”

At Gilpin’s first tournament of the season, on December 7 at Soroco in Oak Creek, Carlson took second place in the 140-pound weight class of the girls’ division. Unfortunately, weeks later she suffered a knee injury and was unable to complete her season. Fortunately, she is expected to make a full recovery.

Head Wrestling Coach Scott Burrow commented that “Alice has been absolutely wonderful to coach this season. She has competed against girls much older than her but still goes out there and does exceptionally well! She is very hard-working and coachable.

“She is always curious about learning new moves and techniques and possesses a great grappling mind! She works hard, has a great attitude, and is a valuable teammate – everything a coach looks for in young athletes.”