La Pine HS girls go international: Two wrestlers will compete in South Africa with Team Oregon

(Update: Adding video, comments from wrestlers, coach)

LA PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The La Pine High Hawks have been a powerhouse of wrestling in Oregon for the past couple years, with plenty of banners on its walls.

Now, two of their girls are going to represent the entire state of Oregon on the international stage.

Julietta Leal and Kira Kerr are seniors on the La Pine girls state championship wrestling team, and wrestlers for Team Oregon.

“I’m excited about seeing their style of wrestling and different people, rather than just Oregon, you know,” Julietta Leal said. 

Christopher Green, a coach for the boys and girls La Pine wrestling teams, knows these wrestlers deserve the opportunity. 

“I’m really proud of these two,” Green said. "With the program we have and how tough it is, for these two to come out and represent the exceptional standards that we set here at this high school with our coaching staff and everything else, I couldn’t be prouder."

This summer, they’ll live with a host family in South Africa, and compete against wrestlers from the host nation, Egypt, Turkey, Bulgaria and several other countries.

Kira Kerr, an individual state champion, looks forward to the challenge. 

“It's just going to be a great way for us to wrestle some pretty big tournaments and some internationally ranked people, as well as creating some more relationships with our host families in South Africa,” Kerr said. 

The two qualified at the Oregon Cultural Exchange tournament, with Kerr finishing first and Leal finishing second, but getting selected by the coaches anyway.

“Oh I was so excited!” Leal said. “I was super-excited! I called Coach Kerr, because he helped me get into it, and he told me the news -- and in that moment, I was just looking where I could get practice in and seeing how I can learn that style before I head over.”

They’ll have to adjust to freestyle wrestling, a different approach and scoring system from folk style, which is used in the U.S.

Kerr broke it down.

 “So it’s a whole other style of wrestling. There's a lot of other rules that you don’t necessarily see,” Kerr said.

The girls plan to train hard and enjoy the experience, making new friends and learning new cultures.

They leave for Africa in a few months, on July 15.