Ann Marie Meiman, 12, was the first girl to ever win state at Omaha North High School. 

Before she even considered wrestling in her sophomore year, she was a volleyball player for most of her life. 

Meiman started playing volleyball at the age of five and went to Holy Cross Middle for all three years of middle school. She played for a recreational volleyball club including Suburban, Banzai and Legacy, when she was smaller, then later would participate in middle school. 

“I played libero in middle school; we didn’t really have positions in club [so] I played Libero first. But since high school, I was a setter,” Meiman said. “I think both of those positions, you have to be able to run the court and talk a lot,” Meiman said.  

Meiman played volleyball from her sophomore year through her senior year. She could not play her freshman year at North because of COVID-19.  

To keep herself fit, Meiman would play club volleyball for her freshman year of high school and for the offseason.  

“I would always play club and like the offseason from school, which was good. And during that time, they had, you go to practice twice a week, and then twice a week you’d go to conditioning, to do cardio or strength training.” 

Aside from volleyball Meiman also wrestles at North. She has only been wrestling for three years but her training routine and mindset have pushed her above and beyond. 

Meiman now wrestles for the Nebraska Wrestling academy where she practices three to four times a week. 

While there Meiman gets a good workout during wrestling off season. Her favorite is cardio. 

“I also make sure I really get a lift in even though I prefer cardio over lifting.” 

Meiman’s mom would also keep her in a workout routine by waking up at 4:20 in the morning. “We would go to work out classes together at Hot Works, my favorite place,” Meiman said. 

“That was good for me because that’s like strength and cardio mixed together. “ 

Meiman’s eating habits changed when she began wrestling, she cut back on what she ate whether it was wrestling season or not.  

“This year, I went up a weight to 135 instead of 130. So, it was a lot easier [to maintain weight]. I still kind of decently ate what I wanted until I got close to competition,” Meiman said. 

Meiman would cut out a meal or eat carbs to achieve her weight. 

“On the weekends I’d make sure I eat something that I liked, something junk. So, I wouldn’t get burnt out,” Meiman said. 

Meiman’s mom also packed lunches for school and tournaments and made sure there were a lot of fruits and vegetables. 

With the girls’ wrestling team split from the boys, they have been coached by Steven Kirchner, Robert Ozuna and Jacqueline Argarin. Kirchner, Ozuna and Argarin’s son were all on the boys wrestling team back in 2014 when Omaha North won the state championships for wrestling. 

 Right before Merman’s final match Kirchner helped her warmup. 

“When we were warming up, Steven was my partner. He was like, simulating the shot she [my opponent] would take.” 

Ozuna’s support also fueled Meiman in her journey to winning state.  

“Robert, two years ago, my first year, [in wrestling], my sophomore year, he gave me his state medal. And then he told me to give it back to him once I got my own. And I was nervous. I wanted to be able to give it back to him with my own medal. So, I brought it, [to state] and I was like, ‘Robert, I’m going to get it. I’m going to give it back.’ And it happened. 10 years apart,” Meiman said. 

At Meiman’s first wrestling practice she was contemplating never coming back to the sport. The practice was unlike anything she had ever experienced.  The main reason Meiman did not quit wrestling was because her mom bought t-shirts that said, “North Wrestling.” So, she decided that she could not quit.  

“When I get into the mindset of ‘I’m too tired, I’m sore, I don’t want to go to practice’ I would ask myself ‘Do you want to win? Or do you want to lose? Nobody is making me do anything. I can complain all I want but I choose to do it. So, if you chose to do something, why not give it your all,” Meiman said. 

Meiman’s sport career will follow her for the rest of her life from the friends, memories, and connections she learned along her journey. She took many lessons, cried, smiled, and learned some of her best life lessons in wrestling.  

“My favorite quote. Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy by Dan Gable,” Meiman said.