MINNEAPOLIS — Each year, MatBoss, wrestling’s premier videostats app, awards $500 scholarships to high school or college wrestling managers. This year’s MatBoss Manager Scholarship recipients are Julianne Metzgar (North Warren Regional High School, N.J.), Karla Mejia-Garcia (Basalt High School, Colo.), and Perla Muro (Sioux Center High School, Iowa).

MatBoss Manager Scholarship recipients are chosen based on their service to the sport of wrestling, academic achievement, honors and awards, as well as their involvement in outside activities and the community.

To be eligible for a scholarship, the student’s wrestling team must be a MatBoss customer during the 2019-20 season, served an active role as a manager on her/his team and be a high school senior or currently enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution.

Below are profiles on each of the three 2020 MatBoss Manager Scholarship recipients.

Julianne Metzgar (North Warren Regional High School, N.J.)

Julianne Metzgar, who has served as a wrestling manager at North Warren Regional High School in New Jersey for the past four years, enjoys the sight of a packed gymnasium and a spotlight beaming on to a wrestling mat.

“A packed gym and a lit mat creates a feeling of not only happiness, but accomplishment,” said Jules. “As a wrestling manager, a wrestling match is more than just a sporting event.”

Jules’ responsibilities as a wrestling manager included training younger managers, keeping book, tweeting results, inputting results to Trackwrestling, and filming matches.

She says that being a wrestling manager has helped her obtain many important life skills, including organization, punctuality, dedication, commitment and teamwork.

“Being a wrestling manager is like being another team member,” said Jules. “It is my job to attend all duals, quads, tournaments and events. It is also my job to organize all film, Trackwrestling, and the table. These qualities have shaped me into a better person.”

North Warren Regional High School head wrestling coach Kellen Bradley says it has been a “delight” to have Jules as the team’s wrestling manager and that she will most certainly be missed next season.

“For everything that Jules does for our program, she asks nothing in return,” said Kellen Bradley. “She simply enjoys the sport and cares genuinely about the members of our team.”

Jules enjoyed using MatBoss as both a learning tool and teaching tool.

“MatBoss is an amazing application that not only allows for clear film quality, but can be used as a learning tool,” said Jules. “MatBoss allows managers to not only film, but designate periods, input the score, and learn from the scoring options while filming. MatBoss has made my job as a manager easier due to its versatile qualities, its ability to store data and have clear film, allowing the user to input scoring and period change, connecting each match to Trackwrestling, and overall teaching young managers how scoring works.”

She served as President of the Class of 2020 at North Warren Regional High School. In addition to her managerial duties with the wrestling team, Jules was involved in many activities at the high school, including field hockey, lacrosse, student government, peer leadership, Interact Club, Math League, Science League, Prom Committee and Voices of the Veterans Committee.

Jules plans to study nursing at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J.

“The skills and characteristics I have acquired while being a wrestling manager will not only help me flourish in my academic career at Monmouth University, but shape me into the nurse I want to be.”

Karla Mejia-Garcia (Basalt High School, Colo.)

Karla Mejia-Garcia has gained many skills in her six years as a wrestling manager in the Basalt (Colo.) school district. Among the most notable skills: communication, organization and patience.

Karla says the communication skills she developed helped her become a leader among the managers.

“The leadership skills will be beneficial to me both inside and outside the classroom,” said Karla. “Communication skills take practice, but in the real world they will open many doors.”

She says using MatBoss saved her and the other wrestling managers a significant amount of time.

“MatBoss has made my job easier in many ways,” said Karla. “MatBoss makes it easier to organize the team’s film and it also limits the possible points to minimize errors in scoring. MatBoss’ ability to provide team rosters has saved me a lot of time because I don’t have to go through the struggle of typing each individual’s name.”

In 2011, Karla’s school restarted its wrestling program after the program was cut in 2003. The program operated on a shoestring budget when Karla was starting as a wrestling manager.

“She has made sacrifices and shown a ton of commitment to the program,” said Basalt High School head wrestling coach Ryan Bradley. “In the early days we couldn’t afford hotels and would often depart for tournaments at 4 a.m. on Saturdays and not return until 10 p.m. Very few of our wrestlers have shown the commitment that Karla has shown to the program.”

Karla has received many academic awards and participated in the student mentoring program and pre-collegiate program. She has also volunteered with many organizations.

Basalt had a successful season, qualifying multiple wrestlers for Colorado’s 3A state wrestling tournament and placing 26th as a team.

“She was more important than any single wrestler to the success of the program,” said Ryan Bradley.

Perla Muro (Sioux Center High School, Iowa)

Perla Muro has been a high school wrestling manager in Iowa since 2016, first at West Sioux High School and then Sioux Center High School. She has grown a great appreciation for wrestling because of what the sport teaches.

“The great sport of wrestling teaches you many things, such as hard work, leadership, determination, and perseverance,” said Perla. “Watching the boys’ hard work throughout the years involves a lot of success and failure. Achievement does not arise in a matter of night to day. The success you obtain is cultivated through dedication in what truly matters to you in your heart. Wanting something is simply not enough to succeed. It is the work that you put in, as well as the energy you generate, that will ultimately land you where you wish to be.”

Perla appreciates MatBoss for many reasons.

“MatBoss has made my life easier in various aspects,” said Perla. “I remember in my middle school years of being a manager we would have to write everything out on pen and pencil. MatBoss allows for a much higher level of efficiency when taking stats. I am able to rush from mat-to-mat and simply press the ‘add match’ icon and start recording a new match. I am able to go back and plug in weight, wrestler names, as well as other information onto the recording in my downtime at tournaments or meets.”

Aaron Schmidt, head wrestling coach at Sioux Center High School, says Perla approaches each day with a very positive attitude. The two things that stand out to Coach Schmidt about Perla are her ability to work well as a team member of the wrestling team and her great rapport with teachers.

“Her ability to work as a team member has been seen in her ability to work well with the coaches and wrestlers on the team, as well as fellow managers,” said Schmidt. “She was willing to do whatever was asked of her to help make the team better. She definitely helps keep our wrestling program organized and operating at a high level. Not only did she work well with her team, but she also works hard and has a drive to get better. Perla is one of those people who wants to make themselves better in everything they do.”

Perla was a member of Student Council and Key Club, as well as a science tutor.

She plans to study at Kirkwood Community College before transferring to the University of Iowa. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Perla has her sights set on a career in international business. She hopes to be a leader to the Hispanic population.

“The skills of leadership I have learned will follow me as I attempt to lead the Hispanic population to a better and higher standard.”