TRU GRIT THROWBACK: Yaritza Artega

The Thunderduck is the Richland College mascot, but how is it defined? Thunder means rumble and ducks soar to the sky. Richland sophomore Yaritza Arteaga rumbles on the wrestling mat and soars with excellence. Originally from Peru, Arteaga came to the United States in 2005 to experience American life.

Outside the gym, Arteaga serves her country. Inside the gym she wrestles to win. She is a specialist in the Army National Guard and also works as a nanny, spending time with families and providing care for their children.

After graduating from West Mesquite High School, Arteaga’s goal was to attend Richland. Wrestling coach Bill Neal recruited her in a physical education class. “I decided to give it a try. It was my first year, and I didn’t know anything about wrestling, but with practice and determination, I just completely fell in love with the sport,” she said.

Arteaga’s first tournament was in November 2017. In that match, she pinned UT-Arlington’s Chelsie Thomas in 43 seconds, then pinned her again in the second match at 1:41. Arteaga went 2-0 and won first place in the Richland Scuffle.

“I’m pretty happy about that, but I still have a lot to work on and a lot to improve,” she said.

Two months later, she went on to win two more matches in the WCC Invitational in Las Vegas. As of February, in Arteaga’s first five matches of the season, her record stands at 4-1. She’s having a wonderful time participating and cheering her team on.

When Arteaga joined the wrestling team, there were few women on the squad, so she practiced with the men. She said it was an advantage because they are faster, stronger and many have been wrestling since high school.

“I would always work on my technique with them and take on all the experience that they have by teaching me new things,” said Arteaga.

She loves being at Richland and looks forward to wrestling matches with the T-Ducks.

After she completes her work at Richland and in the National Guard, Arteaga, who is a biochemistry major, will transfer to either UT-Dallas or the University of North Texas to specialize in dentistry and ultimately become a dental surgeon.

Arteaga enjoys reading books and magazines and eating some of the finest cuisine in Texas. She encourages all young women to check out Richland’s wrestling program. The competition is exciting.

If you haven’t seen the Lady Thunderducks wrestle, now’s the time. The T-Ducks dominated the Richland Scuffle, making the most of the home field advantage. The team is on top in the NWCA Women’s Division and way ahead of Texas A&M, UT-Arlington, North Texas, Houston and many other schools.

Neal said the ladies are doing well in Texas, but the ultimate test will be the Southwest Conference tournament. Richland’s wrestling program returned in 2016 and hasn’t lost its touch. There’s more work to be done, but the goal is to reach the nationals in Allen.

Arteaga is an outstanding, multitalented woman. Take it from her: in order to be the best you have to do more than just one thing well.

Have faith, work hard and believe in yourself. Arteaga believes in herself and always takes care of business. That is the definition of a Thunderduck.