ADRIAN — As the first girls varsity wrestling coach at Adrian High School, Natasha Taylor has a knack for making history in Lenawee County.
Taylor, a 2001 graduate of Adrian High School, became the first female wrestler in the county as a member of the boys varsity wrestling program under Coach Dennis Fox.
“At that time, there wasn’t an official girls team, just a girls division,” said Taylor, who earned all-state honors twice and national honors once.
Taylor placed second in 1999 at 103 pounds and fourth in 1998 at 109 in the Michigan All-Star for Girls tournaments. She finished seventh nationally in 1999 at 103 pounds.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association added girls varsity wrestling as a team sport for the 2021-2022 school year, and participation soared from 620 female student-athletes to more than 1,500 in late 2025, according to the MHSAA.
“Looking back, I really wish there had been a girls wrestling team back then,” she said.
One would think a girl would become interested in wrestling because her older brothers competed on the wrestling mats. But it was her father, Refugio Rodriguez Jr., who piqued her interest at a young age, and soon, there was no stopping her.
“He’s the one who got me into wrestling,” Taylor said of her father, who graduated from AHS in 1982 and has his picture on the wall in the wrestling room for winning a Southeastern Conference title. “When I was younger, he would wrestle with me at home, and I remember thinking, ‘I want to do this.’”
The wrestling competition allowed Taylor to showcase her abilities on the mat and bond with her father.
“I needed an outlet, loved the challenge, and quickly fell in love with the sport,” said Taylor, who began her wrestling career at Springbrook Middle School with coaches Jim Waters and Jim Welsh.
Taylor encountered some roadblocks at Springbrook. But she persevered with the support of not just her wrestler father, but also her mother and stepfather, Monica Gallardo Cosme and Gerald Cosme.
“They were incredibly supportive of my interest in wrestling,” Taylor said of her parents. “In fact, their support is a big reason I was able to stick with the sport.”
The issue of Taylor remaining on the boys junior high team was a sticking point. But a conversation between her father and the school administration resolved it.
“He came in personally to speak with them and made sure I was given the opportunity,” she added. “They believed in me, encouraged me, and never let obstacles stand in the way of me pursuing something I loved.”
Now, Taylor is giving back to her high school in a way that signifies a full-circle moment. A chance to foster a love of the sport she values with young girls — and to continue a family tradition as well.
“I always said that if I ever had a son, he would wrestle, and sure enough, I did,” she said. “My son started wrestling at age 4 and has been doing great ever since.”
Her son, sophomore Lee Nieto Jr., wrestles at 132 pounds as a member of the Adrian program.
“We’ve always wrestled together, and when I take him to tournaments outside of school, he actually lets me coach him, although now he’s getting so good that he’s starting to outgrow me,” Taylor said with a laugh.
The new team hosted its first meet on Jan. 9.
