Lakewood wrestler Daniela Palacios pushes through ‘rough beginning’ to earn a state medal

ATLANTIC CITY – In December, Lakewood’s Daniela Palacios didn’t even know if she was going to have a senior wrestling season.

By March, she was standing proudly on the podium at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday afternoon after taking third in the state at 185 in the NJSIAA Wrestling Championships.

“More than anything, I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Palacios said. “I want to thank God for just being here because I had such a rough beginning to the season. Once I was able to get back into wrestling, I was just putting my best out there.”

She struggled mightily to make weight for the entire preseason and all of December. She started to wonder if she would return to the mat at all as time ticked away on the season. It was particularly frustrating because she had been one of the best wrestlers in the state the past two years, taking seventh at 165 as a sophomore and seventh at 185 as a junior.

“I just couldn’t make weight,” she said. “I was having such a hard time with that. My coach (Richie Gonzalez) was helping me a lot, and I just told myself ‘I have to do this, I want to wrestle, I have to make weight.’”

Financial woes at Lakewood

The uncertainty around Palacios’ season mirrored that of her high school.

Just as Palacios got back on the mat in January by stabilizing her weight, Lakewood High School officials announced on Jan. 29 that if the district didn’t get an emergency loan from the state, it would run out of money by Feb. 22 and not be able to pay its teachers.

It reached the point where the Lakewood teachers union announced the looming crisis might have teachers immediately looking for other jobs because they didn’t know if the school was going to be solvent.

“It’s a bit crazy,” Palacios said. “I try not to listen to that stuff. I’m a senior, and I’m just hoping to enjoy my senior year. It does (worry me), but at the same time I can’t really do much about it. As a senior, I just do my best to enjoy my time with my friends.”

The state agreed to loan the school district $65 million on Feb. 12, 10 days before classes would’ve been suspended and teachers’ pay cancelled.

Getting back on track

Meanwhile, amid the anxiety among the school’s staff, Palacios was getting back to work on the mat. She hadn’t just fixed herself physically, either.

“I struggled a lot last year mentally,” she said. “Even before a match would start I would mentally drain myself. It was so tough to go in there being like, ‘I can win.’ I would always go in like ‘I’m going to lose.’ It was so rough. Honestly this year I was able to get closer to God, and He helped me get out of that mentality. I was like, ‘Wrestling is my thing, I’m just going to do my best at it.’”

Palacios ran through the regular season with only one loss and it came in the ultimate tiebreaker against Central star Jade Hahn, who finished second in the state at 185 on Saturday.

The Piners senior then captured the Central Region title in the state tournament before making a run to third in Atlantic City. She battled Hahn in another close bout, falling 5-3 to the Golden Eagles star in the semifinals and then pinning Rancocas Valley’s Paris Ford in the wrestlebacks to clinch third place. She ended up 22-2 for the season.

Huge congratulations to Daniela Palacios for her victory as a two-time Region champ and to Perla Castillo for taking 3rd place! Both are heading to States in AC!

Also, a big shoutout to Dave Dominguez for finishing 2nd at districts and advancing to regions this Friday! pic.twitter.com/r1ILfY9MKg

— Lakewood Public School District (@PinerPride) February 26, 2025

It was a satisfying journey for a wrestler who first tried the sport as a freshman when Gonzalez recruited her from the Piners’ girls soccer team, where he is also the coach.

“I had just joined for fun because all my friends were doing it,” Palacios said. “My first year they told me I was doing pretty well so I should work even harder, and I did.”

It took her to the bright lights at Boardwalk Hall three times in the last three years. Her faith helped her face an atmosphere that has psyched out thousands of talented wrestlers over the years.

“I write Bible verses on my headgear, which helps me stay calm,” Palacios said. “I say a prayer and a hymn while warming up because it’s overwhelming being here, seeing all these people, the cameras, the press and everything.”

The grind of the tournament took a toll, as she walked with a slight limp to the podium to collect a medal that seemed far-fetched back in December.

At a school in financial crisis that has had a string of negative headlines this winter, Palacios put a positive spotlight on the Piners.

“I did it,” she said. “It’s just felt so good to get this far.”

Scott Stump is a freelance reporter, newsletter writer and editor who first started covering Shore Conference football in 1999 and has covered basketball, wrestling, baseball and seemingly every other Shore Conference sport at some point. 

You can contact him at [email protected]