Afghan refugees join wrestling team at Alameda International Jr./Sr. High School, set sights on Colorado state championship
The state championship for high school wrestling in Colorado is right around the corner and in Lakewood one team is getting noticed for numerous reasons.
"We won the Jefferson County 4A League Championship, which hasn't been done in 22 years," smiled Frank Trujillo Sr., head coach for the wrestling team at Alameda International Jr./Sr. High.
The team is winning this year, and despite having no seniors has its sights set on state.
"We have 9 freshmen, 9 sophomores and four juniors. No seniors at all," coach laughed.
His top performers on the team, no surprise, are all related. The surprise is the story of how they got to this point. They are Afghan refugees who arrived in the states with their parents just over nine months ago.
"I got a phone call saying 'Hey, we've got some gentlemen from Afghanistan that would love to join your wrestling program' and I said, 'Yeah sure, send them over!'"
It was back in May when Trujillo first met brothers, Mushtaq and Ali Shokori, along with their cousin Mukhtar Hashimi.
"I didn't know what to expect, but the three gentlemen walked in and immediately we gelled."
The language barrier was tough initially, but the coach quickly realized that the boys knew how to wrestle.
"With their wrestling background, when they got here, they were just able to go ahead and follow," he said.
To date, Mushtaq has 28 wins and just one loss. His brother, Ali, a sophomore, has 27 wins and five losses and their cousin, a freshman, has 11 wins.
"They're winning, they show good leadership. They teach the younger kids how to wrestle and how to wrestle at a high level," said Trujillo.
It's the distraction they need. Their parents lived in Afghanistan but worked for the American government. When U.S. troops pulled out, they had to flee, too.
"That was difficult. It was a situation like, the Taliban took over all of Afghanistan," said Ali.
While their family is safe, the boys say they miss home. Wrestling is a good reminder, and their coach is one of the many things they love about the new life they're building in Colorado.
"I want to say that he's the best coach I've ever seen because he really encourages us, he really helps us in wrestling," said Ali. "I can see that day by day, by working hard, it's going to be good."
The three students head to regionals with their team on Feb. 10. While Coach Trujillo is hoping for a big win at state at the end of the month, he says he's already beyond proud of his team.
"What I'd like them to take away from their experience, is when you're challenged and you have a challenge in front of you, you don't give up," he said.