Linfield wrestler Alice Rickett ’26 claimed a regional championship Feb. 25 in Denton, Texas, putting together a 4-0 tournament and increasing her winning streak to 14 matches dating back to November. The regional crown qualified Rickett for the NCAA national finals two weeks later in Iowa, but the sophomore from Hillsboro decided instead to fly to Guatemala to do a rotation with a surgical nonprofit there.
Rickett, who hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Linfield and work in health care, chose to stick with a pre-planned trip to Antigua, Guatemala, as part of a volunteer team helping local patients through the nonprofit Faith in Practice organization.
“My wrestling career is far from over,” Rickett said. “I just couldn’t deny this opportunity to do something meaningful, and to advance my academics and career path.”
Rickett had a good chance of earning All-America status if she had gone to Iowa, Linfield coach Alyssa Lampe said. But Lampe, a former world medalist herself, said she’s proud of the choice Rickett made and to her dedication to helping others.
“There are things that are more important than wrestling,” Lampe said. “She still has two years of eligibility left, and might even wrestle beyond graduation. This trip, though, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her.
