As Riverside Brookfield High School junior wrestler Estefany Bejarano continues her education on the mats, she’s already pretty polished with a microphone. Bejarano is probably the state’s best girls wrestler – when it comes to singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The RBHS choir and A Cappella Club member has gladly performed the national anthem since freshman year at most home meets — and some away, including last year’s Shepard Sectional.
“I just do this for fun because I love singing,” Bejarano said. “I’m a really extroverted person. I just really love singing.”
Bejarano has been with school choirs since sixth grade after graduating from the usual singing forums of the car and shower. The alto competes for the Bulldogs at 155 pounds. As a freshman, she joined the new girls wrestling program with no previous experience.
“I haven’t done [wrestling] for a really long time. I feel like I’m a natural for both,” she said.
“For my choir, I’m in an ensemble with many different people. It’s kind of like wrestling because you’re part of a team but you’re alone. For singing, it’s your ensemble but you’re kind of alone because you need to sing the right pitches. If you don’t sing correctly, then the whole ensemble fails. If you don’t score well for your [wrestling] team, then your whole team fails. I feel like there’s a lot of connection there.”
Her loves intersected in sophomore year after Bejarano joined the A Cappella Club, sponsored by choir director Kayley Smetana. The end of A Cappella’s weekly Tuesday practice overlapped the start of wrestling practice by 30 minutes.
Bejarano and RBHS wrestling coach Nick Curby agreed to a deal.
“If I was willing to miss practice for 30 minutes, I’d have to sing the national anthem every time we have a [home] dual meet,” she said.
And Bejarano gladly takes that act on the road. RBHS girls wrestling coach Dan Verr lets her talents be known if a dual, or even the regional, needs a live performance.
“Oh man, she is good,” Verr said. “Sometimes they just have a bad recording. [I tell them], ‘I’ve got a wrestler that can belt out the national anthem.’ I always ask her, ‘Are you willing?’ and she’s not shy. That’s for sure.”
Bejarano says she sings the national anthem at a “pretty medium pace” while slowing and speeding certain parts as she learned in choir.
“I feel like I don’t put that much of a twist. I put my little bit of flare,” she said. “I have experience singing it as a performance, so I know how to do it, singing the words correctly, accurate pitches and when not to breathe. [Smetana] taught us when not to breathe. I accidently did that last time. But it still sounded great.”
As a wrestler, she improved from 8-15 as a freshman to 18-6 last year with 155 invitational titles at Conant and Waukegan, her personal favorite.
“Freshman year I didn’t place [at Waukegan]. The exact same day a year later, I got a gold medal, so I think that’s a pretty good accomplishment.”
She hopes to sing another solo at the RBHS talent show, “Lovesick,” by Laufey. Verr is hopeful she can hit the high note several times more this wrestling season. She was 0-2 at last year’s regional.
“[My goal is] to get more medals, place first in more tournaments, and get stronger. I feel like I’m losing a bit of muscle right now,” Bejarano said.
“She’s like hot and cold,” Verr said. “When she’s hot and on, oh my gosh, she can be unstoppable.”