By Mike Finn, W.I.N. Editor

FARGO, N.D. — Tatiana Padilla may not be a feminine version of Henry Cejudo, but the 16-year-old from LaVerne, Calif., welcomes the comparisons.

“Somebody came on MySpace (website) and was talking about Henry and how he was Mexican and how I am,” said Padilla, who captured her third Junior Nationals championship in the Fargodome, July 23, just two months after the Northview High School junior finished fourth at 130 pounds at the U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas, April 6. “That person said, ‘I like that your are both young and of the same nationality.’ ”

And like the 20-year-old Cejudo, who will be competing in his first FILA Senior World Championships in men’s freestyle this September, Padilla hopes to use this year’s success when it comes to qualifying for next year’s Olympic Trials.

But that means that the 132-pound Junior National champion will have to cut down to 121 pounds, one of the four Olympic weights in women’s wrestling.

“Earlier this year, I weighed in at 127 so I’m not that far behind,” said Padilla, whose only other Olympic weight option is 138 pounds. “I know that I will have to work my bottom off if I want to be an Olympic champion. I’m looking forward to next year and how much I grow as a wrestler.”

Padilla, whose career high school record is 75-10, will be competing at the Junior World Championships, which will be held at the Olympic venue in Beijing, China, Aug. 21-26.

“I’m very excited to go because I know I will be competing in the place where the Olympics are going to be held,” said Padilla, who added that she has matured over the past year.

“I’ve learned a lot more sportsmanship because before this year, it was hard for me to lose,” said Padilla. “If someone beat me in the past, I’d get really upset. I wouldn’t want to talk to them. When I got to the senior level, I understood that everyone works as hard as me and if they beat me fair and square, that’s fine.”

Padilla, who didn’t allow a point in seven matches in Fargo — including a 5-0, 7-0 victory over Samantha Phillips of Manteca, Calif., in the Junior final — says she is not the “regular” 16-year-old.

“If I do go out, I feel bad and leave early because I know I should be training,” said Padilla. “If I go to the beach, I start running on the beach. I never stop training.

“I’ve been wrestling since I was three and a half and seeing how close I am to where the other women are, I’m amazed. I want to be one out of a million, not one of a million. I want to be the unique person standing out. I want to be extraordinary.”

Padilla also credits her coach and older half-brother, Chris Lopez, for her development.

“He’s taken on a father, brother and coach role … and he’s my best friend,” said Padilla, who has grown up without knowing her father. “(Lopez) is always there for me. No matter what I choose to do, he’s always going to be there for me. I could quit wrestling today and my brother will be there for me just the same. My brother loves me more than anything and I know it.”

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