Quincy standout ‘Duckie’ Workinger returns home to lead Vikings womens wrestling

MOSES LAKE — Shannon “Duckie” Workinger was named the new head coach of women’s wrestling at Big Bend Community College on June 18, bringing one of the Basin’s own back to help build the next generation of women’s wrestlers. 

“I'm super excited,” Workinger said. “I spent some time wrestling at different places, and it feels really good to be able to come back to the community that I was born in and really establish more connections here and build on the ones that I already have, and just help grow our Basin into a great wrestling (community), even better than it already is, because we have some good wrestlers that come from here.” 

Workinger’s path to Big Bend began in Quincy, where she wrestled under coach Mark Kondo and learned the kind of steady support she now hopes to provide as a coach. 

“He was always willing to stay extra and give you extra time if you wanted to be on the mats, then he was going to be on the mats. He was going to drive you to those extra practices, all of those things,” she said.  

Before closing her chapter as a Jack, she became their first female state champion at the 2022 Mat Classic. From there, she attended Menlo College in Atherton, California for two years. In her time with the Oaks, she was a top five placer both seasons and an All-American.  

After her sophomore season, she transferred to Evergreen State College to wrestle for Fan Zhang and the Geoducks.  

“I love my home, and I wanted to come back and be around my family,” Workinger said. “But then also I was hoping to help grow the Evergreen program and (help) make it a more sought after program in the state of Washington, just so that we can help give some of those kids that maybe don't want to go so far away from school.” 

At Evergreen, Workinger redshirted her first year before putting together a strong senior season where she made it to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics finals. From there, she earned opportunities to compete on multiple national teams for team USA. She gained invaluable experiences and saw a lot of success individually and as a team.  

According to BBCC Athletics, she won a gold medal for team USA at the U20 Pan Am games in Peru. Following this, she is a regular attender of camps at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where she currently resides momentarily.  

Though she has accomplished a lot in the few years since she graduated from Quincy High School, her path does not surprise her, she said. On the mat is where she finds peace and feels she is at her best.  

“I feel blessed with the sport, with all the connections I've made, and definitely not too fast, I wouldn't say I think just right on time,” she said.  

Now, Workinger’s focus shifts from what she has accomplished on the mat to what she can help others accomplish at Big Bend. 

In a statement by BBCC Athletics, Athletic Director Benjamin Griffin expressed his excitement to add Workinger to their athletics program.  

“We are excited to welcome Shannon to Big Bend and our athletics family,” he said. “Her passion for women's wrestling, proven success as both an athlete and coach, and deep commitment to growing the sport make her an outstanding fit for our program. Shannon understands the positive impact wrestling can have on young women, and we are excited about her vision for continuing to build and expand women's wrestling at Big Bend while providing a first-class experience for our student-athletes.” 

As she embarks on this new chapter in her wrestling journey, Workinger said she is excited to build off the foundation set by former coach Desiree Zavala and others who came before her.  

“She's been so helpful throughout this entire process, and I'm sure that she'll continue to be helpful,” Workinger said. “There's a lot of things that she does that I want to mimic, especially this first couple years, while I still have the girls that were on the team last year, practice plans and things like that. But then also with wrestling, everyone's different so just putting my own spin on the technique and showing the things that work a little bit more for me, and building off her, but still going down my own path.” 

Like most athletic programs, the goal for success is always high. While Workinger and the Vikings will pursue regular and postseason success, she wants to ensure they do it as a team.  

“I just want to see them being good teammates to one another. That was definitely the separating factor of when I wrestled for Menlo, we won nationals as a team, and it was because we had each other's backs,” she said. “Then just involvement in the community. I hope that we can go as a team and volunteer at wrestling tournaments or go to senior homes or stuff like that, and just give back, because I think that's a quality that will last a lot longer than statistics on a wrestling mat.” 

In the time leading up to her hiring, Workinger said Zavala, Griffin and many former coaches in the area assured her she would have the support she needed around her. 

“I guess just knowing that I have that tribe, that army and that community around me that's willing to support me and have my back gave me the confidence to think I can do this,” she said.  

Not only does Workinger see an opportunity to help expand the Vikings athletics program, but she also sees a chance to help women’s wrestling continue growing in Washington.  

“When I started wrestling, I was the only girl on the little kid youth team,” she said. “I've definitely seen the growth, and I'm so excited to be in Moses Lake, and invest into that wrestling community. I'm hoping that some of those girls who maybe don't want to go super far for college, they can wrestle at Big Bend, and they can grow in the sport, and then maybe some other school will pick them up and give them good scholarships.” 

While she may begin as Coach Workinger to many of her wrestlers, they’ll soon learn the nickname that has followed her since she was a baby: Duckie. 

“I was born on my older brother's fourth birthday, so he thought I was his present,” she said. “Everybody was like, ‘Oh this is the toy for my baby, oh, this is for my baby,’ and one day I was just crying and crying, so he started blowing his duck call, and I just stopped crying, so he called me his little duck. I've just always been called Duckie.” 

    A young Shannon ‘Duckie’ Workinger flexes after winning a wrestling medal. Originally from Quincy, she returns to the Basin as the Lady Vikings newest wrestling head coach.
  

    Shannon Workinger (right) hugs her mom Jennifer Gardner (left) while at a wrestling tournament.
  

    Shannon Workinger (left) stands on the podium with her teammate for the U20 Pan-American Championships.
  

    Shannon Workinger (in green) pins her opponent to the mat during a match as a Jack in 2020.