Whenever Bryson Lambert wrestled, his younger sister Kinsley wasn’t far behind.
That is until this year, when the two had the chance to compete on the mat side by side.
The Destrehan High School student-athletes became the first brother-sister duo to compete together in a varsity wrestling meet this past season – both were victorious in their matches on a night Destrehan defeated H.L. Bourgeois and Vandebilt Catholic.
This was the last season for Bryson, a senior, and the first season for Kinsley, a freshman.. They both say they’ll remember the experience for the rest of their lives.
“It was crazy, something nobody else really gets to experience,” said Bryson. “It was pretty great for my little sister and I to be able to wrestle the same night and both get wins.”
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association officially sanctioned girls wrestling for the 2024 season, which opened the door for Kinsley to potentially join her brother with the Wildcats.
The siblings’ mother, Megan Lambert, encouraged Kinsley to go for it.
“They had been growing apart,” Megan said. “They used to be super, super close but that was changing and it was becoming so hard to get them to do anything together.”
This was the perfect chance to do that – and via a shared interest.
“We’d take Bryson at 4-5-6 years old to wrestling, and Kinsley was always so engaged when he was wrestling,” said Megan. “She went to every practice, every tournament, and you couldn’t keep her off the mat. He used to always wrestle with her Minnie Mouse. She never, ever let anyone else touch that but Bryson. There was always something there.”
And there’s plenty Kinsley likes about the sport.
“It helps you to be healthy, and you learn a lot of skills that helps you to be a better person,” Kinsley said.
She wasn’t sure what to expect when she first started showing up to practice.
“I kind of thought they’d be staring at me like I didn’t belong,” she said. “But no, they all acted like it was normal for me to be there.”
Said Megan, “They really took her under their wing, immediately. They knew Bryson and she kind of had that respect coming in of, ‘That’s Bryson’s little sister.’ But they treated her like family.”
Before ever having the chance to compete alongside his sister, Bryson made his own return to the sport at Destrehan after time away.
He began wrestling when he was just six years old. Bryson was a member of Brother Martin’s 2022 Division I state wrestling champion before walking away from the sport to play football.
But once the family knew he would be returning to Destrehan, Bryson promised his mother he would wrestle again – and it’s a promise he says he’s glad he made and glad he kept.
“I fell in love with the sport again,” Bryson said. “My teammates were great and I just enjoyed every second of it. And it made me want to become better.” 
Just like his older teammates taught him when he first joined the team, he did the same for his sister.
“He taught me to change things up, not just rely on one move,” Kinsley said.
Said Bryson, “It was nice to have her there. I looked after her, made sure she was alright and made sure she was learning.”
While the night they made history was especially special for the Lambert family, Megan said the siblings’ time in the sport has grown their family in other ways.
“My children have played all kinds of sports, but there’s a brotherhood and camaraderie in wrestling that is really unmatched,” said Megan. “I’ve made lasting friendships with other parents through the sport. And the kids get so much from it. Wrestling doesn’t get the credit or attention of other sports, and I wish more parents and more kids knew.”
