Meridian sisters earn state medals on wrestling mat

Published 10:20 am Monday, January 12, 2026

When Kody Biggs showed videos of Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling to his young daughters, Myj and Sailor Cabilao, four years ago, he did so to help them learn to protect themselves.

“They were getting bullied in school,” Biggs said, “so I wanted to make sure they knew some self-defense in case they needed it.”

Four years later, the girls — 12-year-old Myj and 10-year-old Sailor — have done more with what they’ve learned from their father than even he expected.

“I didn’t think they would ever get into it the way they have,” he said.

Today, the two sisters have become very knowledgeable in Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling. While both girls continue to take lessons in the martial arts, Myj, a seventh grader at Magnolia Middle School, has joined the school’s wrestling team.

Sailor Cabilao, center, stands for a photo with friends during the 2025 AGF Jackson Open BJJ Tournament. Submitted photo

Meanwhile, Sailor, a sixth grader at Parklane Elementary School, practices with her sister with plans of joining her on the wrestling team next season.

“My dad taught us how to take people down and pin them,” said Myj, who said she has been wrestling since age 8. “Now I want to do that in tournaments.”

Sailor, who took up wrestling at age 7, said she enjoyed it from the start.

“When my dad showed us the video of wrestling,” she said, “the takedowns looked really fun to do.”

Her time with Jiu-Jitsu has proven Sailor to be a tough competitor. Two weeks ago, she earned a gold medal, winning a youth Jiu-Jitsu tournament in Biloxi, where she won three matches against competitors from throughout the region. She also won a gold medal in a tournament last year.

Myj said her personal goal in wrestling is to earn a college scholarship.

“To reach that goal,” she said, “I’m going to practice and work out with my sister a whole lot more.”

According to both girls, the two get together to practice and work out three to four times a week.

Sailor said she knew wrestling was for her after receiving praise from her father.

“My dad told both of us that we had the potential to get into wrestling.

“Learning the different techniques was tough,” Sailor added. “In my first tournament, I won both of my matches.”

Both girls agree that their father has been their biggest inspiration and supporter since they began wrestling.

“Our dad,” Sailor said, “showed us extra techniques and helped us polish other techniques we already knew.”

Myj concurred.

“Our dad took us to everything,” she said, “including to our coaching sessions and training. He has always been there for us. My friends were there to cheer me on.”

Last weekend, in her school team’s final meeting of the season, Myj finished second in the event, earning her a silver medal.

Competing has been especially trying for Myj. She has been forced to wrestle against boys because there are no girls in her division.

“I was kind of nervous about that,” she said. “I was used to going up against girls. Then I found myself wrestling the state champion from Louisiana.

Myj said she won the first fall in the best-of-three match, before her opponent took the final two falls to earn a gold medal. Myj finished second, good for a silver medal.

Sailor said this past year has been a learning experience for her.

“I realized wrestling is more than just pinning someone,” she said. “It’s about the fun you have and the friends you make along the way.”

Sailor said she has made “more than five” new friends in wrestling over the past year.

This past season was also a successful campaign for Sailor, who took first place in the state for her division.

“I had to do extra practices and extra workouts,” she said. “I did extra jumps and squats, dips, pullups and explosive pushups. I just kept pushing.”

Like her sister, Sailor hopes to earn a wrestling scholarship to college. Other than that, her wrestling goals are straight-forward.

“I want to get some more medals and win the team competition,” Sailor said. “We’re both doing good and we can still keep going.”

Sailor added that her vast improvement this past season will help be a factor for her future team.

“I’ve improved a lot,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot more techniques. I’ve seen my sister do a fireman carry. I think I can do that.”

When their days of getting on the wrestling mat are over, both girls said they eye a future that still includes the sport.

“I see myself being a coach,” Myj said.

“I hope to show others new techniques,” Sailor said, “especially if my teammates come to me and ask me to show them.

“But I can see myself as a coach,” she added. “It would be fun teaching people new techniques.”