If you recall, sometime back I wrote an article spotlighting three of the girls at the elementary that were trying out wrestling, with one of them already having some success. Two others, sophomore Ashley Ramirez Marcelino and Eighth grader Mitzi Cano Godinez, have seen action on their respective wrestling teams. It begs the question, “If these girls stay with it, and others are added, are we looking at sanctioned girls wrestling at the high school level soon?”
In case you haven’t already noticed, let me be the first to inform you that high school girls’ wrestling could be the most burgeoning sport in the state, and quite possibly even the nation. Through research conducted and published by Mid-America Publishing’s John Jensen, more than half of Iowa schools that wrestle have at least one girl on their roster, and over half of those have more than one. Overall, 143 of Iowa’s 281 schools offering wrestling have at least one female member on the squad. Of those, 73 schools have more than one and 13 schools have 10 or more! Most of those are the largest schools, and some of those have informal teams (or club teams) set up just for girls who want to wrestle.
As impressive as those numbers are, let’s look at how many participate now versus in the past. This year’s total of 481 girls involved in wrestling statewide is up from 187 last year and just 92 the year before (according to the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association). Only six years ago, there were just 36 girls wrestling in the state. Altogether, that makes for a 1,236 percent increase over a six-year span. Remarkable. Jensen concludes by saying it’s no wonder there is a push to make wrestling for girls a sanctioned sport in the state, which would give them their own teams, schedules and a state tournament (note-there is a state tournament now, but it is put on by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association (IWCA) and not the IGHSAU). They would also be wrestling against girls from other teams, and not necessarily any boys as it is now.
Here’s where the issue starts to get a bit sticky. According to Superintendent Jess Toliver, girls can participate on boys wrestling teams already and, as we’ve seen, are. “We have to be careful, because a separate sanctioned girls team means they can’t be part of the boys team,” said Toliver. “So it becomes ‘Do you have enough for a practice or to fill a lineup?’ Being on a boy’s team gives them more opportunity to wrestle. A girl’s team can only wrestle other girls. I would want to see the participation numbers first. I don’t want to see the state put into place something that restricts existing girls opportunities they have already.”
Several colleges are already on board with separate a wrestling team for females, and a couple of the more successful high school wrestlers chose to go there because it was available. The state’s first 100-win girl wrestler was Felicity Taylor, graduate of South Winneshiek (Calmar), who decided to attend a university in Illinois that has a women’s wrestling team, and the second was Ali Gerbracht of AGWSR. She has decided, at least for now, to concentrate on her studies and not continue wrestling in college. Also noteworthy is that wrestler Keagan King, a South Central Calhoun (SCC) grad, was also successful in high school and is wrestling on the Grand View women’s team after being one of the first to sign in their initial recruiting class.
“She’s the reason I got into girls wrestling,” said SCC’s Troy Greder about King. “She was a two-time USA Wrestling State Tournament champion.” He went on to say that over 300 girls are participating right now at the IWCA state tournament (which will have already been held by the time you read this). It’s growing quickly, and that’s without sanctioning.” However, he also doesn’t believe the state should rush into it too quickly. “There are some Iowa school districts now that are already strapped for cash,” said Greder. “That will be an issue.” He also feels you don’t have to look any further than Missouri to find a model sanctioned girls wrestling program that is working well.
When it comes to younger girls wanting to try the sport, Steve Haberman, principal at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows middle school, said he welcomes participation from all that want to do sports. “There are a lot of high school girls on teams and girls-only teams,” he said. “It’s a growing interest, not only in Iowa, but all over the nation. I know there’s also a big push (for sanctioning) as the numbers have grown. The more they encourage building the sport, then females could eventually have their own competitions.”
Phil Monson, long-time sports editor at the Humboldt Independent, has now seen the high school there form a girls team for this winter. “Since we began offering a girls-only high school team, the numbers at the middle school have improved as they know they will be part of a team when they get to high school,” said Monson.
He believes it’s just a matter of time before the IGHSAU sanctions the sport. “If not next year, the following year is my prediction,” he said. “There are several small colleges across Iowa and the Midwest who are offering it and giving out scholarships for it. That is great to see.” For now, Humboldt’s girls team will run under the umbrella of the IHSAA and wrestle JV matches at each meet. With Algona having several girls wrestling as well, Monson said the two schools have already scheduled a girls-only dual meet. He also said the several of them are also basketball players, so their practice schedules have to be juggled accordingly.
“Giving girls the opportunity to wrestle is good for the sport overall, because it generates more interest,” said Humboldt head coach Chad Beaman. “Plus these girls may be more apt to let their sons and daughters wrestle in the future. They are learning good, self-defense techniques by wrestling, along with the other benefits the sport provides in terms of competition, dealing with winning and losing and becoming a better person.”
One such girl, who happens to be in the North Central Conference, is senior Kennadi Colbert of Clear Lake. She has a winning record so far this year as the lone female on the Lion’s squad, and was recently interviewed by Marianne Gasaway of the Mirror Reporter newspaper. Gasaway has graciously allowed use of some excerpts from that interview.
“I didn’t start the year with a positive mindset,” said Colbert. “I didn’t feel like I was improving, and I was still on JV. But the JV gave me more opportunity for success with less pressure, so it has been good for me to compete there and work to get better.”
Although she primarily wrestles boys, she believes girls are rapidly improving and becoming better opponents. “Girls are usually more flexible, so moves such as a half-nelson, which works well on boys, has less impact on a girl,” said Colbert. However, boys are more aggressive, especially against girls it seems like, and they are stronger. You have to be smart.”
She goes on to say she has learned a great deal from the Lion coaching staff, both past and present, as well as the boys she spars with in the practice room. “Sometimes it’s difficult being the only girl, but I can say that I have always been treated fairly,” said Colbert. “I won’t be pursuing wrestling after high school, but I think the daily conditioning and work ethic associated with the sport will go with me. I hope other girls give it a try, because I think I have gotten a lot out of the sport.”
Next week in part 2, we will hear from a strong proponent of sanctioning who just happens to be a representative on the Boy’s Association Council. We will have people like Jean Berger at the Girls Union and Eagle Grove AD Rich Thacker weigh in with their views, and I will also share an interview I had with EGHS wrestler Ashley Ramirez Marcelino.
