Girls Wrestling is this fair?

Hi all as many of you know and if you dont I have a daughter who wrestles for Ellsworth county her name Leea Bentley..At Manhattan tournament Saturday on her mat was another girl wrestling from another club and the girl lost her match and was crying I approached her and her mom and told them to keep their head up she will get the hang of it and introuduced my daughter as well..I had tslked about Kansas Krusaders and the Emporia tournament for girls next Sunday she said she wanted to take her daughter to it but was told by her club that if she went to this tournament then her daughter would face diciplinary action from the club..I was floored why would they do or say something like that? There is alot of girls coming out for wrestling which is Great but my question is is that fair for this girl to not be able to further her werstling or wrestle girls tournaments because her club dont like it? I feel if she wants to wrestle girls tournaments let her. To me this club is being UNFAIR!!! Having a girl of my own wrestling it personally makes me upset let them advance and be supportive after all its not just for boys anymore...

I'M A BIG SUPPORT OF GIRL WRESTLERS MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN WRESTLING FOR FOUR YEARS NOW AND ITS SO AWESOME WHEN SHE GETS ON THE MAT THE HEADS TURN TO HER. SHE IS 12 YEARS OLD AND WRESTLING 140 POUNDS FOR A GIRL THATS A BIG WEIGHT TO WRESTLE AND SHE GETS OUT THERE AND DOES HER BEST. WHEN SHE SEES ANOTHER GIRL OUT THERE SHE SHOWS HER SUPPORT AND CHEERS FOR THEM AND HAS GAINED ALOT OF FRIENDS. I KNOW ONE THING IF WE WERE TOLD THAT SHE WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE FOR GOING TO A GIRLS WRESTLING TOURAMENT I WOULD MAKE SURE I WOULD STAND UP TO THE CLUB NOBODY WILL TELL US WHERE TO TO WRESLE OR WHEN TO WRESTLE. WE PAY TO BE IN THE CLUB WE PAY TO WRESTLE AT TOURAMENT WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THEYRE POCKETS FOR MY CHILD TO WRESTLE THEN THEY CAN HAVE SAY SO. BUT UNTIL THEN THEY CANT DICIPLINE ANYBODY.

That is exactly the way I feel but to not allow a girl to advance is crazy they are offering scholorships for girls now for college in wrestling..girls work so hard to get the respect the boys do and I feel the club should be pleased to see a girl advance my daughters coach takes her to Krusader practice and never misses and all girl tournament or any match of hers..LETS GO GIRLS!!

that is awesome the coach does that i wish we lived closer so veronica could have the chance to practice with the krusaders that would help her for a better chance to see how the girls wrestles and advance her for college. next year she will be wrestling for junior high we need to get the game on it will be a step closer to high school and college...... i want to wish all the girls out there good luck and have fun..... we will be watching for all of you...

He took her to Kansas city yesterday after she took 1st in Manhattan just so he could be and take her to the Krusader practice today we are about 3 hour drive from where they are practicing right now..if her coach isnt there she will throw the match just to make a statment she is a pill lol I have to give major kudos to PETE ECK who makes it all possible sometimes I think he gets more excited than I do..For a girl to be told they cant advance is so wrong..we are all her for the love of the sport so be proud your girls can handle the boys and wants to keep going if you hold them back you might be messing with their future..what is the club scared of? lol maybe its just because I am a girls mom idk Keep going Veronica and all the girls..get ahold of coach ed on the Krusader sight and see if they can help with making a practice closer we are in trouble of losing emporia tournament due to not enough contestants so girls sign up now

I don't want to speak for the club, but many don't support "Girls" only tournaments for the protection of girls. These tournaments are excluding others from wrestling...ie boys. If other tournaments were to follow suit there could be "Boys" only events. I think all tournaments should be open to everyone.

I KNOW ONE THING IF WE WERE TOLD THAT SHE WOULD GET INTO TROUBLE FOR GOING TO A GIRLS WRESTLING TOURAMENT I WOULD MAKE SURE I WOULD STAND UP TO THE CLUB NOBODY WILL TELL US WHERE TO TO WRESLE OR WHEN TO WRESTLE. WE PAY TO BE IN THE CLUB WE PAY TO WRESTLE AT TOURAMENT WHEN IT COMES OUT OF THEYRE POCKETS FOR MY CHILD TO WRESTLE THEN THEY CAN HAVE SAY SO. BUT UNTIL THEN THEY CANT DICIPLINE ANYBODY. [/quote]
Dont want to make anybody mad here, but yes a club does have some say so as where you can or can't go. You signed up through that club which is sanctioned and if they want to they can so no, you cant go. I know in our club if we have someone that wants to go somewhere different then where the club is going then I usually make arrangements for them to do so. It's not right to not let her do it.

On the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday it is sad that such a topic would be up and getting hits. We still have a long way to go. Strength comes in unity and togetherness. We have been working with girls wrestling for 12 years and are amazed at the thoughts and reasons people have for being for or against something...it is no different with womens wrestling. We have also ran a "boys" club for 15 years and we have rules about the team members not going to tourneys without the head coaches permission. It is my hope that possibly the team in question has the same rule as us and in fact the family of the girl wrestler misunderstood the rule. Unfortunately, we have seen many times where a team really doesn't want girl wrestlers on the team and doesn't want to give them the help they need to succeed. Once the girl finds out that the Kansas Krusaders provide support for the girl to expand her wrestling world to see what is available out there for girls. Their team will either embrace the fact that the girl is getting the help that they need or they will immediately feel threatened and think that the Krusaders are trying to steal their girl wrestler. This is not the case. The Kansas Krusaders have built a good reputation of helping the girls to advance and we are now getting national attention for our KS girls performances.

It is only ignorance that would keep a club from allowing the girls to work with the Krusaders and/or go to all girl tourneys. None of these activities will in any way affect the boys clubs adversely. If in fact we continue to grow the girls programs then we will optimally provide safety for the boys programs as well. It will provide a safer and less stressed environment overall for girls and boys.

There are arguments on both sides with girls wrestling girls, girls wrestling boys and what is the "right" answer. We do not profess to have all the answers but we have experienced this problem from all levels and have a pretty good picture of what goes on in numerous areas. What needs to be done is more people need to embrace girls wrestling and work towards a "girls wrestling girls" environment for the future of wrestling and the saftey of the girls.

If you would like to have more information or discussions regarding girls wrestling...we are available by phone , email, pm etc...we are easy to find.

Ed and Jenni Edison

Well Said Ms. Jenni and Coach Ed! I am proud to have such an opportunity for my daughter to advance her skills.As she gets older I personally would love for her to only wrestle girls for the sake of puberty and for the chance to have a fair chance since I know as she gets older some boys do not want to wrestle girls therefore refusing and giving a forfeit..or not wrestling to their potential afraid to hurt the girl..I do not understand how some ppl in todays society still have prejudices..Have we not learned anything from our ancestors and the fights they went through to make us all equal..The Krusaders to me make it possible for girls to westle girls and if more clubs supported girls on girls and we really accepted that girls are not goin anywhere then kids who dont want to werstle girls might not have to and coaches wouldnt have to worry about a girl on their team. The girls could have their own tournaments their own coaches their own team..That is what the Krusaders to me are trying so hard to do..For the Krusaders to be going for so long and have only the small support they do and so little tournaments for girls truly SHOCKS me..To me if you dont want a girl on your team or to wrestle one then support what the Krusaders are doing and host a tournament for girls only..The more tournaments are offered the better chance that less girls will be at the other tournaments..Granted there will most likely always be a girl who likes to wrestle openly and that is great too..and the mother could have very well misunderstood I only seen that girl wrestle and she said it was her first year..For our girls to wrestle in the open tournaments even at state there are rules that we must abide by that most boys do not such as the undergarment that is worn under singlet they must weigh with that on where as boys can weigh in singlet only..My daughter gets so much support from her family teammates and coaches also alot of other wrestling families..I wish the sterotypes of what girls can and cant do or what they should or shouldnt do would end I mean we elected a Black president that should signal that alot of "taboos" are now being accepted.. All we are doing is trying to expand the sport of wrestling and give everyone a fair chance..Ellsworth High School has a kid Jason Hughes who is a great wrestler and ppl who have seen him wrestle or who have wrestled against him know he gives up a fight and is not by any means an easy opponent but he is also BLIND..It is truly magical to see him compete knowing what a great obsticle he has had to work with to do what he has passion for to wrestle..I really hope that girls start getting more support and acceptance..The sky is the Limit and the Krusaders are giving our daughters the chance to reach their full potential..So to The Krusaders Coaches THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND FOR GIVING GIRLS THE CHANCE AND GUIDENCE NEEDED TO FLY HIGH!!!!

I, too, have a daughter that wrestles. She is 13 and 1 now. Everytime she gets on that mat, people watch her. They have seen her wrestle and love it. I would love to take her to Kansas Krusaders practices but we live too far from where they are practicing. I know if our club told us that we could not take her to girls tournament, I would tell them where to go and how to get there. She WILL be in Emporia next weekend. She whoops up on those boys, and some of them go out crying. We told her when she first started that they will treat you like a boy out on the mat. But we also told her, that if she knew the moves and was fast, then she would be alright. Girls wrestling has come a long way and I hope that it goes further. Go girls!

Emporia tourney is having problems with numbers in both the boys novice and the girls tourney. If this tourney is not able to go on because of numbers...the Kansas Krusaders will provide a "mini event" at the school in Burlingame. Now I don't want to hear that it is too far...it is just up the road from Emporia. Keep an eye on this thread and I will let you know how it is going for Sunday.

Ms. Jenni

I have been in contact with the President of the Manhattan Club, according to him they have no policy in place stating that a wrestler cannot attend a tournament the other wrestlers are not going to. They have done it in the past and would not keep a girl from participating in a girls tournament. He also stated that one of the girls they have on the team is their Head Coaches daughter. It sounds like it is probably a misunderstanding.

I think she is talking about a girl from Rossville, not Manhattan.

My bad, when she talked to me Saturday I thought she told me it was a girl on the Manhattan club.

Maybe it was then.

If it was, sorry.

If she is from Rossville she is talking to the wrong people, we would never tell someone they cannot go to a tourny.
We might tell them there wont be any coaches at that one but your welcome to go.

On Saturday I did talk to Lance and at that time I was under the mpression it was a Manhattan girl because she had a purple shirt on that covered her singlet in fact when I talked to the mom further it was not Manhattan and nor was it Rossville..I am sorry for the confusion Lance that was my mistake..I do not feel the need to announce the club name as I do not want to upset anyone I was just merely asking if that is fair of a team or coaches to do and say to a girl? I have made the Krusaders aware of the club and they are taking care of it they are more qualified then most of us and know what clubs due and have been dealing with all of this for many many years now..I was informed this is not uncommon for clubs to do or say...

Just curious but what would the parents of the girls say if a tournament was started that was boys only. I would imagine a good percent would say it was wrong and anyone should be able to enter. Well, I feel the same way. It is wrong to block boys from a tournament. It is wrong to block girls from a tournament. All should be open to everyone.

well said

Any of my people involved with girls wrestling want to speak to this?

Ms Jenni

i have been waiting all day to reading some responses on wheather or not it's ok to have girl only tournaments. no one has an opinion on this subject.

as i do not have a problem with a girls only tournament, i do see the point about it not being fair, if all the tournaments were boy's only that would start an uproar.

maybe they need to word it somthing like this,THIS IS AN ALL GIRLS TOURNAMNET BUT BOY'S ARE WELCOME TO ENTER AS WELL.

more than likely you would have no boy's enter the tournament anyway i would hope none entered.

it's like goiing club hoping. there were times when there was no cover charge for the ladies but men had to pay one. fair maybe not but what did you do you paid the cover charge and had fun.

i mean in the end, it's all about the kids. does little johny realy mind the girls are having there own tournament probaly not. jmo

Thanks nix...I think that is what I wanted to say...really and truly are the guys wanting to join in on our "all girl tourneys"...I doubt it.

Ms. Jenni

If in fact a guy pushed to enter...I imagine we would let him but then that would let in the fact that the girl would be able to refuse to wrestle the boy...just like some schools do when girls are a part of a dual and they forfeit to the girls...
anyway...I am too tired today to get this going but I am open if anyone actually wants to dialogue on it...I doubt it is of that much interest to anyone.

First of all there might as well be Boys only tournaments for when a girl shows up in a boys bracket some boy or parent always has something to say about why they should not be there..As the girls get older it gets harder..To say that Girls should not be allowed there own division and tournaments would be like saying all Girls and Boys teams in any sport eg. Basketball should not be allowed lets just put all the kids on one team..Noone is complaining about that.. and lets just get rid of jv and varsity why we are at it I mean we are all at the same level right? Then we can stop bracketing based on ranking too lets just make that open to everyone..If you want the girls to be the same and wreslte in the same league then STOP being so upset when we show up and walk away with the bracket you believe was your childs...

I think that if it is ok to have girls only tournaments then it should be ok to have boys only tournaments!!! afterall if the girls and their parents want there to be no bias in wrestling then they should agree!! afterall how is it fair that the girls have tournament that the boys cant be in but the boys dont...i mean some religions dont allow boys to touch girls that way so they have to scratch i guess if the girls wanna be at the boys tournaments then they should be expected to be treated like a boy... thats what i tought my son if you are wrestling (boy or girl) wrestle the same!!!!!

I don't think the majority of boy parents get upset when a girl is in the bracket - especially at the younger ages. It does become a little more ackward for the boys as the girls mature and sometimes the boys are not sure about where to put their hands and have a little trouble trying to reconcile being brought up not be rough with girls and now they are to put one on her back and hold her there. My son has wrestled some very tough girls over the years - Krista Revelle, Gabby Speer, and although he never actually wrestled Morgan Otteson, she has appeared in his bracket before. All these girls have beat some very tough boys. I do think that if an older 10/12/14 year old boy is not used to wrestling girls, the good experienced girls can have the advantage.

This is my daughter's 5th year of wrestling and I have never heard anyone say to me or her that she shouldn't be at a tournament. I personnaly have never seen anyone upset when she won a bracket because she was a girl. As far as i can tell everyone she has wrestled has wrestled her the same as they would if they were wrestling a boy.

LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE IN PARK CITY TOUNRNEY WE HAD A PROBLEM. IT WAS VERY UNFAIR FOR MY DAUGHTER. THE DAY OF THE TOURAMENT THEY REARRANGED HER BRACKET SO A BOY FROM MANHATTEN DIDNT HAVE TO WRETSLE HER. THE BRACKET WAS ON THE WALL AND I CAME OVER TO THE BRACKET AND OVER HEARD THE PARENT COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT THE BRACKET HASNT CHANGE YET. NEXT THING WE KNEW THE WERE CALLING OVER THE SPEAKER THAT HER BRACKET BRACKET WAS BEING CHANGE. THEN THE MOTHER OF THE BOY COMING BACK OVER MAKING A BIG DEAL HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE BRACKET FOR THEYRE BOY. NOW YOU TELL ME IS THIS FAIR OR NOT. MY DAUGHTER WENT OUT THERE AND WRESTLED LIKE SHE WAS TO AND DIDNT COMPLAIN.
YOU KNOW I WASNT GOING TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I REALLY DONT LIKE BRINGGING UP BAD THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE BUT MY DAUGHTER DIDNT CRY CUZ A BOY DIDNT WANT TO WRESTLE HER SHE WENT OUT ON THE MAT AS A PERSON AND WRESTLED LIKE A PERSON NOT AS A GENDER ROLL GETTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAY OF HER WRESTLING. SHE SEES IT AS A PERSON WIN OR LOSE SHES A PERSON WITH A HEART......

My daughter has been wrestling 2 years and we have had no problem with the tournaments. To her, the girls are harder to wrestle than the boys, d/t girls being really flexible. We have told her that she will be treated like a boy when she steps on that mat, and she knows it. She has wrestled with her brother for years. Now, I have seen boys come off the mat when she beat them and cry about it. Like my mother always said, if you step into men's shoes than you had better be prepared to walk in them. My daughter knows that.

I dont believe in allowing girls to wrestle with boys. Our club has them, and I still disagree with it. The parents of the little girl are very nice, and the little girl is a sweetheart. It does not change my opinion of allowing a girl to wrestle.

They have Female Wrestling leagues for a reason. My son can not play girls vollyball when they have sign ups, so why should wrestling leagues let girls wrestle when its time to sign up for wrestling. They are segrigated for a reason. What that reason is, I am not sure, but its there.

Just my opinion, and I am sure I will be flamed for it, but I am not trying to be mean or disrepectful, just being honest.

Pinning the Issue of Girls Wrestling in High School
By Cassie Krisher

The atmosphere is buzzing with electricity as the opponents take to the wrestling mat. During the match, they grab each other's legs, ride each other's backs and pin each other on the mat. Both opponents are in the same weight class, but that does not necessarily mean their strength is equal.
One of the opponents is a girl.

Although girls who participate in high school wrestling often have amazing physical strength, it is possibly their mentality that is strongest as they approach the mat to wrestle in a male-dominated sport.

While women's wrestling has been gaining acceptance worldwide - it made its first appearance in the 2004 Summer Olympics - girls wrestling in high school has not been equally accepted.
Only three states recognize separate state championships for girls wrestling, and a few more have combined participation at their state meets.

Since the 1996-97 school year, the number of girls participating in wrestling has more than tripled, according to the NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey. Growth in girls wrestling has been steadily increasing since girls first participated in the sport in 1979-80.

Last year, more than 5,000 girls participated in wrestling, according to the 2006-07 participation survey. While this number accounts for only two out of every 100 high school wrestlers in the country, it is a number that requires some insight into the issues that both girls and boys face when it comes to girls' participation in wrestling.

When girls wrestle on boys teams, it creates conflict for both genders. With co-ed competition, girls have no choice but to wrestle stronger boys, and boys can feel pressure to forfeit a match with a girl.
Should high school girls wrestle on boys teams and against boys in competition, or should schools and state associations establish separate girls wrestling teams and competitions?

Separating boys and girls in wrestling

Texas, Hawaii and Washington have established girls wrestling state championships separate from the boys championships. Girls in Texas account for more than one-fifth of the nation's high school girls wrestlers, with 1,460 girls participating in 191 schools. Hawaii has 456 girls wrestling, and Washington has 490 girls wrestling in 141 schools.

Separate boys and girls divisions in wrestling have existed in Texas since the University Interscholastic League (UIL) took official control of the high school sport in the 1998-99 season. Girls compete against other girls during the regular season and have their own state meet every February. Girls' participation in the sport has been consistently increasing.

"Everything that we've heard has been positive," said Mark Cousins, UIL athletic coordinator. "We haven't received any negative feedback in reference to our program at all."

Although the high school community has received girls wrestling well in Texas, the same may not be true in all states.

"It's worked well for us, but each state has to take into account its schools and systems," Cousins said. "What works for us may not work for others."

Similar to Texas, Hawaii also splits boys and girls wrestling into two separate sports throughout regular-season play and the state series. Hawaii created a separate girls wrestling state championship in 1998 because of the increasing popularity of the sport, said Keith Amemiya, executive director of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA). Approximately 220 girls wrestle in 11 weight classes at the state meet, compared to 280 boys in 14 weight classes.

"Creating a separate girls wrestling state championship has been one of the most successful accomplishments of the HHSAA in the past decade," Amemiya said. "It has helped the HHSAA in terms of gender equity and has provided many of our girls with opportunities to obtain college scholarships, train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado, and even attempt to qualify for the U.S. Olympic women's wrestling team."

Washington started an official girls state wrestling championship last year. However, instead of completely separating the genders, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) came to a compromise. Regular-season wrestling can be co-ed, but girls and boys wrestle in separate state series.

Five years ago, the WIAA started an invitational for girls as part of the state meet, and 56 girls participated, wrestling against other girls. The following year in 2005, 109 participated, and 156 participated in 2006. Then, the WIAA Executive Board established the first girls wrestling state championship for the 2006-07 season, reasoning that girls' participation in the sport would expand if they had their own state tournament. Seventy-two girls participated in the first girls wrestling state tournament last year. This year, the field was expanded to 108 participants in nine weight classes. Next year, the WIAA will add two more weight classes for girls, expanding the field once again.
"[Completely separating girls and boys wrestling] is our ultimate goal, but it is a balancing act," said Jim Meyerhoff, WIAA assistant executive director. "If you cut off the regular-season participation against boys too soon, then you will restrict the growth of girls wrestling."

Washington does not yet have enough participation in girls wrestling to account for creating a separate girls division during the regular season, even though half of the WIAA schools with wrestling have female wrestlers. Only six states – California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Texas and Washington - reported more than 200 female high school wrestlers in the 2006-07 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey. Some schools have only one or two girls wrestling, and the only way for them to participate in the sport is to wrestle boys. A sudden move to separated girls wrestling would discourage growth of the sport, Meyerhoff said.

"As a model, it's been very successful," Meyerhoff said. "Girls wrestling has brought more excitement and enthusiasm to high school wrestling in Washington. There are always a few parents and coaches who wish it would go away, but we are way past that point now."

Co-ed wrestling in high school

In 2006, Michaela Hutchison of Soldotna (Alaska) Skyview High School won a state title in the 103-pound weight class of the co-ed

Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) state wrestling championship, according to the Associated Press and the March 2006 issue of NFHS News. She defeated many boys in a male-dominated sport to become the first girl to win a high school state wrestling title in a co-ed competition.

While in charge of wrestling at the Nebraska School Activities Association, Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee, said that he received complaints from parents about a girl who qualified for the wrestling state championship. Parents would call him and say how despicable it was to see a girl wrestle against boys at the state meet, but Colgate responded that the courts have ruled that the state must allow girls to compete if no competition exists exclusively for girls.

"We treated her like one of the 896 participants, other than giving her a separate weigh-in and locker room," Colgate said. "But win or lose, the audience gave her a standing ovation and there were 14 cameras going off around her mat."

Girls like these exhibit a large amount of courage to be successful in co-ed high school wrestling. Female wrestlers can feel left out in a sport that has traditionally excluded girls. However, the weight-class system in wrestling helps limit the physical inequalities when girls and boys face off in competition. Unlike football, ice hockey and basketball, sports in which girls have no choice but to compete against bigger, taller, stronger boys in co-ed competition, the weight-class system in wrestling helps to level the playing field in co-ed competition.

The boys who are matched with girls in competition can also face mental challenges. Boys can have the mindset that girls should not participate in the sport at all and that boys should not be put in a situation where they could possibly hurt a girl. The fear of embarrassment can pressure boys into forfeiting a match rather than competing against a girl. If a boy wins a match against a girl, he is too aggressive; but if he loses, he can be ridiculed.

However, that fear of embarrassment may be an issue only before a match, and not during.
"Once the whistle blows, that's all gone, and you are just trying to beat that person," said Dave Gannaway, chair of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee and assistant executive director at the Illinois High School Association.

The mental challenges for both boys and girls in wrestling are "not really an issue anymore," Meyerhoff said. "It is just who is the best wrestler."


Is girls wrestling acceptable?

The few state associations that have chosen to acknowledge girls wrestling in their state series have each taken different paths. No one model is going to work for every state at this point in the growth of girls wrestling. But as the number of participants continues to increase, state associations will have to "wrestle" with the idea of incorporating girls into the male-dominated contact sport.

"It's a struggle and a challenge," Colgate said. "Some say girls shouldn't be there [at the state meet], and others are more progressive. It's a touchy subject."

While the level of girls' participation in wrestling varies from state to state, one thing that is common among all the states is the public's growing acceptance of a girl donning a singlet and headgear and marching with her head high on the way to the mat, regardless of the gender of her opponent.

Cassie Krisher is a spring semester intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. She is a senior at Butler (Indiana) University, majoring in journalism and media arts.

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If you click on the kids division does it say boys or girls?
it will pull up Kansas Kids. not Kansas boys or Kansas girls.

OCU wins WCWA Women’s College Nationals with three champions

Gary Abbott USA Wrestling
02/01/2009


MARSHALL, Mo. – Led by three individual champions, Oklahoma City Univ. won the team title at the Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) national championships at the Burns Athletic Center on the campus of Missouri Valley College.

It was the first WCWA national title for the Stars, which is competing in its second season as a varsity program under coach Archie Randall.

Claiming individual titles for the OCU were Michaela Hutchison at 55 kg/121 lbs., Tessa Plana at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Stefenie Shaw at 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

OCU scored 117 points, followed by returning champion the Univ. of the Cumberlands with 86 points. Simon Fraser Univ. of Canada placed third.

Five OCU wrestlers won silver medals. OCU’s victory snapped the Cumberlands streak of three straight women’s college national titles. Last year, the Cumberlands edged OCU by one team point in the standings.

“We wanted to make sure no one had a chance to get close,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “We destroyed people. We hammered people. The girls worked hard all year long. It’s a great accomplishment for a second-year program. We have become the power in women’s wrestling.”

It was an all-OCU final at 55 kg/121 lbs., as Hutchison, a freshman, stopped teammate Ashley Hudson in the finals.

Plana, a freshman seeded No. 3 entering the tournament, defeated No. 1 seed Danielle Lappage of Simon Fraser in the championship match. She qualified for the finals with a victory over No. 2 Paige Rife of the Cumberlands in the semifinals.

Shaw, a sophomore from Waterford, Conn., beat third-ranked Stacie Anaka of Simon Fraser in overtime in the title bout.

“You have to have support from administration and girls who believe in themselves to accomplish this,” Randall said. “They’re all freshmen and sophomores. We have them all coming back. We’re going to be really tough.”

The Univ. of the Cumberlands had two individual champions, winning the lowest and highest weights with Ashley Shannon at 44 kg/97 lbs. and Lakia Henderson at 95 kg/209 lbs.

Simon Fraser, a traditional power in Canadian women’s college wrestling, placed third in its first WCWA Nationals with three individual champions, Ashley McKilligan at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Taylor Dick at 72 kg/158.5 lbs. and Hillary Greening at 82 kg/180.25 lbs.

Other individual champions were Katherine Fulp-Allen of Menlo College at 51 kg/112.25 lbs. and Tani Adler of Jamestown at 59 kg/130 lbs.

Fulp-Allen is the younger sister of Sara Fulp-Allen, who won three women’s college national titles competing for Menlo. Her father Lee Allen is the head coach at Menlo. Katherine Fulp-Allen was a World University champion for the United States last summer.

Adler helped lead Jamestown College to a strong fourth-place finish in the team standings. It was the best finish of the three new women’s varsity teams in the tournament, as Missouri Baptist finished in seventh and Lindenwood placed eighth. Jamestown is coached by Cisco Cole.

Women’s college national tournaments began in 2004, and only three teams have won titles. The Univ. of Cumberlands won three titles (2006-08), Missouri Valley has two titles (2004-05) and OCU now has one (2009).

WCWA WOMEN’S COLLEGE NATIONALS
At Marshall, Mo., Jan. 31

Team Standings
1. Oklahoma City, 117
2. Univ. of the Cumberlands, 86
3. Simon Fraser Univ., 73
4. Jamestown College, 46
5. Menlo College, 42
6. Missouri Valley College, 24
7. Missouri Baptist, 19
8. Lindenwood Univ., 5
9. UW-River Falls, 0

44 kg/97 lbs.
1st - Ashley Shannon (Cumberlands) dec. Lene Wood (OCU)
3rd – Stephanie Waters (OCU) dec. Lisa Martinez (Cumberlands)
5th – Rene Mitchell (OCU) dec. Sarah Rowen (OCU)

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1st - Ashley McKilligan (Simon Fraser) pin Joey Miller (OCU), 1:19
3rd – Nicole Woody (OCU) dec. Gabrielle Henry (Cumberlands)
5th – Shannon Reeves (Cumberlands) dec. Jessica Nguyen (Cumberlands)

51 kg/112.25 lbs.
1st - Katherine Fulp-Allen (Menlo) dec. LeAnn Barney (OCU)
3rd – Tiffany Sluik (Jamestown) dec. Jackie Stiles (Cumberlands)
5th – Priscilla Caldera (Lindenwood) dec. Mia Provence (OCU)

55 kg/121 lbs.
1st - Michaela Hutchison (OCU) dec. Ashley Hudson (OCU)
3rd – Rita Pare (Simon Fraser) dec. Carla O’Connell (Menlo)
5th – Ciana Hee (Cumberlands) dec. Andrea Hughes (Cumberlands)

59 kg/130 lbs.
1st - Tani Adler (Jamestown) dec. Jenny Germany (Missouri Valley)
3rd – Firen Gassman (OCU) dec. Shermaine Danner (Missouri Baptist)
5th – Luzette Villegas (Cumberlands) dec. Chaelyn Tan (Jamestown)

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Tessa Plana (OCU) dec. Danielle Lappage (Simon Fraser)
3rd – Paige Rife (Cumberlands) dec. Rachael Paaluhi (Jamestown)
5th – Brittany Gadd (Cumberlands) dec. Megan Agajanian (Cumberlands)

67 kg/147.5 lbs.
1st - Stefenie Shaw (OCU) dec. Stacie Anaka (Simon Fraser)
3rd – Lauren Knight (Cumberlands) dec. Ashlee Evans-Smith (Menlo)
5th – Pi’ikea Kalalau (Jamestown) dec. Christen Paysse (Cumberlands)

72 kg/158.5 lbs.
1st - Taylor Dick (Simon Fraser) dec. Lacey Novinska (OCU)
3rd – Kendra Lewis (Cumberlands) dec. Moriah Fernandez (Menlo)
5th – Sherolynn Eppinger (Cumberlands) dec. Annie Decrescente (Cumberlands)

82 kg/180.25 lbs.
1st - Hillary Greening (Simon Fraser) dec. Desiree Memea (Missouri Baptist)
3rd – Brittany Delgado (OCU) pin Jessica Scott (Cumberlands), 1:21
5th – Megan Wade (Cumberlands)

95 kg/209 lbs.
1st - Lakia Henderson (Cumberlands) dec. Amy Havens (Missouri Valley)
3rd – Amanda Athon (Jamestown) pin Keron Scott (OCU), 0:11
5rh – Brittany Caoile (Menlo)

Special thanks to Rich Tortorelli of OCU and Tom Sandwith of Missouri Valley College for their assistance with this report.

Why do we have girls golf, boys golf, girls soccer, boys soccer, girls basketball, boys basketball, boys baseball, girls softball,
girls track, boys track, girls cross country, boys cross country,
boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, etc? I think it is because more can participate. If USA Wrestling had a girls/women only division I think more girls/women would participate and a larger pool to expand opportunities. Parents would be less apprehensive to let the young ladies compete and the girls would be more likely to sign up. There would need to be a huge committment by parents to coach, run the clubs, run tournaments, find gym time, order uniforms, etc. Just ask the Edison's they have been huge in the state of Kansas for the young ladies and their participation.

I have been to a tournament and told that I would have to settle for one match with a girl instead of wrestling boys due to the availability of competition, even though it was only one match. Believe me, I was not happy to find that I drove that distance for one match, but I wrestled it because it was competition. Maybe if you want to be able to indicate that there is only boys brackets you should publicize having girls brackets and try to get reasonably close age/weight competition for the girls to wrestle.

I just got around to this thread after hearing about it for some time now and just want people to relax. In a way I absolutely hate forums. It is a place for people to nit pick and throw out biased opinions. There are a total of 3 tournaments in this state this year that even call themselves "Girls" tournaments. So, saying girls should go wrestle in only girls tournaments or that your sons are missing out is nothing but people wanting to argue. If you want to bring your son to a tournament that consists mainly of girls by all means do so, but do not get on the forum later and tell me that boys have a hard time wrestling girls because they don't want to touch them or that boys and girls should not wrestle.

I would like to thank Emporia Kids Wrestling for putting on a tournament with a girls division included and the Edisons for the endless amount of time and energy they put into progressing women's wrestling.

With anything for it to grow someone must take the first step and this league everyone thinks girls should have cannot just appear out of thin air. There are people trying hard to get girls wrestling to evolve into its own division but to say that we need to let boys wrestle at the "girls" tournaments then also hear that girls should not wrestle boys makes me want to say make up your mind!

We had 2 girls on our 1979/80 HS wrestling team. They were very tough girls. Those girls won several matches on JV and never made the varsity team. It was my senior year of high school for this first encounter of girls wrestling on a boys team (29 to 30 years ago). If you are of the male gender and do not or did not feel uncomfortable practicing moves on these girls I have other questions for you. I have 2 sisters and 3 brothers and the only girls I ever felt "normal" practicing wrestling moves (in the living room )on were my sisters. One was older and could kick my butt until about my sophmore year. And my younger sister well she was the practice dummy - she could have started on the varisty HS wrestling team in her freshman and sophmore years - but chose distance running. She went on to set a KU Relay record in a distance race back in the mid 1980's - while running for the Arkansas Razorback (Lady Hogs) track and cross country team. My little sister never did wrestle in a competition. My older brothers - well let's just say I was the practice dummy most of the time. The point - I never had to wrestle a female in competition but practice was uncomfortable enough. It is not a "strange" situation for the girls to wrestle boys because that is who they mostly wrestle with in practice and competition. It is a "stranger" situation for the boys when they mostly practice with boys and then all of a sudden or in one tournament they are face to face with a tough girl. What if a bunch of girls on a volleyball team were the best team in there state. The next year the second best state team in girls volleyball had a transfer from California (great player) who was a boy and they got beat in the state finals. What would the reaction be: by the parents, coaches, and/or both these teams?
Fair or Not Fair? Strange feeling or normal feeling?

There are not many "all girls" tournaments in Kansas. We go to the ones that they do have. We do not have the money, nor the time, to travel great distances just so our daughter can get some mat time. I think it is great for her and for the boys. She has to work harder. Believe me, I should have been in wrestling myself with the way my brother used me as a "Hey, I learned a new wrestling move, come here!" LOL.

i just have 1 more question on this thread.

i have never seen a thread where anyone has stated there boy sent a girl off the mat crying, but i have read in this thread where a girl sent a boy off the mat crying.

is there some great pride knowing your daughter made a boy cry. i have seen boy's cry and girl's cry i have even seen my own boy cry.

not just on here but i have heard other mothers at some of the tournaments talking about how there girl made a little boy cry.

now me i would not see the pride in my son making another boy or girl cry.

Nix, I guess I need to meet you. I like the way you think. We, the Edisons, do not take any pleasure in seeing any of the wreslters go off the mat crying. Sometimes we will get a girl wrestling that says she wrestles to "beat a boy". Ed immediately takes the time to point out to the girl that she is then wrestling for the wrong reasons. Wrestling is so much bigger than that. The whole girls wrestling debate has gone on forever and will continue for some time. This is good and bad but at least people are thinking about it.

I hope that Kansas as a state can take pride in knowing that in women's wrestling in 2008 we were #3 in the Nation in Juniors, #1 in Elem and Middle School Divisions. Our Jr Women took 4th in Duals. We have a number of our Ks girls wrestling in college programs. Brooke Bogren, who posted earlier is a KS born and bred wrestler from an early age, and is a 2X National Champ. She is on our coaching staff for the Kansas Krusaders.

We are not without appreciation for male wrestlers. Our two sons wrestle in college right now and wrestled from the age of 4. We want to have a league for women so they can get out of the males rooms...but Rome was not built in a day. If you want us to go away, it probably is not going to happen. We are open to ideas, assistance, constructive criticism. We do not have all the answers but we are doing our best to make KS proud and future girls wrestling the best we know how at this time.

Ms. Jenni and Coach Ed but he is now snoring....lol

Here is an all girls tournament for you, 2009 USA-Wrestling Kansas Girls State Championships.
Now it says girls only but if you have a 14u 95lb boy that wants to wrestle bring him to this tournament my girl will take all the matches she can get, oh and the entry fee is $25 dollars. Yes the girls have to pay more for all there tournaments, not only that we have to drive a lot further to get to an all girl tournament.
Hey Jenni if Mary shows up with a boy can you hook us up a match between him and Karissa. Heck I will see if Hanna and Kennedy are going to be there, I bet they would have no problem wrestling a boy that wanted to be in their tournament.
Now with that being said the girls wrestle boys because they have to so that they can get mat time, but all the parents that don't like it should stop complaining and being part of the problem. Instead they should help Coach Ed and all of the girl supporters get more girls involved with wrestling then we can have a girls only league and the problem would be solved. Naawww it is easier just to complain then be part of the solution isn't it?
If you are a true fan/supporter of wrestling and want it to grow then watch this video the whole video, then go get involved and be part of the solution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYLIS0OBSnc

Girls vs. boys

This issue has been debated at various times on our talk forums and the above link is to a discussion several years ago.

Wrestling is the sixth-most popular program for high school boys in terms of participants, with 257,246 boys wrestling in 9,445 schools throughout the country. It is also gaining popularity among high school girls, with 5,048 girls participating in 1,227 schools, according to the NFHS 2006-07 High School Athletics Participation Survey.

Aren't you the guy that was making a stink about Karissa wrestling for the Kansas team a few years ago even though she does not live in Kansas?
It seems like you are always looking for a controversy to get involved in or start.
If I am wrong I apologize, but if the shoe fits......

Thanks for the trip down memory land Richard...it reminded me of the old days.

Yes, Tony...Richard is the one that made a stink.

Ms.Jenni

I almost forgot...awesome video Tony...where did you get that? We haven't even seen that one. I will be using that. We have just been presented with an idea of getting a HS girls dual going at the USAW-KS girls state tourney in McPherson. I think we could use this video to help get the word out. Wow, isn't it ironic that what seem think will bring down our sport...has actually opened a new door for us today and guess what...once again the Edison's are stepping through it...Just to be fair it is Brooke's idea but we are gonna make it happen.

Thanks to all and if you are a HS girl wrestler (or a boy if you really want to be on the girls team) contact me and we will get you hooked up for the duals...I am getting excited.

Ms. Jenni

The name of the tournament is USAW-KS Girls State! I don't know what stink Richard did or didn't make but I want credit for creating the name KAN-OKLAHOMA KRUSADERS!

Greg,

You definitely get credit for being a pain in the arse also.

Ms. Jenni

Hey Jenni just let me know what we can do to help and Karissa says she wants a spot on 1 of the teams at say 94 or 95lbs and she says if she has to she would come to a wrestle off for the spot if she had to.

I don't know Tony, with this being an informal dual and I know she lives in OK...so I will have to check with everyone and see if it is ok....

checked...you are in...


Ms. Jenni

I knew you could make it happen because you are the BOMB!!

It's no different than many other sports. Girls can play high school football and wrestling, but can a boy play volleyball? No. There is a reason. Boys typically have more opportunities to participate in sports. High schools everywhere now have both girls and boys basketball, soccer, and swimming. I bet they didn't start out that way. We all need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that these girls are being given a chance to compete in the greatest sport that exists. They exclude boys from wrestling in these girls events? I wouldn't want to enter my son in the tournament anyway. I would enter my daughter, however. It seems pretty cut and dried to me.

Great reply!!!!

When I started this thread I really didnt think it was this big of an issue..It wasnt to see if girls wrestling was right or wrong it was if a girl choses to wrestle at a "mostly" girl tournament if a club has a right to tell her she cant..My daughter is on her 2nd year of wrestling and I witnessed and she participated in a Girl tournament in Emporia..I have to say To Coach ED COACH BROOKE COACH GONZALES AND MS. JENNI Wow those girls were awesome..To anyone who is against girls wresltling I would suggest going to a Girl tournament and just watch and then tell me they dont fight just as hard as the boys..right now my daughter gets away with wrestling the boys cause she is still young but unless there gets more tournaments for girls she is goin to have to give up the sport she loves for I do not like the idea of boys touching or smashing places that as she gets older would be awkward for them and her..At the 6 under and 8 under I dont really think kids see it as boy girl they see it as another kid..I always tell my daughter that when she is on the mat she is not a girl she is a wrestler..just like everyone else.. Just this year alone we have had a parent in Great Bend complain because she was in their sons bracket..I have had others tell there son they better not lose to no girl..and it goes on and on then there are others who love the fact that she is a girl and making a name for herself..One of the parents on our own team son wrestled a girl and he made her cry and the moms reply was good girls shouldnt wrestle anyway thats what she gets..Of course I heard that and quickly voiced my opinion and her views have now changed or at least around me..I do not see why ppl have made this about anyone being singled out all we are asking for is to get support so more girls can wrestle and so we can have a girls team and the boys can have their team..then all the religious reasons or touching reasons or personal reason can all be eliminated..if more ppl supported girls divison and did like McPherson and offer if enough entries a girls bracket then we would not be having this discussion..Lets face it no boy really wants to wrestle girls only so they can beat them and no girl really wants to only wrestle boys they are all there to WRESTLE...Its really an easy thing to solve Support girls division offer girls brackets and you will see that more girls will come out for the sport and the sport will grow giving everyone what they want Mat time and competition...To the EDISONS I dont know how you guys have fought this fight for as long as you have but I thank you for opening the doors for my daguther and other girls who love the sport of wrestling as much as the rest...

it's ok Cara our shoulders are broad and it doesn't upset me nearly as much as it used to...maybe we can rest this thread now for awhile...I have to get something done besides reading the forum...lol

ms. jenni

Agreed, Ms. Jenni.

A. Gonzalez

on themat.com college wrestling talk forum


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KingK0ng
Gold Member
OK, USA
Total Posts: 4076
Posted: 02/04/2009 at 06:38:43 am

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Oklahoma City’s men’s wrestling team will call on women’s team member Michaela Hutchison at 125 pounds at Neosho County tonight. OCU has had to forfeit that weight all season.
"It’s a 12-point swing,” coach Archie Randall said. "You have to get a fall someplace to make up for it. Our team will be wrestling its heart out, then you forfeit, it crushes momentum.”