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Fighting the norm // Inaugural girls' state wrestling finals hit mats at
McCaskey
Lancaster New Era; Feb 15, 1999; Dave Byrne;
It's been 50 years since a Pennsylvania state wrestling championship
tournament was held at McCaskey High School.
And the wrestlers in the McCaskey gym Sunday were noticeably different from
those who battled back in 1949.
These were girls.
Forty females made history Sunday in the first Pennsylvania girls' state
wrestling championships.
Ultimately, nine were crowned champions in their respective weight classes.
It was the first of what tournament organizer Jon Mitchell hopes will
be a long string of champions.
"It's a great place to start. A great place to grow from," said Mitchell,
the boys' varsity coach at McCaskey. "Most (importantly) of all, the girls
seemed to have a great time."
The talent and skill levels ran the gamut from novice to nationally-ranked,
but what any competitor may have lacked in technique, she more than
made up for in enthusiasm and effort.
Weighing in on the nationally-ranked side of the scale were Lisa Bisers of
Hampton and Beth Bolish of Mahanoy Area, the champions at 119
and 127 pounds.
Bisers, a four-time National Freestyle champion and currently ranked No. 2
in the nation, displayed a keen sense of mat awareness and
know-how with a first-period technical fall in the semis and a second-period
fall in the finals.
Bolish, the No. 1 girl in the nation at her weight, scored an impressive
technical fall in the finals over Shikellamy's Rebecca Hare, the
fifth-ranked
girl in the nation.
Bolish was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament.
Both Bisers and Bolish wrestle varsity for their respective high school
boys' teams, and both are experiencing success.
Bisers, a sophomore 112-pounder, is 14-10 with five falls this year, after a
freshman campaign that saw her go 3-19.
Bolish is 8-10 at 119 for the Bears and admitted to carrying the fire over
from a difficult loss last week.
"I had a little anger here today," she said.
She and Bisers both agree on the one thing that separates the girls from the
boys.
"Strength is the big thing," Bolish said. "Everybody says, "If you have
technique, you can win.' You need strength before you can think about
competing."
"Guys are so much stronger," Bisers said. "Over the summer, I lifted a lot
and once school started, I was in the weight room three or more times
a week."
They were not the only nationally-ranked girls to walk away with gold medals
on Sunday. A pair of local wrestlers won titles, too.
Manheim Township's Jess Heckman, seventh-ranked nationally, pinned her way
to the 100-pound title and Molly Albright of Conestoga Valley,
eighth-ranked nationally, rode a killer headlock to the 157-pound title.
For both Heckman and Albright, sibling rivalry sparked their interest.
"When I was little, I watched my brother (Andy) when he was starting out.
He'd try to beat up on me," said Albright, a senior at CV. "(Later)
My friend Jessica Guarini (who finished 4th at 127) started wrestling on the
boys' team. I practiced with her a little bit and I found out I knew
more than I thought I did."
Enough to whet her appetite and take her to Michigan for the girls' national
tournament last year.
Heckman caught the bug in fourth grade, watching her brother, Travis,
wrestle.
"My parents thought it would be a one-year thing," she said. "But it kept
going."
Her parents' support has seen her through three years on the Township frosh
team and this year as the Blue Streaks' starting 103-pounder.
On the other end of the scale is Lampeter-Strasburg's Katie Heil. Heil had
never even stepped on a wrestling mat before winning the
heavyweight title yesterday.
"Our (former) high school coach (Wayne Packer) looked at me and said, "You
know, you'd make a good wrestler,"' Heil said. "I figured this is
my chance to try it and see what it's like."
It wasn't easy. In the semis, Heil fell behind Warwick's Erica Reeder, 11-3,
but reversed her into a fall with seven seconds left in the second
period.
In the finals, trailing Solanco's Ashley Arkatin 5-4 in the third period,
Heil escaped and took Arkatin down to her back for the bout-clinching
fall.
"It's great! I love it!," Heil beamed, holding her plaque and bouquet of
flowers. "It's hard and it takes a lot, but it's fun."
Arkatin was one of six locals who finished second. Teammate Megan Heilenman
fell to Heckman. Tonda Nguyen of Garden Spot ran into
Rachel Gardner, one of two champions from Bellefonte, at 106.
CV's Rochelle Hershey lost to Bisers at 119 and L-S's Katie Steffy was short
work to Quigley's Sissy Lyle at 135.
Penn Manor's Wendy Witmer took time out from basketball and got to the
145-pound finals, but ran into Quaker Valley's Leigh Miller. Miller
won the trophy for the most falls in the least time, with three in 1:52.
Miller, Bisers and Lyle more than held up the reputation of wrestlers from
the western part of the state as did Gardner and teammate Sherry
Nolan for the north-centralers.
Six of the champions and seven runners-up are underclassmen, so will we see
them here next year?
"I'm pleased with the support I've received from the school district,"
Mitchell said. "With that support and a year to promote it, and because it
did run smoothly, the word-of-mouth is going to spread. Realistically, I
think we can double our numbers next year.
(1)Molly Albright controls Shippensburg's
Stephanie Marpoe in the 157-pound finals. (2)Lampeter-Strasburg's Katie Heil
locks up Solanco's Ashley Arkatin in the heavyweight finals. (3)Township's
Jess Heckman pins Megan Heilenman.; Credit: Tom Amico
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Girls pin hopes on wrestling match // Organizers want to open sport to more
females
The Patriot - News; Harrisburg, Pa.;
Feb 15, 1999; Frank Donnelly;
LANCASTER -- Standing side-by-side yesterday morning in the J.P. McCaskey
High School gymnasium, new acquaintances Bobbi Deskin
and Jessica Shaub are chatting each other up. Searching for common ground,
they talk about school and friends, their words punctuated with
nervous starts and laughter. Deskin gives Shaub a reassuring pat on the
shoulder; Shaub returns the compliment.
Two minutes later, Shaub is trying to bend Deskin's leg behind her back, and
250 people are shouting encouragement.
For six hours yesterday, 42 girls from around Pennsylvania applied
headlocks, leg whips and, in general, attempted to bend their opponents into
pretzels in the first-ever wrestling championships for high school girls in
this state.
`It was a lot harder than I thought,` a flushed Shaub said after defeating
Deskin of Red Lion in their 135-pound match, the first wrestling
competition for either girl. `I just wanted to challenge myself.`
`Win, lose or draw, they're having a ball,` said Flip Musser, whose daughter
Amanda Gochnaur, a junior at Warwick High School in Lititz,
Lancaster County, wrestled in the 106-pound category. `This is the only
opportunity they have.`
Because there are no official girls' high school wrestling programs in
Pennsylvania, girls who want to wrestle for their schools must compete with
boys. Pitting them against generally bigger, stronger and faster opponents
increases the injury factor for girls, many coaches say.
`It concerns me with boys wrestling girls,` said Jonathan Mitchell,
McCaskey's varsity wrestling coach and a main organizer of yesterday's
tournament, which was not sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic
Athletic Association. `The body types are very different. . . . Males
are more muscular and physically stronger in the upper body.`
Mitchell, who also coaches a girls' wrestling club in Lancaster, said he
hoped yesterday's championships would open up the sport for girls in
Pennsylvania.
`I believe in what wrestling does,` he said. `It fosters dedication,
responsibility, self-discipline and accountability.`
About 3,000 girls wrestled last year in high school and club teams in the
United States, said Gary Abbott, director of communications for
U.S.A. Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling.
Nearly a quarter of a million boys of the same age wrestle. Brookline,
Mass., is the only U.S. high school with an all-girl wrestling team, said
Abbott, adding that athletic associations in Michigan, Hawaii and Texas
sanction all-girl wrestling tournaments similar to yesterday's event.
`There are a whole bunch of girls at school that would like to wrestle,`
said Catie Shanbarger, 17, of Red Lion Area Senior High School, who
competed at 135 pounds. `They don't have the opportunity.` Wrestlers were
divided yesterday into 10 weight categories ranging from 100 to
235 pounds, said Mitchell. Many participants, such as Shanbarger, her
schoolmate Deskin and Shaub of Lampeter Strasburg High School, were
novices. Others had wrestled before.
What the girls lacked in technique they compensated for with enthusiasm and
tenacity. With only a few weeks -- or days -- of practice under
their belts, they dived at exposed legs and swiped away pawing hands like
combat-savvy veterans.
Shouts and exhortations echoed in the half-filled gym: `Take her down,
Jess`; `Pin her`; `Drive her, Lisa.` The spectators were mainly mothers,
fathers, siblings and boyfriends/coaches. Many captured the proceedings for
posterity with video cameras.
Deskin was disappointed after her loss to Shaub. But it was a
double-elimination tournament. She still had a chance to move up in the
standings
if she won her next match.
`This makes me strive to be better,` said Deskin, 16, whose blond hair is
pulled back in a French braid. `It's kind of hard to think of everything
when you're out there.`
Bethany Fish of Littlestown, Adams County, admits she entered the tournament
on a dare.
`Scary,` was the 17-year-old's assessment after dropping her opening
106-pound match. `It was really hard because I didn't have a girl to
practice with.`
But the defeat doesn't dampen the affection of her boyfriend, Eric Taylor, a
125-pound wrestler who doubles as her coach.
`I think it's great,` said Taylor, who spends most of the breaks working on
Fish's takedowns and holds. `It should be open for girls to wrestle
against girls.`
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ESJ'S FRESHMEN FEMALES HOLDING THEIR OWN GIRLS ACCEPTED ON BOYS' TEAM AS `WRESTLERS'
Times - Picayune; New Orleans, La.;
Jan 22, 1999; LORI LYONS River Parishes
With her teammates urging her to get mad and fight harder, [Michelle] McGhee
pushed, pulled, squirmed and even kicked, but,
try as she might, her face remained mushed against the padded mat on the
floor. Try as she might, McGhee could not escape
the clutches of Darnell Rixner.
And when it was over, and after she had caught her breath and smoothed her
tousled hair, McGhee could only talk about how
much fun she was having as a member of the East St. John wrestling team.
McGhee, along with fellow freshmen Jennifer Villeret and Melanie Maurin, are
gracing the Wildcats' wrestling team with their
presence this season, enduring the taunts and the curiosity, as well as the
wrestling holds, to prove a point. Wrestling is not
a male-only sport. Girls with pony tails and nail polish can do it, too.
Michelle McGhee was having a rough time.
The feisty East St. John freshman was giving it her all, trying every move
she could remember -- and even making up a few -- to try to overtake
her competitor.
But he was getting the best of her.
With her teammates urging her to get mad and fight harder, McGhee pushed,
pulled, squirmed and even kicked, but, try as she might, her face
remained mushed against the padded mat on the floor. Try as she might,
McGhee could not escape the clutches of Darnell Rixner.
And when it was over, and after she had caught her breath and smoothed her
tousled hair, McGhee could only talk about how much fun she
was having as a member of the East St. John wrestling team.
"I used to always do it with my brother and my sisters," she said. "Now I
just know how to do it gracefully."
McGhee, along with fellow freshmen Jennifer Villeret and Melanie Maurin, are
gracing the Wildcats' wrestling team with their presence this
season, enduring the taunts and the curiosity, as well as the wrestling
holds, to prove a point. Wrestling is not a male-only sport. Girls with pony
tails and nail polish can do it, too.
"I did all the girlified stuff like cheerleading and softball and stuff,"
McGhee said. "I thought wrestling would be kind of fun."
"These are not the type of girls that go to cooking classes and home ec,"
said Coach Dan Erwin, who said he welcomed the additions to his
team. "They've been out here from the very beginning, back in October."
It was McGhee who first approached Erwin in the halls of East St. John,
telling him she wanted to join the wrestling team. A few weeks later,
Villeret and Maurin joined.
"I like to watch wrestling on TV," Maurin said. "But the main reason I came
out was I was really looking for a challenge. A lot of people think
we can't do it. I just want to prove we can."
Said Erwin: "I knew they were serious, but I didn't think they would stay.
But after football when we really started working, they were there
every day. They only whined for a week or so -- like everybody else."
The other members of the East St. John wrestling team accepted their new
teammates with grace as well.
"I thought nothing of it," said junior Joshua Entremont.
Well, he did wonder what it was going to be like wrestling with a girl.
"At first, I thought I'd feel weird," he said. "But once you get out there
on the mat, there's no difference. You don't even think about it."
"The only special instruction I gave them was to consider them wrestlers,
not girls," said Erwin, who had experience coaching female wrestlers.
At Higgins, he coached Dawn Campiso, who, in 1993, was the first Metro Area
female to win a varsity wrestling match. "They have to make
the same moves we make."
Except for a few strange looks and some not-so-funny barbs at tournaments,
none of the East St. John female wrestlers report any problems on
the mat.
"Most of the other coaches are real supportive," Villeret said. "And most of
the guys are, too."
The hardest thing, it seems, was convincing their families that this was a
good idea. McGhee said she had to win over her mother. Villeret had to
woo her dad. Maurin said her family did not question her choice.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
COED WRESTLING IMMORAL
The Oregonian; Portland, Or.; Feb 13, 1997;
Coed wrestling immoral As young children we are taught that it is wrong for
boys to touch girls, or girls to touch boys, in certain places on their
bodies. Now, for the sake of an athletic sport, it's OK? ("Should girls
wrestle with boys in high school sports?" You Make the Call, Jan. 30.) I
think not!
In this time of multiple sexual harassment charges, I find it confusing to
tell a boy he should not pat a girl on the rear, or tell a girl not to pat a
boy
on the rear, because it can be considered sexual harassment. Yet it is OK to
get on a wrestling team and grab or hold onto any part of the body
of your opponent, even if they are of the opposite sex.
Equal opportunity is a great and just thing, but it must be dealt with with
common sense, not just a legal demand.
I am for girls wrestling, but they should have to wrestle other girls. Let
girls wrestle girls and boys wrestle boys. There is a difference between
the two, and even our lawmakers cannot change that.
I have two sons who wrestled, and I would never have allowed them to wrestle
a girl. Not because of ego or injury, but because it would be
morally incorrect. PATRICK M. McGANN Hillsboro
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SINGLET DESIRE DILLARD'S YVES VOLTAIRE HAS SHOWN SHE CAN WRESTLE AGAINST THE
BOYS - AND WIN.
Sun Sentinel; Fort Lauderdale
Jan 7, 1998; MICHELLE GARDNER
When Yves Voltaire asked Dillard wrestling coach Larry Barnswell about
trying out for his team almost four years ago, he didn't
take her seriously. He had a girl on the team the previous year, but she
lasted one day.
Voltaire left practice the first day with a black eye and a bloody nose.
Some wrestlers wrote notes to their coach objecting to
her participation. "I wasn't going to quit because I didn't want to give
them the satisfaction of running me off," said Voltaire, a
5-foot, 105-pound dynamo who competes in the lightest of 14 weight classes.
"It just made me more determined."
The boys weren't the only ones trying to discourage her. Barnswell admits he
was against the idea of girls wrestling and was
hoping Voltaire wouldn't last. After two weeks, he realized she wasn't going
to give up.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHEN GIRLS WRESTLE, AND BLOOD IS FEARED
Hartford Courant; Hartford;
Dec 31, 1997; Susan Campbell
If you haven't been to a school wrestling match lately, not much has
changed. The screams of the crowds still bounce off the walls, yet the
coaches' voices boom through, coaches who even in dress shirts and ties look
muscular, who sit at the mat yelling, "Pin! Pin!" and "Squeeze!
Squeeze!" so loudly that the wrestlers hear them.
Former wrestling champions still sit in the stands with the quiet intensity
of having been there, having known that sewing-machine leg tiredness
that comes over you in the third period -- if you and your opponent last
that long. When former wrestling champions say, "Pin, pin," they are
much quieter.
Families still save seats for one another, using windbreakers that advertise
local horse farms. Upon seeing their wrestler out there on the mat
"fighting" an unknown person, younger siblings still strain to throw
themselves into what they see is a rather serious- looking pig-pile that
threatens their kin.
Before their matches, wrestlers still psych themselves up offsides, away
from the crowd. They walk with fists clenched in front of them, rapidly
nodding their heads at some inner voice that's telling them, too, to "Pin!
Pin!" and "Squeeze! Squeeze!" That voice can be loud or quiet.
And the wrestlers still are sort of the unusual athletes at school, even
though wrestling itself is far older than, say, football or baseball.
But there are some changes worth noting. Girls wrestle now, and to be
honest, the crowds yell loudest at those matches. Some of that is nerves.
While we may buy Title IX, when it comes to actual hand-to-hand combat -- is
there another sport so basic in its lusty competition? -- do we
want the girls to be there? Yes, we do, and wrestlers named Stephanie and
Lisa are more than equal to the challenge. At one point, the
Stephanie on our team accidentally kneed her opponent and while the referee
called time so the boy could catch his breath, Stephanie walked
over to her coach, winced and said -- we're pretty sure, those of us who
could read lips -- "Sorry. I hurt him."
She looked truly sorry even though pain is part of wrestling, too, the part
unspoken by parents, the part reveled in by the hard-cores.
Consequently, due to the strain of holding opponents down against their
will, due to a quick and accidental hand to the face, there is the
occasional bloody nose.
This is not different from before, either, but here is another way that the
wrestling of today leaves the wrestling of old far behind. When someone
bleeds on the mat, one or both coaches rush over, don rubber gloves and open
up a large plastic bag that contains a kit that makes the removal
of the blood quick and sanitary and safe. These days, even though the people
in the stands may be calling for it, one doesn't literally want to
draw blood in a sports contest, for all the illnesses that could be
contained therein.
As un-holidaylike as it is, that's what is on my mind today. Mostly, I'm
thinking about the big things, that when we were young, dripping blood
on the mat was gross but not life-threatening. Drawing blood was the part of
sports that coaches spoke of only in the locker room, that was
hailed in cheers, yet was publicly discouraged by school principals.
Similarily, experimenting with sex before marriage was stupid, but rarely
fatal. The innocence we were allowed as kids has been lost forever to
our own kids. In third grade, a teacher taught my son to hand a bandage --
never apply it himself -- to a fallen playmate. Don't touch their blood,
she told him, and when he came home that night and showed me what he would
do if I cut my finger on a knife, I stood there not knowing what
to say. "Don't worry, honey, the world isn't that scary"? And if I said
that, would he one day let down his guard and that one day be his
Waterloo?
He doesn't know anything else. When the referee blew the whistle and the
coaches with their kits dropped to their knees to pay silent obeisance
to the end of a millennium, the kids kept yelling and the adults got really,
really quiet.
----------------------------------------
WRESTLING GENDER ISSUES / STEILACOOM HAS A PAIR OF GIRLS ON ITS TEAM; ONE IS WRESTLING WITH HER BROTHER FOR A SPOT ON THE VARSITY, AND WITH TRADITION FOR ACCEPTANCE
The News Tribune; Tacoma, Wa.;
Jan 9, 1997; Todd Milles;
While others grapple with the delicate handling of boy-meets-girl in high
school wrestling, James and Carrie Reed have each other to hold on to.
The Reeds, brother and sister, compete for the Steilacoom High wrestling
team. They fight for family bragging rights in the same weight class,
108 pounds.
James, a freshman, is on the varsity. Carrie, a junior, is right on his
heels.
"We've always competed in the same sports - basketball, baseball," Carrie
Reed said. "I've always been a big tomboy. I grew up with boys."
Carrie Reed and 122-pounder Kristin Gordon are on the Steilacoom roster this
season, giving the Sentinels a total of five female wrestlers since
the 1990-91 season.
Steilacoom wrestling coach Dale Davis says that's about average by today's
standards around the state.
"We are encouraging girls to wrestle," Davis said. "It's a way to save the
sport - for all the schools."
Girls started turning out for the high school sport in the mid-1980s. Though
the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association doesn't
recognize girls wrestling as a separate sport, that could change in the
future, executive director Mike Colbrese has said.
No girl has ever qualified for Mat Classic, the state championship meet.
That's not to say there aren't good female wrestlers. In fact, small
universities such as Central Washington and Simon Fraser have added female
wrestling teams in order "to protect the sport." Some colleges had planned
on canceling wrestling entirely, Davis said.
At the high school level, participation is growing. In fact, five girls at
Steilacoom approached Davis about wrestling this winter.
"Some girls are just curious. Some are out there just because of the boys,
but in a couple of weeks, those girls are gone," Davis said. "A lot of
parents are telling them to do it to learn self-defense. They really learn a
calm sense of security."
The biggest pitfall is the possibility of improper touching on the wrestling
mat. Davis is hesitant to teach his girls wrestling moves for "all it takes
is
an accusation and you're (fired)."
Said WIAA legal counsel John Olson: "Coaches really are scared."
Renee Paravecchio, a Tacoma attorney who specializes in sexual harassment,
said girls who have signed up for the sport have implicitly
welcomed touching within the context of the sport.
"The law of sexual harassment requires the plaintiff to prove a couple of
things. One, it has to be unwelcomed touching," Paravecchio said. "In
this case, if the wrestling student wants to wrestle and knows she'll be
touched by the boys, she welcomes it."
Unnecessary touching by wrestlers has occurred, however. Steilacoom
assistant coach David Rogers should know. His sister, Juanita Rogers,
was the school's first female wrestler during the 1990-91 season.
"At certain times, there was unnecessary grabbing on the mat," David Rogers
said. "We explained to her it might happen."
Other concerns merit consideration. At most wrestling invitationals, both
large locker rooms are reserved for the large number of boys. The few
girls are sent off to a separate bathroom.
Weigh-ins can present additional problems because boys and girls need to go
through the process separately. However, the logistics of locker
rooms and having proper scales can limit privacy, and Carrie Reed has felt
embarrassment over the situation at times this season.
Davis said WIAA rules are broken in regards to the "dress down" process
where meet officials inspect skin problems on the wrestlers. Boys are
required to wear one-piece swimsuits or jockey shorts. Girls, however, are
allowed to go through the process wearing sports bras and their
competition singlet.
Auburn High coach Scott Bliss installed a separate girls bracket for his
Auburn Invitational starting in 1993. More than 30 girls have competed in
that bracket the past two years. Schools such as Elma and
Marysville-Pilchuck have followed suit in tournaments.
Such consideration makes it what Carrie Reed likes - a fun sport.
"Kristin (Gordon) is out here to get in shape for gymnastics," Reed said.
"I'm out here to kick butt."
Reed has gone from doing managerial chores last year to junior varsity
wrestler this season. She has lost all of her five matches - four by pin or
technical fall - against boys from bigger schools.
James Reed has split his 10 varsity matches. One loss, however, was to a
girl from Rainier High in a tournament. She pinned the Steilacoom
freshman in the first round.
"She was buff," James Reed said.
Carrie Reed, meanwhile, is a girl on a mission.
"Before the match, (boys) will point at me and go, 'You?,'" Carrie Reed
said. "But they're all scared. They don't want to lose to a girl."
The Reed family has the
108-pound spot on the Steilacoom wrestling team sewed up. Freshman James
keeps junior Carrie on the JV.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Grappling with controversy/ Peyton's female wrestlers not letting naysayers
keep them from the mats
Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph
Feb 13, 1998; Tim Bergsten
PEYTON - Nova Manire loves a good wrestling move, especially when she's the
one delivering it.
But the reactions she receives when she informs people about her sport of
choice are the best moves to watch.
"The looks on their faces are indescribable," Manire said.
"Some people can't believe it, but most people think it is pretty cool."
Manire, senior at Peyton, and teammate Barb Zundel, a sophomore, will
compete at the Class 2A regional tournament Friday and Saturday in
La Junta.
Though many still question whether high school girls and boys should get
physical on the wrestling mat, Manire and Zundel are cool with it.
The obvious sexual stuff, the idea that they're too frail for such a
rough-and-tumble sport, that's for somebody else to worry about.
"Around here, there is one term for all of the wrestlers, and that is
'guys,'" Manire said.
"I'm not offended by it because that is basically what we are."
Peyton coach Ron Clang enjoys having Manire and Zundel on the team.
"They've been accepted as team members, not special team members," Clang
said. "They don't receive any more or any less attention than the
boys."
Manire, in her first season of wrestling, has a 6-10 record at 103 pounds.
Three of her wins are by forfeit. Three by pin.
Zundel, who has competed since eighth grade, is 6-12 with five forfeits at
112.
Both started wrestling in different ways. Manire joined after a teacher
suggested it.
"I was in a good mood and one of the teachers asked if I was going to
wrestle, so I did it," she said. "The more I thought about it, the more I
realized I was having fun."
Zundel impressed her half brother Matt Savage, a 130-pound Peyton wrestler
and likely state qualifier, in a living-room match one day.
"He said I should try out for the team," Zundel said. "So I talked to the
coach and he convinced me to try it."
But wrestling is still a touchy-feely sport. And inappropriate grabbing does
happen.
"A guy had Nova on her back and had his hand on her crotch for about 30
seconds," Clang said. "That made me a little uncomfortable."
"It happens," Manire said. "But that is what the cross-face (a wrestling
maneuver) is for. You just punch them and say you missed the
cross-face. Barb made a guy bleed one time."
"They do it and I'm just going to get madder and more determined," Zundel
said.
But those instances are rare. Plus, the girls know it's part of the game.
"It's not that much of a problem," Manire said. "It's a physical-contact
sport and you have to take it like everyone else."
Peyton's Monte Vawter is supportive of his female teammates. But he won't
wrestle them.
"I'm not against them wrestling, they're great people," Vawter said. "I just
don't feel comfortable wrestling them."
Some wrestlers in the area have refused to compete against Manire and
Zundel.
"There is a big difference from last year to this year," Zundel said.
"A few schools last year wouldn't wrestle me. But this year, they accepted
me and wrestled me."
They're having fun, but they're serious. Zundel, who can almost bench press
her own body weight, has high goals.
"I want to someday make it to state," she said.
@QUOTE: "They've been accepted as team members, not special team members."
Ron Clang, Peyton wrestling coach
"Around here, there is one term
for all of the wrestlers, and that is 'guys.'" said Peyton 103-pound
wrestler
Nova Manire, pulling back her hair during practice.; Caption: Peyton
wrestler Nova Manire cradles teammate Barb Zundel, front, at practice
Wednesday.
Manire has three wins by pin this season.; Caption: Barb Zundel, left,
carries Nova Manire around the gym at a recent Peyton wrestling practice
alongside
teammates Jason Silva (bottom) and Ben Taylor.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUR OPINIONS: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Florida Today; Melbourne; Mar 9, 1999;
Daughter will keepon wrestling
By Charles Siple
Rockledge
Why is it so bad for girls to be wrestling? I am the father of a young lady
who wrestles on the boys' wrestling team for Rockledge High School. I
have never stopped her from doing anything which would not harm her
physically, mentally or spiritually.
Why does she wrestle? She enjoys the competition. Why does she wrestle
against the boys? There is not a girls' team. Is she at a disadvantage?
Most of the time. Will she wrestle again next year even if they do not form
a girls' team? Definitely.
Yes, I can understand there may be compromising positions. However, I assure
you that if a girl is a good enough athlete to even think about
competing against the boys and the boy is thinking about anything other than
wrestling, he will give up points or he will get pinned. And as far as
the male ego thing, I don't understand. There should be no shame in saying,
"I lost to a better athlete." Also forget the idea that if he wins he is a
bully because if she is competing she expects to win some and lose some, and
when she loses she says, "I lost to a better athlete." She doesn't
whine and say, "He beat me up."
My daughter sees this as an opportunity for her to prove that she can
accomplish something that other girls won't. She will continue to wrestle
and will continue to improve her physical health as a result of it. Oh, by
the way, her older brother, who also wrestles, as well as her mother and
I will back her all the way.
