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Here is a tournament in Texas for Girls.Plan to be there.
: Caprock High School Girls Wrestling Tournament
Date: January 8, 2000
Where: Caprock High School
3001 East 34th Amarillo, Texas 79103Contact: Scott Tankersley
Cumberland College in Williamsburg KY is looking for female wrestlers to start a serious Women's wrestling program. Athletic Scholarships are available.
Please contact Coach Jess Wilder for more information at (606) 539-4051
Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo. is offering women's wrestling on the varsity level beginning with the fall semester of 1999.
It is believed there are only two other colleges or universities in the United States featuring women's wrestling and this is a unique and ambitious step for MVC which has one of the best known men's wrestling programs within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Recruiting for next year's women's squad is already underway with attractive scholarships being offered to prospects for this sport from coast to coast.
Mike Machholz, Missouri Valley's head wrestling coach whose Viking matmen in the last four years have wired together back-to-back NAIA National championships along with a runner-up and a fifth place finish, will direct both the men's and women's programs in 1999-2000.
"We are very excited about the addition of women's wrestling to our sports curricula. By expanding with this program we expect to enhance the rich wrestling tradition we have maintained over the years," Coach Machholz explained. The MVC head mentor continued, "We are an opportunity institution and we want to provide a springboard for women's wrestling which is strong in Canada, some northern and eastern states, Hawaii, and in several European countries."
"Some will ask why get involved in a pioneer effort to bring women's wrestling to the forefront? You really need to see the determination in these women athletes to get the true answer," Coach Machholz emphasized.
The limited number of girls involved in high school wrestling seldom have their own matches whereas in the intercollegiate wrestling program being offered at Missouri Valley they will have a separate program with a thorough opportunity to excel in freestyle competition with their own gender.
"Wrestling is the world's oldest sport and is a true test of an individual's self-worth. These women wrestlers will surprise you with their talent and desire to compete on an intercollegiate level," Coach Machholz said.
"Much of the world is ahead of the USA in established wrestling programs for women but the athletes in this country are doing very well in spite of the lack of organized programs. There is considerable talk of women's wrestling becoming an Olympic sport in 2004. Hopefully, some of our MVC athletes will be able to sharpen their techniques to help lead the USA team when that time comes," Coach Machholz added.
Scholarship assistance is now available for qualified individuals in wrestling. In addition, a graduate assistant coach position is open. All inquiries should be directed to Missouri Valley College, Head Wrestliag Coach, 500 East College Street, Marshall, Missouri, 65340 or call (660)831-4119.
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Cyclone wrestling notes
By Susan Harman
Ames Tribune Sports Editor
Redshirts
Douglas said that, in addition to Hynek, the following wrestlers would be redshirted: Billy Maldonado (149) , Todd Buckland (157), Nate Bagbey, Solomon Hughes (125), Lucas Kluever (Hwt).
Lineup
With only the first wrestle-offs completed Iowa State’s lineup would be the following: 125--Jesse West, 133--Cody Sanderson, 141--Benjie Winegarden or Tim Bradley, 149--Cole Sanderson, Frank Kisley and Jimmie Rodgers, 157--David Maldonado, 165--Joe Heskett, 174--Ben Perkins, 184--Cael Sanderson, 197--Matt Patitz or Zach Thompson, Hwt--Mark Knauer, Brody Kellogg or Corey Stevenson.
Women on board
Two women are wrestling with the team. Dominique Smalley of Iowa City, who wrestled at Iowa City High, and Emily Wolline of Ames, a newcomer. They are the first women to wrestle at ISU.
Smalley, a sophomore from Iowa City, arrived first. A member of the U.S. women’s national team, Smalley e-mailed Douglas asking if she could join the team so she’d have a place to train. Douglas said she would be welcome.
Wolline, a freshman from Ames who had no wrestling experience, then heard about Smalley and asked if she could take part in the workouts.
‘‘She is interested in competing at the international level and so is Dominique,’’ Douglas said. ‘‘They don’t have a place to train. One of the problems women have is coaches that are willing to train them. So we opened the door.’’
Douglas said Smalley has ‘‘done an outstanding job’’ in the conditioning sessions and Wolline was ‘‘hanging in there.’’
‘‘It’s very difficult for the females physically to stay with the program,’’ he said.
Douglas predicted that women’s wrestling might be a medal sport by the 2004 Olympics.
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Her opponent pins her shoulders against the mat; the referee counts, "1, 2, 3," and slaps his hand down, signifying the end of the match. No, this is not a scene from the Glorious Ladies of Wrestling, this is varsity high school wrestling and girls all over the country are turning in their cheerleading skirts for singlets. There is no doubt that female wrestling is gaining popularity in high schools. According to the National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations, 1,629 girls competed on high school wrestling teams in the United States last year. In 1990, there were only 112 female wrestlers.
Although many high schools across the nation have created female wrestling teams, in many school districts there are still not enough female athletes to have a regular season. The girls often end up competing against the same athletes over and over throughout the season, or they end up competing on the boys' teams. The girls don't seem to mind though, especially with more and more schools creating all-girl wrestling teams. In Texas, female wrestlers were not permitted to wrestle against boys so they created their own league, the Texas Interscholastic Girls Wrestling Association.
In Arlington, Texas, the local school district is equally funding both boys and girls wrestling. With Title IX requiring equal funding for female and male sports, funding for wrestling lies in danger of being cut. Creating female wrestling teams may be a way for the sport of wrestling to survive. Call it evolution, call it a manifestation of feminism or consider it just a matter of time before all sports are played by both men and women. Whatever the case, in a few years, it may be these young girls who are representing the United States and competing against women from all over the world for an Olympic gold medal in wrestling.
