Two girls advance to Iowa HS wrestling tourny

[isugcs]

I'm listening to Gary Rima's sports radio show up here in Cedar Falls and the discussion topic is the two girls who made it to the tourny for the first time in state history. The girls both made it in 112 weight class, one's from Cedar Falls and one's from Ottumwa. And as if on cue, some mouth-breather from small town Iowa calls in to say he "doesn't think it's right for girls to wrestle because we shouldn't teach boys to handle girls like that." Then he goes on to say he "knows a kid in the state tourny that will forefit the match if he has to face a girl."

This sediment makes me so irritated. Wrestlers like to say how it's the ultimate sport. If that's so, then why would they want to back down from any competition? I hope one of these girls win the weight class.

 

[cycfan1]

So if I liked volleyball as a kid, I should have been given the right to play that?

I know there is a double standard between guys and girls sports, but leave guys sports for guys and girls for girls.

 

[BCforISU]

So if I liked volleyball as a kid, I should have been given the right to play that?

I know there is a double standard between guys and girls sports, but leave guys sports for guys and girls for girls.

Yep, they should stay in the kitchen and not compete with guys, even though they wrestled their way to state by beating boys. And yes, if you liked volleyball, you could have found a men's league and played in high school. They don't really have girls wrestling in high school. So the only way for them to wrestle, is against boys.

 

[cyclone1306]

This is going to upset some people but I guess its my honest feeling. I wrestled a girl twice in high school. I was a sophomore and she was a Senior. It was hard knowing I was going to have to wrestle a girl... the entire school came out because of it. I saw people there that I never went to a meet before and never went after. Its an uncomfortable situation to put a guy in especially at that age. They have womens wrestling and I think they should stick to that. its very awkward for the male in that situation. Should they be able to wrestle absolutely.... I commend them for it as I think its the best sport ever... but they should be wrestling other women. I often think its funny that its ok to let a female compete in a males sport against males but it wouldnt even be considered in the opposite situation. Im super happy they are wrestling but feel for the males they are competing against.

 

[theshadow]

Yep, they should stay in the kitchen and not compete with guys, even though they wrestled their way to state by beating boys. And yes, if you liked volleyball, you could have found a men's league and played in high school. They don't really have girls wrestling in high school. So the only way for them to wrestle, is against boys.

Directly from the IHSAA:

"State rules allow female students to participate in a boys sport when their school does not offer a comparable sport."

 

[Wesley]

This is going to upset some people but I guess its my honest feeling. I wrestled a girl twice in high school. I was a sophomore and she was a Senior. It was hard knowing I was going to have to wrestle a girl... the entire school came out because of it. I saw people there that I never went to a meet before and never went after. Its an uncomfortable situation to put a guy in especially at that age. They have womens wrestling and I think they should stick to that. its very awkward for the male in that situation. Should they be able to wrestle absolutely.... I commend them for it as I think its the best sport ever... but they should be wrestling other women. I often think its funny that its ok to let a female compete in a males sport against males but it wouldnt even be considered in the opposite situation. Im super happy they are wrestling but feel for the males they are competing against.

Did you kick butt or did you go soft?

 

[DeereClone]

Yep, they should stay in the kitchen and not compete with guys, even though they wrestled their way to state by beating boys. And yes, if you liked volleyball, you could have found a men's league and played in high school. They don't really have girls wrestling in high school. So the only way for them to wrestle, is against boys.

Do they have boys volleyball?

I could see this being very uncomfortable for the guys wrestling these girls, definately not a position I'd like to be put in.

All debate aside, congrats to the girls for earning a spot at state wrestling.

 

[vortex]

I believe girls/women have the right to wrestle if they choose to do so. I also believe there are physical differences between males and females that make male athletes superior in almost every sport. Aside from certain gymnastic events are there any other sports in which females could be competitive with males? I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

 

[cyson]

I believe girls/women have the right to wrestle if they choose to do so. I also believe there are physical differences between males and females that make male athletes superior in almost every sport. Aside from certain gymnastic events are there any other sports in which females could be competitive with males? I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

The girl from Ottumwa, Megan Black has been wrestling since age five. By all reports she's a fabulous kid who has worked hard for everything she' s earned. Get used to hearing about her, only a sophomore.

 

[CYVADER]

agree with 1306-i had to wrestle a girl in jr high, and it was awkward. i felt the need to completely change my style. first off, i didn't know whether she was any good or not, so going in i'm thinking-this sucks-she's either gonna suck and i'm gonna beat the **** out of a girl which would probably be looked down upon, or she's gonna be really good and maybe beat me and i'd be ridiculed forever for it.

i ended up tech falling her by taking her down and letting her back up. i was not going to try to turn her to her back because as a jr high boy, i didn't find that appropriate. it was brutal. i felt bad for beating her, but what do you do??

that said, i'm doubting these girls get techd very often if they are good enough to make state, albeit at a lighter weight. impressed that they qualified.

i don't get the forfeit comment, i think you have to go out and do what you have to do, but to me it is so uncomfortable it's a little unfair to the boy. he's not focusing soley on what needs to be done to win i will guarantee that.

 

[ameshammer]

gross

 

[Three4Cy]

They are wrestling at the lowest weight class, which is hard for many guys to maintain that weight level. One of my best friends in high school wrestled at this weight class, it was difficult for him to maintain weight because he was still growing. He was always cutting weight, and often in very unsafe ways. Most girls have reached their full height by age 15, where as boys are 16-17.

 

[CYVADER]

They are wrestling at the lowest weight class, which is hard for many guys to maintain that weight level. One of my best friends in high school wrestled at this weight class, it was difficult for him to maintain weight because he was still growing. He was always cutting weight, and often in very unsafe ways. Most girls have reached their full height by age 15, where as boys are 16-17.

it's not the lowest weight class. that would be 103. 112 is 2nd lowest, but most good teams have at least 1 decent option at that weight.

now you don't see many jrs and srs at these weights and those you do are usually dominant, but lots of freshman and sophomores can easily wrestle here. i was a 112 pounder as a freshman, 119 as a sophomore, and 145 160 as a jr and sr.

 

[ItsCyence]

I was talking to a former wrestler in class today and he said he had to wrestle 2 girls in 8th grade. He beat them both but he said it was the worst he felt after a win. He is also one of the guys that likes to win and doesn't care who he beats.

 

[CY22]

Luckily I wrestled at a heavier weight in HS and never had to wrestle a girl (wouldn't want to go against one in the 171 or 189 weight classes), but one of my teammates had to wrestle a girl at a tournament in the 112 class. Sadly for him, she pinned him. I say "sadly for him" not because I think he should've won but because of all the ridicule and agony he got for losing to her. As a wrestler, I think she was good and deserved to win. But from another perspective I see a lose-lose situation for him and a win-win for her, not exactly what we call ideal.

Lose-lose for him, because everyone expects him to win so if he doesn't, that's a loss. Plus, he is putting his dignity and reputation on the line, because if he loses he gets harassed for "losing to a girl" in a "man's sport." Win-win for her because, if she wins the match obviously big score for her, lose and she measures up to everyone's assumption she'd lose, so no giant blow to her dignity although some. I'm sure she has gone on to bigger and better things, but for him he hasn't been the same since.

I know he shouldn't let it get to him, he should've "risen above" all the harassment and been bigger than that. But in all respect he shouldn't have been in that position to begin with (wrestling her or being pinned). I'm all for women wrestling, but it's nothing but a lose-lose situation for all sides. I would love to see women HS wrestling teams pop up around the state, but I just don't see it happening. If she wants to wrestle, fine, but a guy should be able to choose not to wrestle her without any consequences if he chooses. And should he choose to wrestle her...may the best wrestler win, whether it's a man or woman.

 

[CycloneGB]

Speaking from personal experience, wrestling a girl is very awkward and it is almost impossible to concentrate on doing what you have to do to win. The hard part is leading up to the match and all your buddies are taking jabs like "better not lose to a girl" and things like that. Everybody in the crowd wants to watch a girl wrestle so all eyes are on you analyzing every move. Then there is the whole deal about trying to decide how to wrestle her. Go all-out and look like a *****, or lay off and just get the win, without even knowing how good she is.

It is just an awkward situation all around and, like a previous poster said, pretty much a lose-lose. My situation sort of worked itself out. I wrestled at 160 so I was really surprised when I saw the lineup with a girl at my weight. The girl I wrestled was pretty hefty and acted pretty manly. She came out and tried to be tough with me so I could justify going a little harder. Even so, I heel-picked her at one point which sent her into a little bit of a rough tumble and some people actually started booing.. I ended up tech falling her but it was definitely a really tough spot to be in.

 

[cyclonefreak5]

Wt Class: 112
9 Colby Knight, Urbandale SO 36- 2
Colin Strickland, Southeast Polk SO 25- 9

10 Spencer Derifield, Waverly-Shell Rock FR 30- 11
Jayden Flege, Prairie Cedar Rapids SO 29- 13

11 Jordan Jones, Des Moines North/Hoover SR 39- 2
Matt Birnbaum, Fort Dodge SR 28- 5

12 Ernest Willis, Iowa City West JR 22- 6
Tyler Willers, Pleasant Valley JR 44- 6

13 Matt Victor, Indianola SO 33- 10
Sam Jameson, Glenwood SO 23- 11

14 Joel Northrup, Linn-Mar Marion SO 35- 4
Cassy Herkelman, Cedar Falls FR 20- 13

15 Andres Gonzalez, Mason City FR 25- 7
Jake Agnitsch, Ames SR 32- 5

16 Logan Ryan, Bettendorf FR 26- 7
Megan Black, Ottumwa SO 25- 13

1st Round Bouts

One is a Freshman and the other is a Sophomore... Both are in the bottom half of the bracket, so it would be pretty cool to see them face off against each other.

 

[burn587]

I'm listening to Gary Rima's sports radio show up here in Cedar Falls and the discussion topic is the two girls who made it to the tourny for the first time in state history. The girls both made it in 112 weight class, one's from Cedar Falls and one's from Ottumwa. And as if on cue, some mouth-breather from small town Iowa calls in to say he "doesn't think it's right for girls to wrestle because we shouldn't teach boys to handle girls like that." Then he goes on to say he "knows a kid in the state tourny that will forefit the match if he has to face a girl."

This sediment makes me so irritated. Wrestlers like to say how it's the ultimate sport. If that's so, then why would they want to back down from any competition? I hope one of these girls win the weight class.

Damn limestone leaving its glacial sediment everywhere.

 

[Cyballz]

 

[vortex]

What are the chances a girl would ever win a state title in Iowa in wrestling? It would have to be 112 right? I just don't see how a female could beat the best male wrestlers in any weight class, especially the heavier weights. Any male vs female team sport would not be a contest.