High school wrestler defaults rather than face girl

[Old Sweater]

Cassy, who won 20 matches this year without receiving a default, said she respects Northrup's decision, and harbors no ill will.

A wrestler for eight years, Cassy has overcome a broken collar bone and numerous bloody noses. That, her father said, proved she needs no protection from the sport's violent aspects.

"She didn't ask for the forfeit; she's not asking for any special treatment," Bill Herkelman said. "(The win) will, probably, have an asterisk. I know she'd have rather wrestled him."

Well, that answers that. She won all 20 fair and square.

Alaska native Michaela Hutchison can relate to Herkelman's journey and Northrup's difficult decision.

Hutchison became the first girl to win a high school state wrestling championship against boys in 2006. She said she heard about Herkelman story while listening to the radio and understands the perspective of Northrup, who opted to default rather than compete.

"He has rights, too," Hutchison said. "When I'm wrestling, I don't think about it being a girl and a boy, but he may not think that. That may not have been the way he was raised."

Hutchison, a national women's wrestling runner-up this season with Oklahoma City University, became the focus of a national story when she won her championship.

She didn't see the victory as a statement on gender issues, however. Hutchison was more interested in emulating older brother Eli, a four-time Alaskan champ now wrestling at Boise State.

"I could have cared less about being the first girl," she said. "I just wanted to follow in my brother's footsteps."

This really, really surprises me. Alaska isn't noted for wrestling like Iowa but hats off to a girl for winning state at the HS level.

[AxeGrappler]

As a high school wrestling coach in Oregon, I see this all the time. Women's wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country right now. There are tons of girls participating in our state, but unfortunately not enough (yet) to field seperate mens and womens teams. Our state, as of three years ago, hosts a girls state tournament, the championship matches of which are held during the guys state tournament. Before they started the girls tournament, we had two girls place at state, one 3rd and one 8th, but they were participating at the smaller weights (112 lbs and 103 lbs). I have never seen any girls who had the strength to realistically compete at higher weights. There are 16 college womens wrestling teams in the US and the USA fielded its first womens Olympic wrestling team in 2000 (and collected a medal too!). There are womens national and world championships held every year.

Around here, coaches are smart about not putting their female athletes into a situation where there would be extra risk of serious injury, otherwise it is pretty much accepted that if they have the guts to get on the mat, then so be it. Most of the time they get the crap beat out of them. Whenever possible, teams match up their female wrestlers.

Ideally, I think everyone in our sport would prefer to have seperate male and female teams, leagues and championship tournaments. Unfortunately, there isn't enough female participation as of yet, but eventually it will happen.

[Old Sweater]

As a high school wrestling coach in Oregon

I take it as most coaches nowdays, you grappled in HS and didn't have the problem of facing any girls on the mat. The thing I have against it is it is a no win situation for the boys. You win against the girl, big deal, you lose and it creates a lot of peer pressure and harassment for the boy at his school.

---------- Post added at 05:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:24 AM ----------

If you take the times of any HS or college track meet of men and women and divide them up for percentages, the track events are about 10% better for the men and the field events are about 13%, if I remember right. I had done this a few times and will do so in the future to get a rough estimation on how much PED's can help a pro athlete. It is also crazy to think PED's can give a man a boost of over 2%(IMO) over other top(slugger) men, or to think that if a women could gain roughly 10% to match up equal with men in any event or sport. It is also why I think it is crazy for baseball fans not to think that it was 98% Bonds if he was juiced.