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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Luke Moore added to this discussion on February 23, 2020
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I have to admit that I have been reluctant to get real excited about girls wrestling and its growth. I know it is a great opportunity, but for some reason, I have not been "all in".
I have to tell you all this...I was dead wrong. After working with our lone female wrestler this year, and then going to the state tourney today, I am a HUGE fan. These girls showed me a lot and it was a truly special event.
If you were not able to attend, I cannot explain the passion, intensity, sportsmanship and fun that I witnessed. Those girls were good and I know know that it will continue to grow and get better.
Kudos to all the coaches, directors, fans and especially girls who have paved the path for years to come!
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Scott Nicola added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Great event. Outstanding wrestling from the semifinals on. Very high level of intensity and physical wrestling. I will post more impressions when I get home from work.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Guy Trinetti added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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I think this is great for the sport and the girls. Now that the girls have competed in their state tournament, should they still be allowed to compete in the state tournament process as it is now?
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Luke: I wasn't reluctant to get excited, but I will say that what I figured was going to happen - happened. The sport of wrestling is FANTASTIC. And now we have a new market of individuals who will benefit from it.
A few points...
The high school gym setting was PERFECT for this year. As the numbers grow, the venue will need to change. My only hope is that they change in relation to the crowd. (No need to jump right to the Schott.) I mentioned the next step could be OHST's Covelli Center. I did love the teams down next to the mat. Absolutely legit! Such fire and passion.
I also LOVED being able to attend this state tournament so keeping it on the same day in relation to league/sectionals would be ideal.
Guy T.: You ask a fair question. I think as it stands now, they shouldn't. I'm unsure of the current ruling for this year though. It could be that they are allowed now, but when the OHSAA takes over, that will signify the end of such a practice.
Ultimately, I heard the coaches screaming the same things I hear at boys' events. I saw the same thrill of victory that I see at boys' events. And sadly, I saw that same agony of defeat that I see at boys' tournaments. (That darned hallway is BRUTAL.)
As I left the event, I couldn't help but think that somewhere in the crowd was a ten-year-old girl who had a spark ignited within her that will play out over the next decade and culminate at a Girls State Championship. That's what this sport does.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Gary Lusson added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Mark--Great post,especially the last paragraph. I have no doubt that that girl WAS there!
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Shawn Andrews added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Absolutely loved the event and the season, it's never good when you return to work on Monday and people point out how tired you look.......
It is the reminder that coaching wrestling is 2nd only to actual wrestling when it comes to emotional energy expenditure. The highs and lows yesterday were equal to any other event I have coached in. So many individuals need to be aklowdeged for thier contribution. When this started last March the goal was to have it feel as much like the boys state tournament as possible. From my perspective I think we reached that goal!
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Quote from Guy Trinetti's post:
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"I think this is great for the sport and the girls. Now that the girls have competed in their state tournament, should they still be allowed to compete in the state tournament process as it is now?"
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i imagine they could have, Guy, if they were a starter on the Boys team and had not entered girls state. Same situation in Ohio as in PA.
i'm doing an article in Am Wr News on Parkland PA and how they are fostering girls in the sport. 11 girls on the Parkland team. This is Lehigh Valley we are talking, as serious as it gets in hs wrestling. Easton has 5 girls. They practice with the boys.
Excerpt:
“We work hard," a junior girl on the Parkland boys team at 113 MacKenzie DelVecchio said. "We push each other. We support each other. I think we’re going to stick together.” No, MacKenzie wasn’t talking about gymnastics, volleyball or softball, rather it was wrestling.
As reported by Tom Housenick in The Morning Call, Parkland high school under the leadership of head coach Jon Trenge and his assistants Kasey Kruczek and Brooke Zuma have embarked on an ambitious agenda. Let’s have as many wrestlers as want to participate on the team regardless of their level of commitment, no one gets cut.
They are separated only by gender and level of commitment in practice, but they all practice together and are on the same team. There is a high level of intensity for those, boys or girls, seeking to be one of the 14 starters.
Eleven Girls On The Team
"We finished the season with 50 people and 11 of them are girls.” Impressive numbers for first year head coach Trenge a teacher at the high school, who was 3x All-American, NCAA runnerup at Lehigh.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Ethan Moore added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Why not make it a 4th division and wrestle at the Schott with the fellas?
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Jim Behrens added to this discussion on February 24, 2020
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Quote from Ethan Moore's post:
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"Why not make it a 4th division and wrestle at the Schott with the fellas?"
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Maybe a better idea, make the boys into 2 divisions (which the numbers support anyway) and have the ladies be the third division.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on February 25, 2020
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A young lady from NC just won the boys state tournament. Major Decision in the finals (11-3).
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on February 25, 2020
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Quote from Ethan Moore's post:
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"Why not make it a 4th division and wrestle at the Schott with the fellas?"
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Point of note: At this point, the girls have access to undivided attention. Lumping the boys and girls together will split the attention. Neither pro nor con per se, just an observation.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Brian Nicola added to this discussion on February 25, 2020
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Long post. Apologies. (tldr: coaching girls is powerful)
It has taken me a few days to process the events of the first OHSWCA Girls State Wrestling tournament. The very first time I met with our girls, I asked them to trust me, that they could actually wrestle. The second thing I said was that we had two initiatives: the GOAL was to win the state title and the MISSION was to grow girls wrestling. At times, the mission took priority, and that led to extra pressure in the home stretch. But it was necessary.
There is a fair amount of head scratching when people find out about my drive for girls wrestling. After all, I have two sons, both of who find their passion away from the mat. Like many, I never coached a girl, in fact, was quite salty about women's sports, in general, as the misapplication of Title IX by the University of Dayton cost my college program its very future. In 2001, Mandy Morgan took the mat for my West Cowboys, and within a few years we had girls All-Americans and a regular group that fell in love with the sport. Unfortunately, polished technique often gets trumped by power, and high school males have the latter in spades. For years, I watched talented girls get their damn arms ripped off and I just couldn’t grasp why we weren’t split.
Years later, in 2008, I landed at Orange. I tried to recruit a few girls, but had a lukewarm response. Sydney Sijan joined our team in 2014, but other than her, none for years. I retired in 2015 and forgot all about coaching. I didn’t even miss it after the first year, to be honest.
In January of 2019, I heard rumblings of OHSWCA “running a tournament”. But what did that even mean? With full support of our Head Coach Scott Tressler, we had a meeting (seven showed). We knew that nationally-ranked Taryn Martin was on the boys side, but she was trying to shrink herself down to 113 to balance the strength inconsistencies. Taryn was a valuable ally in adding the girls team.
Sunday open mats (“Wrestling 101”) started immediately, with five girls. Every week got stronger, especially after we enlisted Vanessa Oswalt to help, first as just an ally, but by the end of the summer she had fallen in love with the girls on the team and their effort. She came on as a part-time coach, along with her coaching job at her alma mater, Mount Vernon. Years before, I had met Oswalt through my West girls. In fact, Michael Lybarger and John Brown ran a girls team at Mount Vernon in the early 2000s (that also included Grove City assistant Renay Bakely).
That five grew all summer and through the fall. Our last workout had 26 Orange girls, but a week later just 18 showed up. We only lost one, but added four more in December. And that number stuck. I’ve coached a long time, and that is unheard of for turnover.
We finished state runner-up on Sunday, losing to an excellent and well-prepared Miami East team (who have their own powerful story to tell). The event was amazing and the energy and hype was palpable. The girls were crushed, which is both a testament to their expectations and their pride in themselves. On the podium was state champ Taryn Martin, who trusted us enough to join her first girls team and become the leader she was capable of. 3rd place Anna Grabau, who chose wrestling over her basketball career, where she led the team on the hardcourt for years. Anna trusted us. 4th place Noel Frye, from a family of track stars...and one in her own right...trying to forge her own path. 6th placer Lexi Simmons, cut and bruised, just off a concussion as she grinded out a podium spot in a loaded weight. Aida Walters (6th) had a goal to win one match THE WHOLE YEAR, but she upset numerous seeds to place in her first organized sport. Ever. And lastly, Alayna Smith, third on our depth chart all year, with wins and upsets to place before she heads off this summer to serve our country.
And those who didn’t accomplish their goals. Heart breaking. Except they did accomplish much, they paved the way. Among those exiting the program as seniors:
A 126 who is one of the hardest workers in the room, male or female.
A service minded 121 with a big heart and sick scrambling
A classically trained 106 singer who everyone told was “too small” to play a sport. Wrong. Badass.
A Spanish exchange student at 131 with a nasty headlock throw.
A future cop who cut to make 101 and fill a needed gap.
For a long time, coaching sucked the joy from the sport. I lost my way because sometimes I forgot about what it really does for the wrestler. These girls reminded me.
Across Central Ohio and the state, coaches and wrestlers are figuring out how to add a girls team next year. OHSAA will meet this spring to decide on the sanctioning timeline, with a WHEN, not an IF.
I’ve cried only a few times in my twenty years coaching (up until this weekend, that is). But I wasn’t alone. Emotion was strong, and I can’t wait to get these girls back on the mat and work to get better. I’m so glad they trusted their hearts and tried something new, and they’ll have this forever.
Yesterday, about ten girls came up to me and asked if “it was too late to join for next season”.
No, it’s not.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
John Herren added to this discussion on February 26, 2020
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Brian, great post. I was there all weekend and felt the energy. It was amazing.
I believe there were a number of girls that are national level wrestlers present. Other than Olivia Shore, Leilah Castro, and Taryn Martin it was my first time seeing these girls.
126 - Joise Davis (Sidney) - Wow! the definition of vicious. She was awesome to watch.
131 - Kaileigh Nuessgen (Beavercreek) - very impressive tournament. She handled the #1 and #2 seed to win the title. Great riding legs. I've seen her a number of times wrestling boys so it was great to see her in a fair fight.
111- Liz Matis (Parma) i think is a great wrestler. Olivia Shore was on a mission in the finals and put it on Liz. I suspect she is one of the best but ran into the best wrestler in the tournament.
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on February 26, 2020
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Discussion Topic: Girls State Tournament
Scott Nicola added to this discussion on February 27, 2020
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Quote from John Herren's post:
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"Brian, great post. I was there all weekend and felt the energy. It was amazing.
I believe there were a number of girls that are national level wrestlers present. Other than Olivia Shore, Leilah Castro, and Taryn Martin it was my first time seeing these girls.
126 - Joise Davis (Sidney) - Wow! the definition of vicious. She was awesome to watch.
131 - Kaileigh Nuessgen (Beavercreek) - very impressive tournament. She handled the #1 and #2 seed to win the title. Great riding legs. I've seen her a number of times wrestling boys so it was great to see her in a fair fight.
111- Liz Matis (Parma) i think is a great wrestler. Olivia Shore was on a mission in the finals and put it on Liz. I suspect she is one of the best but ran into the best wrestler in the tournament."
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131 was my favorite finals match. Classic contrast in styles. Both girls were ready to rumble but Nuessgen slowed her down with the 2 on 1 and picked her spots. Her poise and conditioning were incredibly impressive. Castro is a stud and has college level technique right now. Shore is a great talent with a lot of weapons in her arsenal including both great fundamentals and big moves. Martin took on all comers this year moving up during the season and beating the eventual state champs at 143,150 and 160. This was my first time seeing Josie Davis as well and GEEZ that was a nasty chin whip! I was impressed with the 101 champ Snyder's win over the Banyas who is also very tough. I think Snyder's riding ability made the difference. Olivia Daniels from Malvern is a stud. My Brother told me she won 20 matches against male 195's during the season and I found that hard to believe until I saw her wrestler this weekend. I am not sure her plans for after high school but I suspect a lot of college coaches will come knocking because she could develop into an elite college upperweight. Anyone who doubts the quality of the competition should watch the finals videos Mark posted.
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