The 2021-2022 school year marked the inaugural season for an IHSA girls state wrestling tournament. Since then, girls have felt more empowered to join the sport given they now have opportunities and a space to grow and succeed. Representation in the media, particularly with the success of the 2024 Olympic women’s wrestling team, has further encouraged young female athletes to join. These factors, along with the close friendships within the wrestling community, have contributed to the growth of the U-High’s girls wrestling team
Just five years ago, alumna Allison Kroesch became the first girl to compete on the U-High wrestling team. Five underclassmen have followed in her footsteps since then, providing the program with a foundation for long-term development. The close-knit relationships are a defining characteristic. “We are all good friends and have a lot of fun at both practice and competition,” Hailey Watson (10) shared.
Three-year veteran, Keagan Naffziger (11), stepped into a leadership role with the girls and inspires a strong sense of community. “Especially since I’m the oldest, I feel like I’m what they look up to. Even though I don’t have as much experience as Allie did, I had to step up as team leader after she graduated,” Naffziger said.
Though girls are able to wrestle in middle school, the sport remains very underrepresented, and many fear joining because of lack of experience or injury. Due to this, many go into high school without knowing the basics. The U-High program currently includes 32 COED wrestlers who practice together several times a week for two hours which brings together a diverse group of atheletes. “Some practices we have varsity boys, junior varsity boys, and girls all in the same space. Imagine having one basketball practice for all levels of girls and boys basketball in the same gym overseen by one coach,” Coach Caleb Philip said.
With such a disproportionate coach to athlete ratio, it takes dedication, strong peer leadership, and teamwork to excel. As captain, Naffziger guides matches and partner work. “It’s like being a mini coach, teaching them how to do this better and what to do in this situation,” Naffziger said.
Though being on a COED team can seem daunting to some female athletes, many wrestlers find that it actually helps with the team dynamic. “At any practice, we are wrestling both guys and girls and given that they have different skill sets, it helps as you improve as a wrestler,” Corrine Walker (11) said.
Head coach Philip also agrees, that they push each other as athletes and simultaneously encourage each other to stay competitive. It is to be acknowledged that with the growth of the program, hiring a female coach is a possibility. If numbers continue to grow a female coach will become a justifiable expense. “If we hired a female coach, boys and girls would be greatly benefited. Having another coach means another perspective, a different voice, and another mentor for everyone in the program,” Philip said. He has also taken steps to work with female coaches in the offseason to ensure the proper coaching techniques are used.
Walker shared that her season has allowed her to grow, leaving her more confident on the mat and leading her to a 5th place title at a recent tournament. “I’ve had a great season so far. I faced a lot of defeats, but I’ve improved tremendously as a first year athlete,” she shared.
Others have also seen personal growth this season as well. “In technique and confidence, I definitely feel like I understand the sport a lot better than last year,” Watson said. “I have won over 50% of my matches with a 13-4 record.” The strength of the team is evident in the meet results so far in the season. The program has won many of their home meets as well as several away matches.
