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Female wrestlers flock to Northwest High's wrestling team

Thirty-two wrestlers have signed up for the first year team.
Credit: Northwest High School
Northwest High School's women's wrestling team has 32 athletes

The Northwest High School women’s wrestling team has championship ambitions this winter.

This is the first year the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) has offered women’s wrestling.

"Girls getting a chance to wrestle versus other girls for a state championship," Ron Wilhelm, head coach said.

Ron and his twin brother Bob have been the head coaches at Northwest Highschool for almost 20 years.

"We’ve been very fortunate and blessed to have a lot of great wrestlers come through,” Bob said. “At one point we won 77 dual matches in a row and undefeated for eight years."

The coaches said the 32 female wrestlers are quickly catching up to the men’s team in terms of skill.

"They continue to work hard, and progress even better than we originally thought," Bob said.

Despite their decades of coach experience, the brothers are learning a lot from their new athletes.

"I have to figure out how to do a ponytail now,” Bob said. “How to put on a hair net on."

"When we lost we cried. When we won, we cried," Ron said.

The coaches said the boys team is enjoying spreading the joys of the sport to their female counter parts.

"It teaches us so much physically and mentally,” Ron said. “The great Dan gable said once you wrestle everything else in life is easy."

Their coaching is reinforcing success on and off the mats.

“I don't have the grades to get a scholarship hope maybe this will pull through with a scholarship," Captain Sierra Thomas said.

She said the sport is also strengthening relationships at home.

"My mom thinks I'm Wonder Woman,” she said.

“She always tells me she has never had the courage or determination to do any of the things I do daily with wrestling."

Captain Keigan Newhouse used to be a dancer but found it more beneficial to wrestle.

"I think it will be special because I will be able to go to a good college that I actually like instead of a community college,” she said. “If I get a scholarship it would probably be a big-time college."

She comes from a wrestling family. Her dad was excited she joined the team.

"He was overly excited,” she said. “He was texting everybody. My whole family knew in a week."

Despite many being rookies in the sport, they plan to win state in February.


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