‘The time is right now.’ Girls’ wrestling programs across state succeed in first year.
The sun has risen and set on the first year of girls’ wrestling in the area, and the progress made in the sport’s inaugural season has far exceeded the expectations of the coaches who worked so hard to get it started.
Rock Hill head coach Cain Beard was thrilled not only with the sport’s progress, but in his athletes’ accomplishments.
“I cannot believe what we got done in the first year,” Beard told The Herald. “The progress of the girls in the program was tremendous and the results that we achieved were unbelievable.”
The Rock Hill High School girls’ wrestling team won the Carolina Invitational last week to cap off the first season of competition. The Bearcats compiled 73 points in their win. The event was the equivalent of a state championship for his girls’ wrestling team, Beard said.
The South Carolina High School League has not sanctioned the sport of girls’ wrestling at this point. The Carolina Invitational, which featured teams from North Carolina and South Carolina, was held to put a cap on the year and was one of four all-girls wrestling events the Bearcats competed in this season.
Clover finished second in the Carolina Invitational with 45 points. Long (NC) was third with 42, while Union County had 40 for fourth place. Hartsville (38), Irmo (36), Alston (NC) (34) and High Point (NC) (33) completed the top eight.
“The hard work we put in all year was remarkable, and winning that tournament was great,” Beard added. “I was extremely proud of their efforts in that event, but even more pleased with how far we came in the first year.”
‘It was awesome watching our girls improve’
Clover head coach Michael Fitzgerald was also pleased with his team’s first year, as well as the improvement of overall girls’ wrestling in the area.
“We went to four tournaments during the year,” Fitzgerald said. “Two were in North Carolina and two in South Carolina, and it was awesome watching our girls improve each day in practice and every time we went to a tournament.”
Thirteen area competitors placed in the Carolina Invitational Girls’ Division. Some were from the high school level and others were the middle school level. More than 100 hundred wrestlers from the two Carolinas were in the competition.
Five finished first in their bracket. Trinity Davis from Rock Hill won Bracket M, and Kalliscya Gardner from Clover was the top performer in Bracket I. Bella Hoffman of Fort Mill finished first in Bracket J, and Jaden Bracewell from Indian Land got the top award in Bracket F.
Mia Read from Sullivan Middle School was the winner in Bracket C.
Four more earned runner-up spots in the event: Karol Escobar of Rock Hill was second in Bracket Q, and her teammate Phallyn Magby earned the second place award in Bracket T. Kori Harris from Clover was the runner-up in Bracket M, while Kitty Sharpe of Saluda Trail Middle School was second in Bracket B.
Three finished third in their weight classes. Amber Turner of Clover was third in Bracket E, while Allyson Vongsay from Rock Hill earned the same finish in Bracket P. Kate Mitchell of Saluda Trail Middle School got that place in Bracket A, and Kaelynn Thurston from Saluda Trail was also third in Bracket G.
Amalia Arboleda of York rounded out the top finishers by coming home fourth in Bracket D.
For full results from the event, check out the Carolina Invitational’s website.
Girls’ wrestling’s ‘bright’ future
The question now for girls’ wrestling programs across the area and state is simple: How much can they grow next year?
“We still have a long way to go, but we can get there,” Beard said. “I have already had girls ask about getting into the program next year. I have also had inquiries from coaches in the area about getting a program started at their school.”
It will not be easy, but the coaches who have pioneered the effort thus far are encouraged.
“The future is extremely bright,” Fitzgerald said. “However, we cannot take anything for granted. It is not going to grow by itself. We have to keep pushing, talking, and encouraging girls to get involved.”
The local coaches are optimistic. There will be setbacks and obstacles to overcome, but they believe they can get it done.
“The next step is to get more girls in the programs that already have a team,” Beard said. “Then we have got to get more schools to start a program so we can have competition in the state and not have to rely so much on wrestling teams from North Carolina and Georgia.”
It may take a few years, but the coaches have to show improvement in the numbers in each program as well as growing the number of schools that have the sport. When that happens, the South Carolina High School League will begin offering championships.
“That is what we are working for right now,” Fitzgerald said. “I can see it out there in the future. I do not know how long it will take for that to happen, but it is going to happen.”
Beard: ‘Get this program growing’
One key is getting more recognition for the girls. Beard noted that when Rock Hill hosted the Bearcat Invitational earlier this season, the girls’ results posted online had their own, separate space, rather than just at the bottom of the boys’ results from the tournament.
The pioneers who started this sport, including the athletes themselves, worked long and hard to get this started. Progress was slow, but they pushed forward and never gave up.
“We cannot let up with what we are doing to get this program growing,” Beard said. “I like how we got started. I like how we worked and improved. I liked how we finished. All coaches in the area need to keep working to get it done.”
Efforts were made in earlier years to start the girls’ program, but it did not catch on.
“We tried back in 2013 to start girls’ wrestling,” said Beard. “The time was not right for it then, and we did not get it off the ground. The time is right now. North Carolina and Georgia recognize the program. There is more emphasis from the national media for the sport. More people are talking about it now.
“We will get it done this time.”