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<< Previous   of   Next >> Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Ninety girls participated in Jackson High School's second annual girls wrestling tournament Saturday. Kayla Blanchard of Rogers (top) controls Justine Palabrica of Everett in the 103-pound semifinal match.   ADVERTISEMENT   HIGH SCHOOL SCORES AND SCHEDULES: By sport: BaseballBoys basketballBoys golfBoys soccerBoys swimmingBoys tennis Boys trackBoys wrestlingCross countryFootballGirls basketballGirls bowlingGirls golfGirls soccerGirls swimmingGirls tennisGirls trackGirls wrestlingGymnasticsSoftballTrackVolleyballWrestling By date: October 31 November 1 November 2 November 3 November 4 November 5 November 6 November 7 November 8 November 9 November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November 15 November 16 November 17 November 18 November 19 November 20 November 21 By school: Archbishop Murphy Arlington Bothell Cascade Cedar Park Christian-Everett Cedarcrest Concrete Coupeville Darrington Edmonds-Woodway Everett Friday Harbor Glacier Peak Grace Academy Granite Falls Highland Christian Prep Jackson Kamiak King's La Conner Lake Stevens Lakewood Lopez Island Lummi Lynnwood Mariner Marysville-Pilchuck Meadowdale Monroe Mount Vernon Christian Mountlake Terrace North Sound Christian Oak Harbor Orcas Island Shorecrest Shoreline Christian Shorewood Snohomish South Whidbey Stanwood Sultan Tulalip Heritage    • Stadium map By league: Cascade Conference Non-conference Northwest 1A/2B Northwest 1B Northwest 2B Wesco Wesco 3A Wesco North Wesco South STANDINGS: Select league Cascade Conference baseball Cascade Conference boys basketball Cascade Conference boys soccer Cascade Conference boys wrestling Cascade Conference football Cascade Conference girls basketball Cascade Conference girls soccer Cascade Conference softball Cascade Conference volleyball Northwest 1A/2B baseball Northwest 1A/2B boys basketball Northwest 1A/2B boys soccer Northwest 1A/2B boys wrestling Northwest 1A/2B girls basketball Northwest 1A/2B girls soccer Northwest 1A/2B softball Northwest 1A/2B volleyball Northwest 1B boys basketball Northwest 1B boys soccer Northwest 1B girls basketball Northwest 1B girls soccer Northwest 1B volleyball Northwest 2B football Wesco 3A Football Wesco North baseball Wesco North boys basketball Wesco North boys soccer Wesco North boys swimming Wesco North boys tennis Wesco North boys track Wesco North boys wrestling Wesco North football Wesco North girls basketball Wesco North girls soccer Wesco North girls swimming Wesco North girls tennis Wesco North girls track Wesco North softball Wesco North volleyball Wesco South baseball Wesco South boys basketball Wesco South boys soccer Wesco South boys swimming Wesco South boys tennis Wesco South boys track Wesco South boys wrestling Wesco South football Wesco South girls basketball Wesco South girls soccer Wesco South girls swimming Wesco South girls tennis Wesco South girls track Wesco South softball Wesco South volleyball CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, February 3, 2009 No holds barred More and more girls are taking to the wrestling mat every year By Scott Whitmore Herald Writer By any measure, adding girls wrestling to Washington's prep lineup has been a big success -- for the sport and the athletes. "We have 620 girls wrestling, in 144 different high schools," said Jim Meyerhoff, assistant executive director for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. "The numbers have jumped about 25 percent each year. … It's been one of the best things for wrestling in general." That's a sentiment echoed by Jackson High School head coach Gustavo Anaya, who started coaching wrestling in Nebraska in 1997. "There are wrestling programs that have 20-30 girls wrestling … that's more than some programs have boys," Anaya said. "I personally didn't think it would grow as fast as it had, but I'm happy." Some girls wrestle for the challenge of succeeding in a male-dominated sport, Anaya said, while "for others it's a personal thing, they want to see if they can do it." "Most of the girls I see out there are out to prove that girls can be wrestlers and wrestlers can be girls," he added. Many of the girls are already athletes who have off-seasons during the winter, like swimmers, runners and softball players, and they see wrestling as a way to maintain conditioning, foot speed and balance. For 18-year-old Nelly Aramburo of Jackson, the decision to try wrestling for the first time in her senior year was personal. "I've always wanted to do it but never actually had the guts to go out for it," Aramburo said. "Finally I said 'What the heck, it's my senior year, I might as well go all out and do something I've never done before.'" Aramburo finished second overall in the 275-pound category at last Saturday's Lady Wolfpack Invite. Eighteen teams and 90 girls -- mostly from Western Washington -- took part in the tournament hosted by Jackson High School. The state had girls wrestling in middle schools for some time, said Meyerhoff, but about six years ago the WIAA began to get calls asking if something could be done at the high school level. At the same time, a few girls wrestling on boys teams began to qualify for the state tournament. Although wrestling is a physical sport, proper technique is more important than strength or size. "The selling point for me," Anaya said, "is you can be the tallest, smallest, strongest or weakest, and you can find some level of success in the sport of wrestling. Wrestling works for every kid who's willing to give it a try." After a three-year period as an invitational part of the boys state wrestling tournament -- 58 girls showed up to the first one in 2004 ­-- the WIAA established a separate competitive girls wrestling category at the state tournament in 2007. Washington is just one of four states -- Oregon, Texas and Hawaii are the others ­-- to have sanctioned competitions for girls. That first tournament saw 72 girls wrestling in nine weight classes. This season two additional weight classes were added, and after advancing through sub-region and regional qualifying, 176 girls will compete to be crowned state champions. "We knew that once we offered something like the invitational, where the girls could get to state, that our participation numbers would increase significantly," Meyerhoff said. "And they did." The numbers haven't grown equally -- there are far more girls wrestling in Western Washington than the other side of the state ­-- so girls in smaller programs have to wrestle on the boys team to complete the four matches needed to qualify for the postseason. Once they reach the sub-regional or regional tournaments, girls only wrestle girls. As more try the sport, girls weight classes will be added to match the 14 the boys wrestle, added Meyerhoff, who said the "next step is for Class 3A or 4A schools to break off on their own" at the state tournament. Girls can continue to wrestle after high school as well. Several colleges -- including NCAA Division I Stanford, Division III Pacific University and Yakima Valley Community College -- offer women's wrestling, and the U.S. Olympic Committee oversees the selection of national teams for Olympic and world competition. "Nationally, schools are offering girls programs, even some that don't have boys programs," Anaya said. "Some schools … to keep the men's program they've added women. I honestly think women's wrestling is going to save men's wrestling." Asked whether she intended on wrestling after high school, Aramburo laughed. "Honestly, my parents ask me the same question. I really enjoy doing the sport, a lot," she said. "If I happen to get a scholarship, I'd take it. If I don't, I'd see it as a hobby." READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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