Two OHS students are excited about the prospect of a new girls wrestling coach.
Junior Emma Strayer and her teammate, Jasmine Luedtke, a sophomore, participate in the current coed wrestling program. Both come from wrestling families. Both started wrestling in elementary youth programs. Both wrestle outside the regular season in tournaments. Both hope to compete at the collegiate level.
Ottumwa had four girls finish the coed season last year. Luedtke qualified for boys state, the second girl in OHS history and the fourth girl in the state to accomplish this feat. Strayer missed placing at girls state by one match due to an injury.
While girls wrestling is not sanctioned in Iowa, they have witnessed growth in the sport they love. The number of girls at the state tournament doubled in the past two years with the largest group wrestling at 120 pounds, according to Strayer. They feel that once wrestling is sanctioned for girls, participation will increase.
They cite several advantages to having a girls coach, including the opportunity to compete in more tournaments, as well as a stronger focus on techniques specific to girls. "I hope they sanction wrestling for girls so we have our own stage," said Luedtke. "I think a lot of girls will try out." Once sanctioned, they would only wrestle girls.
The girls are trail blazers in the sport. "Usually you do something with your friends," said Luedtke. They encourage their high school peers to put aside any preconceived notions and give wrestling a try.
"A lot of girls think they are too big, too small, not strong enough," said Strayer. "We will teach you!"
"There is no one that can't physically wrestle," said Luedtke.
