Upper Sandusky girls wrestlers have 'enthusiasm to learn'

This could be a start of a positive trend at Upper Sandusky as history once again looks to be written. Last year, it went from having no bowling team to enough members for two squads with a successful season. This season, it has gone from having zero female wrestlers to four. Those four are senior Izabella Escobar, junior Ellie O'Flaherty and freshmen Gracee Howell and Una Anez. "They are all brand new to the sport of wrestling," USHS coach Matt Luikart said. "They come to practice every day with an enthusiasm to learn." The last time the Rams had female wrestlers was about five years ago. "The growth of girls wrestling has been quick," Luikart said. "With it growing so fast, and it being an active individual sport here in Ohio, it's getting a lot of hype." The numbers support that it's rapidly becoming a popular sport. According to OHSAA data that was released earlier this year, Ohio has 63 girls wrestling teams, compared to just 20 when the OHSAA held its state inaugural tournament in 2020. The National Federation of State High School Associations released its high school participation report for the 2024-2025 school year on August 18. In that report, girls wrestling nationally topped out at 74,000 participants, a 15 percent jump from the previous school year. It also reported that 1,000 schools across the U.S. have a girls wrestling program and that it sits in the No. 10 spot for girls sports. A separate article from NFHS came out on Nov 5, discussing how a decade ago, there were only 11,496 girls wrestling nationally at the time, and 1,806 girls teams nationally. The growth of the sport pushed the NCAA to approve women's wrestling as an emerging sport with 76 schools already having women's programs in 2023-2024, and 17 more were on the way in 2024-2025. It will hold its first women's wrestling championship in 2026 as it became the 91st championship sport in July. Local universities, including Tiffin University and Heidelberg University, have female wrestling teams, with the Student Princes just starting theirs this year. Findlay High graduate Lanie Oliver -- a state champion last year -- is on 'Berg's team. Women's wrestling was an Olympic sport from 2004-2013 until it was dropped due to lack of interest. It was re-admitted as an Olympic sport in 2016 when more stringent rules and more weight classes were added, according to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum for the 2020 and 2024 year. No wonder it's becoming popular amongst high school females. With the rising popularity, there are a few challenges that wrestling coaches face, particularly when starting out. One of the biggest challenges when a program is just starting is not only are the boys wrestling coaches taking on the additional time commitment, but they are learning that girls are coached in a different way. When new members join the wrestling team for the first time, they come in with a lack of knowledge on the sport as they are often first timers to the mat. They have a limited amount of time to learn what moves maximize the amount of points a wrestler can earn, and what moves are legal and not legal. "We have started off with the basics," Luikart said. "I'm having to learn how to coach girls compared to boys, so it's a learning curve for everyone." Part of the difference when it comes to coaching girls is in communication style, as well as how to get them to pay attention, maintain focus, and really gain the confidence to execute what they have been taught in their training. There is a saying in wrestling where a wrestler only has themselves to depend upon when out on the mat. For the four Rams, right now learning the fundamentals and getting those right can be an obstacle but their strength lies in the curiosity and passion for wanting to learn more about the sport, as well as their leadership. "They are definitely not afraid to ask questions," Luikart said. "My main goal, other than to build their confidence in themselves, is for them to trust in their training. I want them to trust that the work they put into the room will pay off in the tournaments they compete in. Once that happens, the growth in their training and who they are will start to grow rapidly." Part of that training includes repetition of drills and taking advantage of every opportunity they can get to compete. Some schools hold separate spaces for girls and boys to wrestle; some schools don't have the capacity. The Rams take a two-point approach; they allow the girls to train with the boys and then go into a separate space to practice by themselves like it would be at an OHSAA event. OHSAA sanctioned girls wrestling tournaments are for girls only, which is another reason the sport is on the rise. USHS is known to start programs with big numbers and grow the programs within a small timeframe. Over the years, the Rams had declining numbers in wrestling, but when one looks at the middle school program and the biddy wrestling program, there are girls in both of those programs that are wanting to wrestle in high school. "If I can get these girls to do well," Luikart said. "And to have fun, we will continue to get girls to come out and get the program growing." Traditionally, the community of Upper Sandusky has been known to support both old and newer athletic programs, and Luikart wants to see support for the girls wrestling program as well. "These girls are all new to the sport," Luikart said. "I'm calling on the community and asking for them to come out and support them. Encouragement goes a long way in not only growing a program, but to give them the confidence to be able to compete and grow in the sport like I know they can."