In addition to featuring athletes in sports such as soccer, volleyball and cross country, the magazine highlights girls who are particpating in less traditional pursuits.

Middle school wrestler Kiera Gabaldon was one of the athletes highlighted in a recent edition. Here is the magazine’s summary of Kiera’s accomplishments:

Kiera, a seventh-grader at Houck Middle School, won two national wrestling titles: the Women’s Body Bar Freestyle (novice 111 pounds) and last year’s U.S. Girls’ Wrestling Association tournament (elementary 91 pounds). At the Oregon state boys’ meet she was second in freestyle and third in Greco-Roman.

Another recent entry highlights Elizabeth Mitchum and Kaci Poole, junior kickers at Pelion High in South Carolina, who are believed to be the first two girls to score points for the same team in a varsity football game; on Sept. 12 each kicked an extra point in a 42-13 victory over Wagener-Salley.

And from the coaching ranks comes Kim Terrell-Kearney, 43, the head bowling coach at Delaware State. Terrell-Kearney defeated Trisha Reid 216-189 to win the U.S. Women’s Open for the second time. (She also won in 2001.) She was a two-time college All-America at San Jose State and the 1989 pro tour rookie of the year.

It’s so great to honor these female athletes in a national forum. If you know someone you think should be featured, it’s easy to nominate them. Just go to sportsillustrated.com to fill out a form and tell about the athlete’s accomplishments.

April 11, 2008

Now, the university’s newly-formed women’s program is picking up steam and looks to establish a tradition of its own, with  Rachael Groft leading the charge. Depending on how she fares this weekend, Rachael may qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in June in Las Vegas, Nev.

Rachael has come a long way since her days as a self-proclaimed “tomboy” who started wrestling in the fourth grade. Her parents were “kind of iffy” about the idea and suggested she go out for cheerleading or basketball. Eventually they gave in and now her mom is one of her biggest supporters.  

Mom may well be heading to Beijing this summer to watch her daughter wrestle at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Full story

Below are a few facts about girls’ wrestling and some online resources to learn more about this growing phenomenon:

• About 4000 girls wrestle at the high school level in the U.S. (compared to 239,000 boys), according to the USA Wrestling Association.
• High school girls’ wrestling has only been sanctioned in two states: Hawaii and Texas (both since 1999).
• Until girls’ wrestling teams are numerous enough to get state sanctioning, girls have to compete at informal divisions or meets instead of state tournaments�or compete against boys. In 2005, there were 17 girls who qualified for boys’ high school state tournaments around the country, and six of those girls placed.
• The U.S. Girls Wrestling Association claims to be the future of the sport. They provide information of USGWA tournaments and events, as well as a discussion forum for female wrestlers and coaches.

Pretty Tough Props

Susan McMann
2004-05 Team USA Ranking: No. 1 at 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Years on Team USA: 6 (1999-2005)
Residence: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: Tricia Saunders
Born: Sept. 24, 1980 in Tacoma Park, Md.
Height: 5-6
College: Attended Lock Haven Univ., where she was a member of the varsity men�s team coached by Carl Poff. Earned a degree in Theatre. Also attended the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, where she was coached by Doug Reese.
High School: Attended McDowell High School, where she was coached by Tim Hutchins. 1998 USGWA High School National champion.
Hobbies: Theatre, surfing and reading.

In the world of women’s wrestling The Fabulous Moolah was the one irrefutable legend that stood head and shoulders above the rest. She was the longest reigning champion in the history of her chosen sport, or any sport for that matter. And with more than 50 years in the business to her credit, she established a legacy that will never be forgotten, making her name synonymous with female wrestling.

Born 1923, Ellison was dubbed the Fabulous Moolah after saying she wrestled “for the money … for the moolah.”  She didn’t just dominate women’s wrestling for parts of four decades, she was women’s wrestling.  If you want a great overview,  be sure to rent the movie Lipstick and Dynamite about the early days of women’s wrestling.

Our condolences go out to Moolah’s friends and family.

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