This weekend, it was a historic first for high school girls wrestling in Northern New York. Section VII hosted its first-ever girls high school wrestling tournament at Peru High School on Saturday, Jan. 3. For many wrestlers, it was a moment they’ve been dreaming about for a long time. “I have wrestled since I was 5, so this is one of my biggest dreams come true,” Northern Adirondack Central High School sophomore Haley Leclair said. “It means so much to my heart and to just be here and wrestling.””The fact that it’s being introduced into our section and really we’re taking the time to teach girls about it, it’s amazing, and I really hope that more girls join the sport because it really is awesome,” Peru senior Alyn Capen said. Until now, the girls competed with the boys since they had no division of their own. “When you wrestle a 145-pound boy, it’s a lot different than wrestling a 145-pound girl,” Leclair said. “I’ve wrestled for a long time, especially with the boys. So, it’s a lot different being around girls all the time,” Capen said. “There’s only me and one other girl on my team, but we love being with the boys, but it’s really nice to see other girls love the sport that we love, and it’s growing so much, and it’s such an amazing thing that we get to do this today.”For boys, it’s rivalry, but for girls, it’s love, “Girls wrestling is more together, like all the boys always have a rivalry against each other, but with the girls, they are always there for each other,” Leclair said. “You’ll see today that usually all the girls give each other a hug after they’re done with the match, no matter winning or loss. It’s just a big family compared to the boys.”The tournament is more than just wins and medals; it’s also about recognition. “I hope all these little girls sitting here watching us realize that one day it can be them and it will be. This is just starting,” Leclair said. “We have one team, right now, but next year I hope we have three to four teams. And this is just history being made and I couldn’t be more thankful to see it happen right in front of my eyes.”
This weekend, it was a historic first for high school girls wrestling in Northern New York.
Section VII hosted its first-ever girls high school wrestling tournament at Peru High School on Saturday, Jan. 3.
For many wrestlers, it was a moment they’ve been dreaming about for a long time.
“I have wrestled since I was 5, so this is one of my biggest dreams come true,” Northern Adirondack Central High School sophomore Haley Leclair said. “It means so much to my heart and to just be here and wrestling.”
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“The fact that it’s being introduced into our section and really we’re taking the time to teach girls about it, it’s amazing, and I really hope that more girls join the sport because it really is awesome,” Peru senior Alyn Capen said.
Until now, the girls competed with the boys since they had no division of their own.
“When you wrestle a 145-pound boy, it’s a lot different than wrestling a 145-pound girl,” Leclair said.
“I’ve wrestled for a long time, especially with the boys. So, it’s a lot different being around girls all the time,” Capen said. “There’s only me and one other girl on my team, but we love being with the boys, but it’s really nice to see other girls love the sport that we love, and it’s growing so much, and it’s such an amazing thing that we get to do this today.”
For boys, it’s rivalry, but for girls, it’s love,
“Girls wrestling is more together, like all the boys always have a rivalry against each other, but with the girls, they are always there for each other,” Leclair said. “You’ll see today that usually all the girls give each other a hug after they’re done with the match, no matter winning or loss. It’s just a big family compared to the boys.”
The tournament is more than just wins and medals; it’s also about recognition.
“I hope all these little girls sitting here watching us realize that one day it can be them and it will be. This is just starting,” Leclair said. “We have one team, right now, but next year I hope we have three to four teams. And this is just history being made and I couldn’t be more thankful to see it happen right in front of my eyes.”
