(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second in a two-part series on the rise of girls wrestling. Today, a look at how that growth has impacted local programs.)
The Sibble family knows a thing or two about high-level wrestling.
At Saturday’s NYSPHSAA championships, Trent Sibble captured Bolivar-Richburg’s first state title by winning the 285-pound Division II bracket. A year prior, however, Trent’s younger sister, Teegan, made history of her own.
Teegan Sibble was the 2022 Section 5 Class B3 champion at 110 pounds, becoming the first girl to ever win a Section 5 class title. She was rewarded with Most Outstanding Wrestler honors for the lightweights while her brother was heavyweight MOW after winning at 215 pounds.
Fast forward a year — Teegan Sibble was back at sectionals, but a week prior, she had a more important tournament.
Competing at the NYSPHSAA Girls Wrestling Invitational, Sibble was runner-up at 114 pounds, coming within a 2-0 decision of a state championship.
The B-R sophomore is one of many talented girls who have made an impact on the local high school wrestling scene. Soon, however, girls may not need to compete on boys’ teams.
THE NYSPHSAA’s invitational made New York the 37th state to host a recognized girls wrestling event.
Other intersectional girls tournaments have been held in recent years, but until the NYSPHSAA hosts an official state tournament, there is still progress to be made. Still, opportunities for female wrestlers have grown exponentially in recent years, providing an alternative to wrestling in boys’ tournaments.
“When Teegan first started wrestling, there were hardly any girls,” said Shane Sibble, Teegan’s father. “She might get a girl in her bracket here and there. Now, pretty much every wrestling team has a girl on it, which is phenomenal.
“Don’t get me wrong — when girls wrestle guys, they’re there with them. But you can tell there’s a strength difference. When they wrestle another female, you can see a different tone in them.”
Teegan Sibble began wrestling at five years old. Like many of her male counterparts, competition drew her to wrestling, and the sport’s demanding nature keeps her coming back.
“It’s the blood, sweat and tears,” Teegan Sibble said. “I think (wrestling) makes girls mentally and physically stronger. Us girls that have been wrestling for awhile are proving to the upcoming girls that we can do all the things guys can.”
Teegan has become a role model for young wrestlers. Like them, she grew up watching her own girls wrestling idols, such as Adeline Gray, a six-time world champion and two-time Olympian.
Years later at an offseason tournament, Teegan competed against a team coached by Gray and got to meet her after beating one of her wrestlers.
“It’s the little things,” Shane Sibble said. “Teegan watched (Gray) and now Teegan is living it. When Teegan won sectionals, I got multiple calls from guys saying, thank you, my daughter wants to wrestle now.
“When girls are with girls, they just form a different bond than guys. Guys talk about different things. When girls are with girls, there’s a certain bond where they learn to trust each other, and that helps them grow. When you struggle with things in life, wrestling teaches you to keep going no matter how hard it gets.”
AN ENTIRE generation of battle-tested girls are currently arriving on the varsity scene.
Teegan Sibble is one of them, and they can be found elsewhere locally. Sierra Chiesa of Northwestern made headlines by winning the District 10 Class AA 107-pound championship Saturday, becoming the first female to capture a D10 crown.
Expanded opportunities for girls, increased awareness of women’s wrestling and the coming-of-age of an already-inspired generation has compounded into exponential growth.
The number of college women’s wrestling programs has moved from about 40 to more than 130 in under a decade. Men’s programs often help start women’s teams because it gives them more funding and an extra coach — many will double as women’s head coach and a men’s assistant.
A generation ago, those opportunities largely did not exist.
“My youngest daughter used to forge my name and sign up for (Junior Olympics) but I wouldn’t let her wrestle,” said Sean Lathrop, who has coached youth, junior high and varsity wrestling in Port Allegany for several years. “My girls grew up in the wrestling room with me. They used to race from the elementary school to see which one could be the first one in the room.”
Lathrop directs the Bruno Iorfido Wrestling Camp in Port Allegany each summer, which brings together wrestlers, coaches and instructors from throughout Pennsylvania and beyond. In recent years, it’s seen an explosion of female campers.
“You look at how many wrestlers there are from a generation ago who have girls and would love for their daughters to get into the sport, but there was always the stigma of, this is a guys’ sport,” Lathrop said. “There are girls who wrestle in JOs, but when they get to high school, they’re on the basketball team because wrestling isn’t offered. It’s great to give them another option. I’d like to see girls wrestling in Port Allegany and every school.”
Two years ago, the Iorfido camp welcomed three girls. Last year, there were 23, and Lathrop expects more than 30 this year.
Resources are key to increased participation — many schools lack a potential coach for a girls’ team or enough support to start a scholastic program. Exposure is key, as well, and showcase tournaments such as the NYSPHSAA Invitational give girls a chance to shine.
“I thought it was amazing,” Teegan Sibble said of the event. “Seeing all the girls at a high school event was amazing and being able to wrestle at that event felt great. It means a lot to me because you’re seeing all these girls come up, and after everything I’ve worked for, it gives me joy. Now, I want to see them improve.”
Just a sophomore, Teegan will have her chances at not only more Section 5 wrestling hardware, but state and national-level girls competitions, as well.
Her goals include wrestling in college and competing at the Olympics. Those targets keep her going as she continues to blaze a trail for young female wrestlers.
There’s no telling how much progress will be made by the time she gets to college. But as her sport continues to grow, remember this — for every boys wrestling program struggling to survive, there is likely a girls wrestling program finally breaking through the surface.
“No matter how good you are, there’s someone there who is going to come for you, so keep pushing, working and giving it your all on the mat,” she said. “It’s only six minutes. Never give up, keep doing what you want and follow your dreams.”
(Jeff Uveino, Bradford Publishing Company assistant group sports editor, can be reached at juveino@bradfordera.com)
