Girl power: Michaela Hutchison finished the season at 45-4 with 33 pins.
News
Alaskan girl wins state H.S. wrestling title over boys
SI.com ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- February 6, 2006 1:37
Girl power: Michaela Hutchison finished the season at 45-4 with 33 pins.
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Girl power: Michaela Hutchison finished the season at 45-4 with 33 pins. |
Michaela Hutchison became the first girl in the nation to win a state high school wrestling title while competing against boys.
Hutchison won the final of the 103-pound weight class during Alaska's big school wrestling championships. The Skyview High sophomore entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in her weight class.
Amid chants of "C'mon Michaela" and "Girl Power," Hutchison earned a 1-0 victory Saturday over Colony High School's Aaron Boss.
She scored an escape with 16 seconds left to beat Boss for the second time in as many weeks. Family and friends mobbed Hutchison as she walked away from the mat with a bloody nose, while the crowd rose in a standing ovation.
"They were helping me," Hutchison told the Anchorage Daily News.
She finished the season with a 45-4 record that included 33 pins, one shy of the state single-season record. Hutchison is the third in her family of 10 children to win a state title, joining brothers Zeb and Eli.
Hutchison has dreamed about beating the boys ever since she started working out at Skyview High as a seventh grader. She came close last year, losing in the 103-pound final.
Other boys who have wrestled against her said it wasn't a big deal to lose to a girl who is extremely talented and tough. Kodiak's Tucker VanMatre said Hutchinson pinned him in 47 seconds at the region championships two weeks ago.
"It was quick," VanMatre said. "She got me in an arm bar and turned me [over]."
"I expected it. She's good," VanMatre added.
Kent Bailo, director of the U.S. Girls Wresting Association, believes Hutchison's victory will help girls wrestling become a varsity sport. He estimates 4,000 to 5,000 girls wrestle in high schools nationwide. Only Hawaii and Texas offer it as a girls sport.
"I think coaches would want girls to have their own varsity sport," Bailo said. "Their boys would be so embarrassed if a girl won state. The coaches don't want girls taking away their medals."
Last year, 17 girls nationwide qualified for high school state championships that included boys. One of them, Deanna Rix of Maine, finished second at 130 pounds. Michaela's sister, Melina, placed third at state six years ago.
Now Hutchison is in a class by herself.
"I don't care about [the significance] right now," she said. "I was excited to get done with the season. I'm been waiting for this for a while."
Hutchison is the third in her family of 10 children to win a state title, joining brothers Zeb and Eli.
Skyview coach Neldon Gardner said Hutchison's victory was one of the highlights of his coaching career.
"After 23 years of coaching you remember a lot of things. I'll never forget this one," he said. "I can't think of anybody more deserving than Michaela. She works as hard as any boy I've ever had."
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Alaska girl is wrestling state champ
Originally published February 6, 2006
Michaela Hutchison is the first girl in the nation to win a state high school wrestling title while competing against boys.
Hutchison won the final of the 103-pound weight class during Alaska's big school championships on Saturday night.
The Skyview High sophomore entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in her weight class. Amid chants of "C'mon, Michaela" and "Girl power," Hutchison earned a 1-0 victory over Colony High School's Aaron Boss.
She scored an escape with 16 seconds left to beat Boss for the second time in two weeks. Family and friends mobbed Hutchison as she walked away from the mat with a bloody nose, while the crowd rose to a standing ovation.
"They were helping me," Hutchison said. She finished the season with a 45-4 record that included 33 pins, one shy of the state single-season record.
Hutchison is the third in her family of 10 children to win a state title, joining brothers Zeb and Eli.
Last year, Arundel's Nicole Woody, then a freshman, and Western Tech senior Jade Hendricks became first girls to qualify for the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association wrestling tournament.
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Philadelphia Enquirer 2/6/06
Michaela Hutchison became the first girl in the nation to win a state high school wrestling title while competing against boys.
Hutchison won the final of the 103-pound weight class during Alaska's big-school wrestling championships. The Skyview High sophomore entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in her weight class.
Hutchison earned a 1-0 victory Saturday over Colony High School's Aaron Boss.
She scored an escape with 16 seconds left to beat Boss for the second time in two weeks.
She finished the season with a 45-4 record, including 33 pins, one shy of the state single-season record.
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Girl wrestler pins down historic first
Anchorage Daily News
Published February 6, 2006
Nearly 2,000 people packed a high school gym Saturday to watch Michaela Hutchison make history. And when Hutchison delivered a thrilling 1-0 victory over Aaron Boss in the 103-pound final of Alaska's large-school wrestling championships, she become the first girl wrestler in the nation to win a state title against boys. Hutchison, a sophomore who entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in her weight class, was more concerned with stopping her nose from bleeding. Family and friends mobbed her. "They were helping me," she said of the crowd's support. "It was awesome." Last year, 17 girls nationwide qualified for high school state championships that included boys. One finished second. Hutchison is in a class by herself. "I don't care about [the significance]," said Hutchison, 45-4 with 33 pins. "I was excited. I've been waiting for this for a while."
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Lenny Jurado
El Paso Times
Monday, February 6, 2006
1. Three high school athletes signed Division 1 football scholarships: Hanks wide receiver Will Henry (University of Nebraska), Coronado tight end J.D. Ybanez (Army) and T-Bird offensive lineman Esteban Santiago (North Texas).
2. The University Interscholastic League announced its biennial realignment for athletic districts. El Dorado jumped from District 2-4A to 1-5A, Canutillo moved across from 1-4A to 2-4A, Clint and Fabens dropped from 2-4A to 1-3A, while Tornillo and Anthony leaped up from 1-2A to 1-3A.
3. Cathedral’s swim team won its ninth consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state championship. The Irish won all but one event — a photo finish — to finish with 222 points, well ahead of second-place San Antonio Central Catholic (71 points). They also set three TAPPS records.
4. The Andress and Socorro girls wrestling teams won district titles for the first time in school history. The Eagles scored 105 points to capture District 1, while the Bulldogs rolled up 138 points.
5. Americas and Parkland clinched district championships in girls basketball, while Burges captured at least a share of the 1-4A title.
6. Montwood edged Franklin 43-37 in a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in boys basketball. It was the third time this season the Rams have defeated the Cougars.
7. Carlos Cardenas and Leo Nuñez each popped in goals to help give Cathedral a 2-0 bi-district victory against San Antonio Antonio in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools state playoffs.
8. Coronado’s girls golf team set a tournament record at the San Angelo Invitational Tournament at the San Angelo Country Club. The T-Birds shot a two-day total of (657; 345-312), breaking the old mark by seven strokes.
9. The El Paso and Ysleta school districts announced that Franklin will play Riverside in a pre-district football game Sept. 8 at Riverfront Stadium. The marquee matchup features two of El Paso’s most successful programs, which never have played each other during the regular season.
10. Eastwood’s girls soccer team handed Franklin its first District 1-5A loss in two seasons then avenged a loss to highly ranked Socorro. The Troopers won both matches in shootouts.
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