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Marion girl proves state not only boys event
By Jim Misunas 2/23/02
HAYS - Chelsea Arnhold of Marion took off her headgear and accepted congratulations from teammates after becoming part of Kansas state wrestling history.
Arnhold's freshman season finished with a loss by pin against Jake Dozier of Belleville after she was pinned by state finalist Levi Younkin of Oakley.
But Arnhold joined Santa Fe Trail's Brooke Borgen and Cherryvale's Cherri Volpert as girls who have qualified for a state tournament. Arnhold (21-14) had beaten two wrestlers to reach the Class 3-2-1A state meet.
Marion coach Chad Adkins said Arnhold earned her respect by competing on the junior high wrestling team before he started coaching Marion High School two years ago.
"She's a tough kid," Adkins said. "She's a pretty tough wrestler when she's in the top position. She's a kid who never gives up in a match. What I like is the kids have really accepted her as a teammate."
Arnhold said she's satisfied with her season, but like the wrestlers who lose two matches, she realizes she has to get better.
"I guess I need to get in the weight room and get stronger," Arnhold said. "I have to rely on my speed because I'm not as strong as these guys."
Arnhold was urged to start wrestling by a brother Levi who qualified for state last year and her father, who wrestled at Hays High.
"Levi started as a freshman four years ago and my dad and I went to all his meets," Arnhold said. "He and my dad talked me into starting wrestling."
Marion junior Zac Ewert didn't qualify for state, but worked against Arnhold during the season during practices.
"We treat Chelsea equally, just like any other teammate," Ewert said. "I'm sure she's surprised some kids during the season with how she did."
Arnhold said she's looking forward to next weekend when Atchison High School will be the site of a girls state wrestling tournament. The Kansas qualifiers have a chance to be invited to a national girl's tournament in Michigan during March.
"That should be fun because I've actually never wrestled a girl before," Arnhold said. "I'm looking forward to that."
She plans to continue to wrestle next year with an eye on the 2004 Olympics when women's wrestling will make its debut.
"I'd thought of maybe being in the Olympics, but never would think if would've ever been in wrestling," she said. "You never know what'll happen."
Arnhold was one part of an improving Marion program that qualified a school record six wrestlers for the state tournament. Marion participated with Hillsboro and helped the Trojans capture an MCAA title a few years ago. Adkins has 18 varsity wrestlers, 26 in junior high and 40 more in a kids' program.
"We've gone from two to four to six state qualifiers since my freshman year," Ewert said. "They still talk about sports like baseball and football at school. But we're starting to compete better in wrestling. We're really looking forward to next year."
Adkins likes the direction his program is headed.
"We're going in a positive direction and interest and participation has continued to grow," he said.
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Arlington girls break through gender barrier
BY JON BURLESON
For the Enterprise
Arlington High School junior Rachel Miller, 17, and senior Amber Harrison, 17, broke through gender barriers last year by joining the wrestling team. By doing so they also joined a much larger team consisting of women vying for recognition in sports traditionally open only to men.
Miller and Harrison said that acceptance and support were forthcoming from their parents, friends and even teammates. But, they claim, this was not the case with some school officials.
"They [the school administration] seemed reluctant," said Miller. "They weren't very supportive."
"I think if the coach had been more open minded it would have been better," said Harrison.
Coach Keith Fink said he saw no problems and the girls "did what everyone else did."
Principal Lloyd Kilmer admitted that initially he had wondered why the two girls had chosen wrestling, but he admired their persistence.
When asked why they chose wrestling both athletes said they liked the more "aggressive" competition of wrestling that they could not find in the traditionally female oriented sports like volleyball and softball.
Harrison, who graduates this year, said she is interested in further pursuing a wrestling avocation.
"If the program can meet my expectations I would be very interested," she said.
Programs for women's wrestling have expanded tremendously recently due to increased interest in women's athletics via Title 9 and other endeavors. In fact the USA Women's Wrestling Team coached by Doug Reese, of the University of Minnesota - Morris, wrestles internationally.
Tiffany Nielsen, 18, and a first - year student at Dana College, is a wrestler with USA Wrestling. She believes women's wrestling is far from a novelty sport and is here to stay.
"I see a big future for women's wrestling," she said. "I've seen it grow so much in the past couple of years."
Nielsen is a graduate of Underwood High School in Iowa. She said she got started in wrestling at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs where she trained and attended wrestling camps. She attributes her maintained interest in the sport to the school administration and the coaches who, she said, were very helpful and supportive.
She may even be instrumental in helping to expand women's wrestling herself. Nielsen said Dana College wrestling coach Ron Beaman approached her with the possibility of organizing a women's team for Dana.
"I'm totally for it," said Beaman. "I think if promoted correctly it could be the up and coming sport."
He also said a corresponding sport would benefit men's wrestling as well as provide more scholarship opportunities for women.
The modern Olympics originally included a women's wrestling event. It may soon be doing so again. With the women's hockey team winning the gold at Nagano and the current upswing of interest in women's sports, there are those who believe it may not be too much longer before American women can bring home the gold in yet another arena.
