Coaches weigh in on female wrestlers

DES MOINES - The first female state tournament qualifiers were a big enough for story for arguably the biggest and most prestigious high school athletic event in Iowa.When Linn-Mar 112-pounder chose his faith over a possible state championship run, his default to Cedar Falls Cassy Herkelman in the opening round of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 3A state meet Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena added a whole new dimension to females competing directly against males in wrestling.Herkelman weas the first female to qualify for the state tournament and was joined in the 3A 112-pound field by another female, Megan Black of Ottumwa. black lost both of her matches and was eliminated from the tournament.Waverly-Shell Rock Coach Rick Caldwell watched as Herkelman trained as part of the Go-Hawks kids club in Waverly. he said it is too bad the situation had to happen."To me it's a terrible situation," Caldwell said. "I feel bad for both parties."Cassy qualified for the state tournament. She wants to wrestle. The Northrup kid qualified for the state tournament and wants to wrestle, but, from what I hear, for religious reasons can't I have no judgment on that."The Go-Hawks' ninth-ranked Spencer Derifield pinned Herkelman in the first period of their semifinal district match before she won two straight to qualify for state as the district runner-up. Caldwell said the two actually trained together for years in the youth club. He doesn't mind female wrestlers."I'm not opposed to it, and I never had a kid forfeit to a girl," Caldwell said. "I would never do that. I do prefer females wrestling females, but if they're going to strap it up in a high school season we're going to wrestle them."Cedar Rapids Washington Coach Matt Hatcher was in the same district and had a wrestler compete against Herkelman previously. He shares the Caldwell's attitude, and even think female wrestling, which has blossomed into an Olympic sport and various varsity college program's, could be a way for the sport to grow."To be honest, I think women's wrestling is going to be the thing that saves men's wrestling with Title XI," Hatcher said. "I think there are a lot of good things about it."As for forfeiting a match to a female based solely on gender, Hatcher encourages participation. He said he assumes it was disappointing to fans, who booed after the default."I wouldn't because I want to see competition," Hatcher said. "I would never want to take (wrestlers) out of competition."I think it's disappointing there's not a match wrestled, for any reason."On the same token, Hatcher wouldn't find fault in the decisions Northrup and his family made Thursday. Northrup's father, Jamie, is a minister at Believers in Grace, a non-denominational church in Marion, and his mother, Sara, home-schools their children."Family's first," Hatcher said. "You have to make a commitment and a choice and you do it as a family and live with it."Iowa City West Coach Mark Reiland had Jasmine Bailey filling the 103-pound spot until top-ranked Phillip Laux transferred to West in mid-December. West wrestlers would wrestle any female who takes the mat, and he can't control those who foreit to female wrestlers."That's up to them and their coaches," Reiland said.Reiland said teams have forfeited to Bailey all season, but didn't say whether it was due to gender or if they didn't have wrestlers in the lowest of the 14 weight classes. He doesn't worry about it, but he said Bailey has had issues with it."It bothers here," Reiland said. "She works just as hard as everybody else."Western Dubuque Coach Tom Danner competed in the same district as Northrup. A Bobcats wrestler finished third at 112, which was one spot out of qualifying for state. Northrup took one of the spots and elected to not wrestle his first match. It didn't create any ill-feelings from Danner. He said he couldn't be mad because Northrup didn't know it at the time of qualifying.Northrup did compete in the consolation match and won by major decision to remain in the tournament.