BEA approves girls’ wrestling program

WINGATE — There has been a push in Pennsylvania for the PIAA to sanction girls’ wrestling. There will have to be at least 100 schools with wrestling teams in order for the PIAA to sanction it as a sport.

Bald Eagle Area became the 12th school in the state and third this year to add a girls’ wrestling program, when the school board approved the addition on June 17.

“Overall, I’m just really excited about the opportunity we’re going to provide our girls at Bald Eagle,” BEA coach Ron Guenot said.

“I think it’s something that maybe should have been done a year or two ago. We’re excited about being one of the first teams in the state to start girls’ wrestling. Hopefully it takes off.”

Central Mountain is the only other school in District 6 to approve girls’ wrestling.

The 10 other schools are J.P. McCaskey — which was the first to start a program in March of last year — Easton, Executive Education Academy, North Allegheny, Governor Mifflin, Annville-Cleona, Gettysburg, Brandywine Heights, Delaware Valley and Western Wayne. The latter approved a team on June 16.

“The hope is that we continue to build those numbers as far as programs around the state jumping on board,” Guenot said. “Then we can get hopefully girls wrestling girls. We have a long way to go.”

Guenot gave much of the credit for the addition of girls’ wrestling at BEA to senior Grace Stem.

Stem wrestles for the Golden Eagles boys’ team and recently qualified for the Cadet World Women’s Team. Stem, who was the only Pennsylvanian to make the team, will compete with Team USA at the United World Wrestling Cadet World Championships in July in Budapest.

“I was really happy about it,” Stem said of the addition. “I feel like I put in a lot of work to make this happen. My coach put in a lot of work to make this happen. I feel really grateful that my school is so supportive and is willing to do something like this.”

“Grace has been heavily involved,” Guenot said. “It was her idea. She came to me about she was interested in starting a girls’ team. I said, ‘I’ll support you any way I can.’ She put the PowerPoint presentation together. I had a few ideas of my own that I added. I was supporting her throughout the process.

“You have to have an administration and a school board that’s on board. The school board and the administration are nothing but excited about this opportunity we’re going to provide the girls at BEA. I think they’ve seen the hard work Grace has put in over the last couple years to be successful. We’re just thankful we have the community behind us.”

There aren’t that many girls who make up the rosters of the 35 wrestling teams in District 6. Stem was the only girl who wrestled for BEA during the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season. She went 2-5 as a junior.

“I think a lot or girls would be more interested now that we have a team,” Stem said, “because there really wasn’t the opportunity for girls to wrestle girls. Now that they have that opportunity, I think (there would) be a lot more willing.

“I took a survey, and I had at least 30 girls express some form of interest (in wrestling for the girls’ team). Wrestling guys is definitely pretty tough. I don’t mind it, though.”

“A couple years ago, before COVID, we had a handful of girls who signed up for elementary wrestling,” Guenot said. “I think with what Grace has been able to accomplish, I believe we will be able to get some interest going in the school district. I have no idea of what our numbers might be, but we have to start somewhere.”

It’s highly unlikely that the 100-school mark will be reached by next season. But Guenot said the girls could participate in girls’ tournaments next season in addition to having the opportunity to wrestle for the boys’ team.

Stem is hoping BEA and Central Mountain adding girls’ teams will prompt other District 6 schools to follow suit.

“Maybe that will affect other schools in our area too,” she said.

Stem and the rest of the Pennsylvania girls’ state champions were honored by Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate in Harrisburg on June 9.

Asked what got her interested in wrestling, she said, “My family has always been wrestling fans since I was little. So I’ve always kind of been around it.”

Her grandfather Lewis Craig was BEA’s first state champion, in 1968.

Stem made the world team by going 6-0 in the freestyle event at 65 kilos (143.3 pounds). In the best-of-three championship finals, Stem needed only two bouts to secure the title, beating Missouri’s Maddie Kubicki, 6-2 and 4-3.

“I was really happy and just grateful to be there,” Stem said. “I think that the competition was really tough. I’m always glad to have good competition. I’m really looking forward to Worlds and seeing how the competition is in Budapest.

“Honestly, I’m not really familiar with competing internationally, so I really don’t know what to expect. I’m just going to wrestle my match and face whoever they throw at me.”

“She continues to put all of the work in that’s necessary to be successful,” Guenot said. “We’re excited to see what she’s going to do in Budapest.”