Antelope Valley High School seeking donations to start girls wrestling program

According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, participation among high school female wrestlers has risen from a single participant in 1986 to 404 (1993), to 1,164 (1996), to 2,474 (2000), to 4,334 (2005) to now 8,727.

Nine states, including California and Texas, sponsor a state female wrestling tournament and more importantly, 20 colleges now sponsor women's wrestling, which gives it more collegiate participants than crew, fencing, skiing, rugby and sand volleyball, to name a few.

Perhaps most important to the sport's advocates: women's wrestling is now a recognized Olympic sport.

All of it is causing Antelope Valley (Lancaster, Calif.) wrestling coach Ryan Wallerstein to do cartwheels — and take notes — as growing number of females are joining his program.

Eight of them were on his coed team last season, including state participant MaryJane Padilla, and he expects that number to at least double by next season.

"The sport is definitely evolving and we can really see it at our school," said Wallerstein, a nearby Highlands graduate who helped his school to a pair of Southern Section boys titles. "It seems like every day a girl is asking about joining the team."

Rather than continue the coed format, he and athletic director Jason Chronister are trying to form the first all-female Golden League squad by next season.

Chronister estimates it will cost $8,000 to get the program off the ground with equipment, uniforms, travel and other start-up fees. With the help of the DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation and its Sports Matter Project, the goal is within reach.

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As of Friday, the team needs to raise $3,945 in one week in order for DICK'S to contribute $4,000.

"We're so appreciative of DICK'S and this opportunity," Chronister said. "We want to make the most of it."

Said Wallerstein: "We're definitely in the learning process of fund raising. We wished we had hit the ground running a little harder, but we're trying to make up for lost time now."

A car wash and pancake breakfasts are planned for this weekend and Wallerstein hopes some strong wrestling backers will help out.

Four of his girls reached the Southern Section tournament and Padilla reached the state tournament in Visalia. She placed seventh in the 189-pound class and has earned a partial scholarship to the University of Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky.

Chronister said the girls, with their own program, will flourish even more.

"So much self-esteem comes with wrestling through adversity," he wrote. "These funds will allow them to compete at the highest level of this sport. Above all, it will allow girls to participate in one of the oldest sports in the history of the world."