Warrior Girls break barriers Statewide

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Photo Credit: Yearbook Staff

SCHS wrestler taking the win on her match.

Kimberly Morales, Staff Reporter

The Warrior Girls Wrestling team has been successful in the 2021-22 season. Ranked at 3rd statewide according to NSWCA, the student athletes sit behind West Point Beemer and South Sioux City. Head Wrestling Coach Mark Wehmhoff is an Industrial Tech/Science teacher at SCHS. He has been coaching wrestling for 26 years. Bailey Ballard, the new Schuyler Central High School Social Studies teacher, is also the assistant girls wrestling coach. Ms. Ballard has had experience with coaching, but has never competed in the sport. “I have always worked with high school boys and college men’s programs so working with these girls has been a big adjustment to what I am used to,” Ms. Ballard explained. Ms. Ballard shared that she loves being able to advocate for this new adventure. “Girls wrestling is something that faces a lot of scrutiny, because wrestling is a male dominated sport, but watching the girls breaking barriers is something that makes me feel honored to be a part of this journey.” Her favorite part about this season is getting to grow deeper relationships with the girls on the team. “I love watching their excitement when they win matches, they work together so well and it is exciting to see the team mentality they hold,” Ms. Ballard shared. 

Head Coach Mark Wemhoff explained that he feels that the girls need to work up to the next level. “We seem to plateau and don’t keep climbing. When you don’t have the eye of the tiger attitude going into a match we lose focus,”Coach Wemhoff acknowledged. His favorite part about the season so far are the first two rounds of every tournament. He claims that they always win those first two rounds. Some girls to watch for this year as possible State qualifiers are Hasley Salgado (11), Angela Velasquez (11), Jessica Ortega (10), Maddy Pineda (10), and Carly Wemhoff (10).