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[Masscore]

For first time, Iowa girl wins a state wrestling match ... by forfeit - Prep Rally - High School

On Thursday, a girl won a match at the most historic high school state wrestling tournament in the country, but she did so in an even more unusual and controversial way than most had imagined possible.

According to the Cedar Rapids Metro Sports Report, Des Moines Register and Associated Press, among other outlets, Cassy Herkelman, one of two girls who qualified for the Iowa state wrestling tournament, won the opening match in her Class 3-A, 112-pound classification by forfeit when her scheduled opponent, Joel Northrup, officially reported and withdrew from the bout, earning a loss but ensuring he could continue to participate in later matches at the tournament.

Northrup, a sophomore at Lin-Mar (Iowa) High, cited his personal faith as the motivating force for his forfeit. The withdrawal ensures he can finish no higher than third at the tournament, which follows his third place finish in the 103-pound classification as a freshman.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments," Northrup said in a statement given to the media following his official forfeit. "However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times.

"As a matter of conscience and faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."

While girls have been allowed to compete as part of boys wrestling teams in Iowa for more than two decades, the 2010-11 season marks the first time that any girls have qualified for the state tournament. In addition to Herkelman, who you can see wrestling in the video above, fellow 112-pound wrestler Megan Black is also competing at the historic state tournament.

When Northrup's forfeit was made official, Herkelman, a freshman at Cedar Falls (Iowa) High was summoned to the middle of the mat and her arm was raised aloft, as you can see in the picture above, signifying the first official victory for a girl at the Iowa wrestling championships.

Though there was plenty of reason for disappointment, Herkelman's father, Bill Herkelman, told the Des Moines Register that the family harbored no ill will toward the Northrup whatsoever.

"My understanding is that they've got strict convictions [as a family], and I respect them," Bill Herkelman told the Register. "I don't have any ill will toward them and I don't think it's any kind of boycott about [Cassy Herkelman] being a girl."

In a subplot that could prove to be as intriguing as the initial forfeit, it's possible that Northrup -- who entered as the No. 5 seed in the 112-pound classification -- will be faced with an identical scenario later in the tournament. With Northrup working through the loser's bracket following the forfeit, he will be forced to face off with the losers of other matches later in the event.

If Herkelman or Black, who wrestlers for Ottumwa (Iowa) High, lose in the early rounds of the event, they would enter the same bracket that now features Northrup, meaning that there is an outside possibility that the Lin-Mar sophomore would be paired against a girl again.

Another forfeit would all but end Northrup's tournament altogether, though it would hardly generate the attention or notoriety that his initial forfeit gained, given its history making role in the annals of Iowa high school sports.

I know a bunch of us have wrestled on this forum so I was just wondering what your personal opinion about this might be.

I currently coach at a really small school, only 300 students 9-12 and over the years I have had 6 girls on my wrestling teams. So for me this is not a big deal. These girls understand they are getting invovled in a combat sport and know that its physical and tough. I personally think what this kid did was an insult to the girl he was suppose to wrestle and an insult to the sport. If he was on my team and refused to take the mat he would be kicked off no matter how good he is. And in the past I have kicked kids off the team that were pretty good for refusing to show up to practices, cut a little wieght, not listening etc... So for me I am a little surprised this is even an issue.

[dgil]

I train with girls during bjj all the time, but in a competition it's different. I would never be able to forcefully place my hands on a female, so I would be forced to engage in a competition without giving it my full go. At that point, if I'm not competing to my full capability, what's the point of competing at all? I would have not taken the match as well.

[Masscore]

Originally Posted by dgil

I train with girls during bjj all the time, but in a competition it's different. I would never be able to forcefully place my hands on a female, so I would be forced to engage in a competition without giving it my full go. At that point, if I'm not competing to my full capability, what's the point of competing at all? I would have not taken the match as well.

I can agree with this when it comes to BJJ because the point of BJJ is to submit your opponent and put them in pain or choke them out. In wrestling you can pin someone without hurting them which is why I see a difference between the two.

[POINDEXTER]

Agreed with TS. The kid pussed out.

[LethalStriker]

Even getting to the Iowa state wrestling tournamet is quite an accomplishment, especially when Iowa is one of the toughest states to compete at wrestlig in.

[IceCold48]

thats happened here before i think a girl got all state last year d2 and iowa isnt as good as people think the colleges are tho.

Pennsylvania is the mecca of high school wrestling.

[mma #1 fan]

He is a home school kid he should have done it thats as close to 2nd base as he might get till college

[KevoOnTheRadio]

I hated wrestling girls in high school. It was always a lose-lose. Best case, you win but everyone says "So what, it's a girl. You were supposed to win." But if she beats you? You'll never hear the end of it. We had one poor bastard who got pinned by a girl, coach wouldn't talk to him for a week. He ended up quiting. Hell, one time I beat this girl by 11 points, but didn't pin her and and caught shit for it (although I always had difficulty getting girls on their backs in high school.)

[Masscore]

Originally Posted by KevoOnTheRadio

I hated wrestling girls in high school. It was always a lose-lose. Best case, you win but everyone says "So what, it's a girl. You were supposed to win." But if she beats you? You'll never hear the end of it. We had one poor bastard who got pinned by a girl, coach wouldn't talk to him for a week. He ended up quiting. Hell, one time I beat this girl by 11 points, but didn't pin her and and caught shit for it (although I always had difficulty getting girls on their backs in high school.)

This is what I think might be the biggest problem when it comes to girls and wrestling. It is a lose-lose for the guy even if the girl they wrestle is really good. I had a kid on my team almost quit after he lost to a girl, it took me like an hour of convincing him that she was really legit. Actually right now I she is ranked number 1 on the Olympic ladder for her weightclass at 63KG. So even though she is a girl is was pretty friggin legit.

I have always tried to convice the guys on my team that gender doesn't matter because at the end of the day they are in the same weight class. But still there is a ways to go with that.

[lwbrewer]

Kevo nailed this one pretty good. But with out knowing this kids faith as it truely could be an issue, or as Kevo said it's a no win situation