FENNVILLE, Mich. — Back in 2016, Fox 17 did a story on some of the first girls in the Fennville wrestling program. Now that 7 years have past, the Blackhawks have 10 girls on the team this year and are hoping to have a girls only team by 2024.
“Michigan is finally catching up and there’s been a few big programs that have helped that. And it’s exploded. Just has been so exponential over the last couple years,” said Head Coach Steve Fries.
“What got me into wrestling was my best friend because she always wanted to do a sport with me. So out of all the sports I picked wrestling and honestly I really liked it,” said Flor Gastelum.
Senior captain Flor Gastelum and her best friend and fellow captain Elia Ruiz are two of the 10 girls on the team this year.
“I chose wrestling because it’s a mentality and a physical mindset. It would push my aggressiveness on to the mat instead of onto other people. And I invited Flor to come because we both like being aggressive, like that’s just how we are, so I was like ‘hey come join, you’re actually going to like it,’, said Elia Ruiz.
Not only are they stronger physically, but they’ve grown mentally too.
“It made me feel more strong with myself. I feel like I’ve pushed myself more since I’ve started wrestling. Because I used to be like ‘oh if I can’t get this done I’ll just leave it as it is’ but in wrestling you have to keep going no matter what and I feel like that’s really helped me to keep going,” said Flor.
With the growth of girls wrestling in Michigan, Coach Fries has been able to schedule girls only meets every Saturday this season. He says that, along with being able to purchase singlets specifically made for girls this season, has really boosted their morale.
“Just the confidence that they build, you can see it. From day one to the last day, they’re so much stronger of a woman. And the work ethic, they all want to be perfect. They all want to do their best, they all want to work hard. And they just give it their all every day,” said Fries.
Fennville has yet to send their first girl to the state meet. They’re hoping this year will be the year that it happens.
“My goal is also making it to state. Hopefully that happens. We were so close last year, three of us almost made it to state, unfortunately we didn’t make it. But hopefully this year it’s a different year and we can all make it,” said Ruiz.
“Honestly I just want to make it to state. Not just myself but someone from our team to make it to state as well,” said Gastelum.
The program at Fennville as grown quite a bit in the last several years. While their numbers are high, they’re still considered a co-ed team and they hope to stand alone as an all-girl group next season.
“I mean, if we could get 15 girls next year and actually sanction a girls team and get a girls varsity coach, that would be amazing for the program. Because then we could say that this is actually the first girls wrestling team.
Head coach Steve Fries hopes that they will have their first girl qualify for state this year. They’ll compete this weekend at east Kentwood high school. In Fennville, Remi Monaghan, Fox 17 News
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