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A high school freshman clears the way for girls to compete with boys

Lincoln High School freshman Erin McKeown wrestled her first matches last week, winning one and losing one against younger boys.

Lightning didn't flash nor thunder rumble. The earth didn't open up. Western civilization didn't crumble.

Still, there is something uncomfortable about this, isn't there? Many of us have been brought up to believe there are appropriate activities for teenage girls and boys, and wrestling isn't one of them.

But this is where we are in December 2002, with McKeown paving the way.

First, she got approval from the South Dakota High School Activities Association to wrestle on a boys team, as she did when she lived in Colorado. The association has a rule against girls competing with boys in contact sports, but the rule will be ignored until it can be changed.

Then, the Sioux Falls School Board also sanctioned McKeown's participation. Superintendent Jack Keegan warned the board it probably would be sued if it refused.

"You've got to deal with what the law says and what is right," he said. "The issue is, do you really want to spend a lot of time dealing with this issue?"

Time and money.

The answer is no. We want to spend as little time and money as possible on this. It's not worth the fight. We might as well join the rest of the nation.

"It's not something new to the country. It's just new to us," said Lolly Forseth, Lincoln athletic director.

Forseth is right. This isn't new.

The National Federation of State High School Associations estimated that last year more than 3,000 girls were wrestling on boys teams. Last year, 11 college men's wrestling teams had women on them.

In some states - notably Texas and Hawaii - girls wrestling has become popular enough to develop separate teams for boys and girls. Texas and Hawaii even sanction state wrestling tournaments for girls.

Iowa has two girls teams - in Spencer and Gilbert.

The idea is growing so much, women's wrestling will be a part of the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

But most communities don't have enough girls interested to start separate teams. Until that happens, we'll have girls competing with boys.

And like it or not, there's not much we can do about it. Even if Title IX - which mandates equal opportunity in schools - didn't require it, the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, concerning equal protection, would.

So does that mean we'll see boys joining girls volleyball teams? Unlikely.

Federal courts generally have ruled that girls are a previously discriminated-against "class," and their rights of participation must be protected. That outweighs the rights of individual boys.

No, this might not be easy. Washington High wrestling coach Mac Murren has seen some of his boys compete against girls in Sioux City.

"I won't do it again," he said. "It's really an uncomfortable situation for our kids."

Anything new and different can be uncomfortable. That doesn't mean it's wrong.

McKeown wants to wrestle. Her only option is to be on the mat with boys.

But that is where we are in December 2002. Neither the state association nor the Sioux Falls School Board had any other choice. Their decisions were the right decisions for now.

It is time to swallow our discomfort and wish Erin McKeown well.

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Getting the hang of this: Girls wrestling team is proving a tough opponent in first season;

MEYLA T. HOOKER / Staff Writer
The Dallas Morning News 01-29-2003

The Frisco girls wrestling team continues to show why it's one of the
best programs in the state.

The Raccoons finished fifth out of nine teams at last weekend's
invitation-only State Duals tournament. Considering it is the program's
first year, the tournament appearance was impressive. Only nine out of
the 138 girls teams in the state were invited.

Unlike most squads, Frisco has this weekend off. The Raccoons don't
have to compete for a district title at Hebron because they are the only girls
team in their district. They received an automatic bid to the regional
tournament next weekend at South Grand Prairie.

"Some girls wrestled really well and some didn't last weekend," coach
Chuck Brown said. "We have a chance of advancing to state as a team, but that
will mean bringing our best at that time."

One of Frisco's challengers will be the always-competitive Arlington
Sam Houston team, which finished second behind Amarillo Caprock last
weekend. Houston's Katy and Lee rounded out the top four.

"The State Duals is like team tennis," Brown said. "The entire team
advances based on what they do during the season. We are not divided into
classifications yet, so we all compete against each other."

Allison Hooper (138) was one of four Raccoons wrestlers that finished
2-1 on the weekend. Mandie Heathcock (148), Jasmine Flores (102) and Katharine
Barreda (119

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She's just one of the guys
Colbert makes her way on the wrestling mat

By ROBERT WATSON
The Zone 12/19/02

Rashona Colbert looks like your average Flowery Branch High sophomore.
But don't let the braids and the glasses fool you.

When she takes off her glasses and straps on her headgear, this 4-foot-11.5, 102.5-pounder can flat out wrestle.

"I like winning," said Colbert, who is 14-4 as a member of the first-year Falcons. "I like to win, and I can win at (wrestling) if I keep working hard."

Colbert, 15, has six forfeits, four pins and four decisions this season. Her .777 winning percentage ranks third on the team.

"I've seen girls wrestle boys before, but I've never seen anybody that's as competitive as she is," said first-year Johnson coach Garry Glenn, a four-year wrestler at Jefferson High in the 1960s and a coach through the mid- '70s. "She's beat all my guys, everybody we've ever put out there against her."

Colbert combines athleticism with technique to beat her taller, bigger and stronger male competitors.

"She's an outstanding wrestler," second-year Pickens wrestling coach Sam Wigington said. "She deserves everything she gets."

Shona says every time she competes, there is at least one person who showers praise on her. Three Pickens fans congratulated Colbert after recording two pins at a dual meet in Jasper on Monday.

"When I was at this tournament the other day, this girl came up to me from the concession stand and told me 'You're my hero. I could never get on the mat and wrestle a guy,'" She said. "I was like 'Wow. Geez.' I didn't realize what an impact I made."

Her siblings do.

"She's a role model at my school," said sister, ChÈi Mia, 13, an eighth-grader at C.W. Davis, who has no interest in wrestling herself.

Their brother, Keith, is responsible as anyone for his sister after helping transform her from manager to wrestler. Naturally, he is thrilled to see his sister is happy.

"I feel good because she's getting what she wanted, to travel and to wrestle," said Keith, 10, a fifth-grader at Friendship Elementary, adding he could beat his sister "if I put my effort to it."

After watching Shona pin two opponents in Jasper, Keith reneged: "Naw. I couldn't beat Rashona if I put my effort into it."

After a two-year hiatus in junior programs, Keith plans to return to wrestling next season. He will be a sixth-grader at C.W. Davis.

Father Keith Colbert Sr., 35, who lettered in wrestling at East Hall before graduating in 1987, contends he never pushed his daughter into wrestling.

"She did it on her own," he said.

He and Keith Jr. introduced Shona to the sport. Keith Jr. wrestled on an USA youth team from 1996-98 while his father helped coach.

Shona filmed the matches.

The group traveled all over to tournaments at Parkview, Dacula and Buford. Shona practiced with her little brother to help prepare him for his meets.

She grew fond of both wrestling and traveling until one day, "I decided I wanted to wrestle," she said. "I did, and I liked it and I kept doing it."

Shona wrestled as an eighth-grader at C.W. Davis, but her father pulled her off the team when her grades began slipping.

With her academic affairs were in order, she tried to wrestle as a freshman at West Hall, but the school denied her the opportunity.

"I told her it was really over because I really didn't think any school in Hall County was going to let her wrestle," the elder Colbert said.

With her wrestling career in jeopardy, Shona transferred to Flowery Branch and was welcomed onto the school's team. The Falcons, in their first year, needed wrestlers, and Shona was a good one, according to Flowery Branch athletics director Shannon Benton.

"We don't make an issue over the fact that (she is) a girl," Falcons coach Shane Lancaster said. "I made it very clear when I found out that she wanted to wrestle that if she came out, I was going to treat her just like I did any other wrestler. There's no special treatment. The expectations for her are just the same as everyone else on the team."

Added Colbert: "They treat me like the same as everyone else. If I keep wrestling, I'll probably get better."