News Page

Prep Report: Kimmel goes to the mat to help Corns live dream

May 1, 2003

Jennifer Corns can't wait to wade in the athletic waters where few girls have dared to tread. In fact, she has no fear of getting in over her head.

Corns, a senior at Englewood, wants to wrestle on a college men's team. She is going to have that opportunity thanks to Colorado School of Mines wrestling coach Steve Kimmel.

Corns, who also runs sprints for the Pirates' track team, has been wrestling for only the past two years. But she has taken to the sport, and this past season she was a member of the boys wrestling team at Englewood.

Girls wrestling is not sanctioned by the Colorado High School Activities Association, but girls are allowed to wrestle on boys teams.

Corns posted a 10-14 overall record for Englewood, wrestling at 112 and 119 pounds, and went 7-8 competing on the varsity. She fell one win short of qualifying for the Class 4A state tournament. With one additional victory, Corns would have been the first girl to qualify for the boys state tournament.

After the boys season was completed, though, she finished third at the Girls State Wrestling Tournament at 126 pounds.

Corns, who wrestled in several women's tournaments out of state and fared well, has her sights set on becoming a member of the U.S. women's national team and hopes the college experience will help toward that goal.

"I think it could," Kimmel said. "I think, when she gets her first college match she might well be the first woman at the Division II level to wrestle on a men's team."

"At the beginning of the season I knew that I would have to gain a lot of respect to be taken seriously," Corns said. "Last summer I attended the Oklahoma Intensive Wrestling Camp in Stillwater and I was able to improve immensely. I have just fallen in love with the sport. I love track, too, but wrestling has really caught my attention."

Corns believes she gained some respect in her opening match this season against Kent Denver.

"I hit my opponent with a Japanese whizzer and pinned him (1 minute, 31 seconds)," Corns said. "At that point, they knew I could wrestle."

Her desire spills over onto the track.

"Jennifer is just a tough kid who will do anything and any event that we ask of her," Englewood track coach Jay Graves said. "She has a superior work ethic and, I will say this, is the best overall athlete we have on our team this spring."

That work ethic has paid off in the classroom, as well. Corns has had only one "B" in high school and carries a 3.99 grade-point average.

Corns, who wants to major in physics at Mines, approached Kimmel and asked what would she have to do to wrestle on the men's team. He has worked with female wrestlers before at various camps and clinics and thought about Corn's request.

"The fact that Jennifer has a lot of confidence for someone her age and certainly is not shy caught my attention," Kimmel said. "I felt we could give her that chance, but it's going to be a new experience for me, too. I've coached women in camps, but never had one on a team. She knows she is going to have to work twice as hard as the men, but that didn't deter her.

"Jennifer's size is a detriment right now, since the first weight in college is 125," Kimmel said. "She definitely is going to give up weight and she has no illusions about what she is up against."

Corns has not ruled out participating in track at Mines, too, to help increase her endurance. She also will be put on a weight-training program.

"I love the challenge, and I can't wait," Corns said. "Coach Kimmel has been great about this and he will probably take some guff. I don't want to let him down."