Boy forfeits instead of wrestling girl at high school tournament

[SteelerFan87]

Iowa High School Wrestler Defaults Match So He Wouldn't Face Girl

Published February 17, 2011
| Associated Press
Print Email Share Comments (1087) Text Size

AP

Feb. 17: Cedar Falls' Casey Herkleman gets her arm raised after winning by default in a Class 3A 112 pound match at the Iowa State Wrestling tournament in Des Moines, Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A standout Iowa high school wrestler refused to compete against a girl at the state tournament on Thursday, relinquishing any chance of becoming a champion because he says wrestling a girl would conflict with his religious beliefs.

Joel Northrup, a home-schooled sophomore who was 35-4 wrestling for Linn-Mar High School this season, praised his first-round opponent, Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman, and Ottumwa sophomore Megan Black, who became the first two girls to make the state wrestling tournament in its 85-year history.

But in a brief statement issued through his school, Northrup said he defaulted on his match with Herkelman because he doesn't think boys and girls should compete in the sport.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan and their accomplishments.

However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times," said Northrup. "As a matter of conscience and my 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."

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE
INTERESTED IN
Common Interviewing Mistakes College Students Make 5 Tips for Baby Boomers Hitting 65 Father of Sibling Music Group The 5 Browns Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing His Three Daughters Wisconsin Governor to Missing Democrats: Do Your Job Investigators: Sadistic Father Confesses to Trying to Kill Son With Toxic Chemicals There were several thousand fans at Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday, but many were watching other matches when the referee raised Herkelman's hand to signal her win. There was a smattering of cheers and boos from the crowd before Herkelman was whisked into the bowels of the arena.

Tournament organizers declined to make Herkelman available for questions. She entered the tournament with a 20-13 record and will wrestle Friday in the quarterfinals of the 112-pound (50.8-kilogram) weight class.

Her father, Bill Herkelman, told The Associated Press via text message that he understands and respects Northrup's decision.

"It's nice to get the first win and have her be on the way to the medal round," Bill Herkelman wrote. "I sincerely respect the decision of the Northrup family especially since it was made on the biggest stage in wrestling. I have heard nothing but good things about the Northrup family and hope Joel does very well the remainder of the tourney."

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, more than 6,000 girls competed in wrestling in 2009-10 -- compared with nearly 275,000 boys. Though most states require girls to wrestle boys, California, Hawaii, Texas, Washington and Tennessee sponsor girls-only high school wrestling tournaments.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/...l-wrestler-defaults-match-wouldnt-face-girl/#

Thoughts? I think the kid made the right decision in a situation that really sucks. IMO, he should be taken out of the loser's bracket and put against the boy who beat this girl in the next round.

 

[MAYHEM]

Thou shalt not wrestle women? :shrug:


I think she deserved a shot to win fairly...who wants to win by forfeit. He should have participated.

 

[Flagg the Wanderer]

Ironic that this happens in one of the few sports where (IMO) boys and girls can compete on basically an even playing field, since male's natural speed & strength advantages is mitigated and a female's natural flexibility and pain tolerance advantages are highlighted.

But personally, I think the kid was just scared that he was going to pop wood during the match.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[OffTopic]

Pick her up like a 6 pack and call it good.

 

[MAYHEM]

But personally, I think the kid was just scared that he was going to pop wood during the match.
Posted via Mobile Device

That, or afraid that he could "lose to a girl".


Plus he's in a 112 lb weightclass...Who weighs 112 lbs anyway, besides girls in high school.

 

[WisColtFan7]

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2011/...l-wrestler-defaults-match-wouldnt-face-girl/#

Thoughts? I think the kid made the right decision in a situation that really sucks. IMO, he should be taken out of the loser's racket and put against the boy who beat this girl in the next round.

If he's that good he will make his way through wrestle-backs and can finish I believe as high as 5th. I applaud his courage to stand by his beliefs, although I don't share them, for a chance at short-lived glory. Being a state champion wrestler in Iowa is a HUGE deal

Also, I'd like to give congratulations to the young woman for being the first female to win a match at the Iowa State tournament. She may not win, but she will be in the record books forever.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[WisColtFan7]

That, or afraid that he could "lose to a girl".


Plus he's in a 112 lb weightclass...Who weighs 112 lbs anyway, besides girls in high school.

A kid in my HS wrestled at 112 his senior year, after wrestling at 103 his first 3 years. Never had to cut weight either. Of course, he was only about 5'3" on a good day...
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[SteelerFan87]

Thou shalt not wrestle women? :shrug:


I think she deserved a shot to win fairly...who wants to win by forfeit. He should have participated.

Yeah, I don't know about the "religious beliefs" part. But come on. The kid is in an impossible situation. If he loses, he will get crushed for losing to a girl. If he beats her, especially if he dominates her, he'll get criticized for beating up a girl. Wrestling is a combat sport. I think it's perfectly understandable, and commendable, for a boy to refuse to fight a girl.

I used to take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. One day, we were doing this thing where we kind of sparred, and rotated opponents. There was 1 girl there. Eventually, I got matched up with her. It was a quick "ok, time's up. Switch. Now go" kind of thing, so I didn't really have time to think about it. So I'm on my knees with this girl on her back and her legs wrapped around me, and I'm supposed to get out of this while she tries to get me in a submission. There was imediately the awkwardness of "ok, where do I put my hands?", and trying to avoid her chest. Now, I was kind of lucky because I just had to get out of her guard, I didn't have to actually beat her, and it wasn't an all out, intense, actual match. And also the fact that as I tried to pull up off of her, she tried to swing her leg over my shoulders to get me in a particular submission, and ended up kicking me in the face, so by the time she was done apologizing and we were ready to start again, the time was up and we switched again.

I mean, certainly there are situations where playful wrestling with a girl is ok. But serious competition where the goal is to physically dominate your opponent by any means necessary? I mean, what are you teaching the kid then? It's ok to fight girls?

 

[OffTopic]

The dudes that did at my school were 145 during football season and went down to 119 for wrestling.

A steady diet of Copenhagen helped them get there. They looked ****ed, but they won. We had some good ****ers.

Wrestlers are the toughest SOB's you'll ever meet. I saw a 5'3" 135lb buddy of mine wrap up a 6ft 200lb football player, no problem.

 

[OffTopic]

I mean, certainly there are situations where playful wrestling with a girl is ok. But serious competition where the goal is to physically dominate your opponent by any means necessary? I mean, what are you teaching the kid then? It's ok to fight girls?

The day she signed up she agreed to be a weight class and opponent, nothing else.

Now, if he had to wrestle 5 people to get the gold and 4 of them were girls, I wouldn't brag about that medal if I was him, lol.

 

[MAYHEM]

The dudes that did at my school were 145 during football season and went down to 119 for wrestling.

A steady diet of Copenhagen helped them get there. They looked ****ed, but they won. We had some good ****ers.

Wrestlers are the toughest SOB's you'll ever meet. I saw a 5'3" 135lb buddy of mine wrap up a 6ft 200lb football player, no problem.

145 lb football players...musta been scrawney cornerbacks? I'm not a big guy, but I havnt weighed under 150 since middle school.

I had a few wrestler friends, one who had to act anorexic to hit a certain weight the high school needed spots for. Why not just wrestle in your natural weight class is what I would wonder.

 

[SteelerFan87]

Ironic that this happens in one of the few sports where (IMO) boys and girls can compete on basically an even playing field, since male's natural speed & strength advantages is mitigated and a female's natural flexibility and pain tolerance advantages are highlighted.
But personally, I think the kid was just scared that he was going to pop wood during the match.
Posted via Mobile Device

I don't know about that. I know I got my ass kicked in BJJ by some dudes who looked like they were, or at least could have been, on the football team, entirely because of their greater strength. I mean, if I had been an expert and they were n00bs, sure I probably would have won. But given equal talent level, IMO strength is going to be a major advantage. Speed too. The instructor, whenever he wanted to actually try instead of just teach, could turn you into a pretzel before you even knew what was happening, because by the time you realized and reacted to his first movement, he was already on his 2nd or 3rd before you could even do anything.

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Yeah, I don't know about the "religious beliefs" part. But come on. The kid is in an impossible situation. If he loses, he will get crushed for losing to a girl. If he beats her, especially if he dominates her, he'll get criticized for beating up a girl. Wrestling is a combat sport. I think it's perfectly understandable, and commendable, for a boy to refuse to fight a girl.

I used to take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. One day, we were doing this thing where we kind of sparred, and rotated opponents. There was 1 girl there. Eventually, I got matched up with her. It was a quick "ok, time's up. Switch. Now go" kind of thing, so I didn't really have time to think about it. So I'm on my knees with this girl on her back and her legs wrapped around me, and I'm supposed to get out of this while she tries to get me in a submission. There was imediately the awkwardness of "ok, where do I put my hands?", and trying to avoid her chest. Now, I was kind of lucky because I just had to get out of her guard, I didn't have to actually beat her, and it wasn't an all out, intense, actual match. And also the fact that as I tried to pull up off of her, she tried to swing her leg over my shoulders to get me in a particular submission, and ended up kicking me in the face, so by the time she was done apologizing and we were ready to start again, the time was up and we switched again.

I mean, certainly there are situations where playful wrestling with a girl is ok. But serious competition where the goal is to physically dominate your opponent by any means necessary? I mean, what are you teaching the kid then? It's ok to fight girls?

 

[WisColtFan7]

I don't know about that. I know I got my ass kicked in BJJ by some dudes who looked like they were, or at least could have been, on the football team, entirely because of their greater strength. I mean, if I had been an expert and they were n00bs, sure I probably would have won. But given equal talent level, IMO strength is going to be a major advantage. Speed too. The instructor, whenever he wanted to actually try instead of just teach, could turn you into a pretzel before you even knew what was happening, because by the time you realized and reacted to his first movement, he was already on his 2nd or 3rd before you could even do anything.

It has something to do with strength, but more importantly a man's center of gravity as opposed to a woman's. Men generally have a lower center of gravity, usually in the hips, which in wrestling is critical. Being able to use your hips in a way to gain and maintain leveragae is usally the difference between winning and losing
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[MAYHEM]

Yeah, I don't know about the "religious beliefs" part. But come on. The kid is in an impossible situation. If he loses, he will get crushed for losing to a girl. If he beats her, especially if he dominates her, he'll get criticized for beating up a girl. Wrestling is a combat sport. I think it's perfectly understandable, and commendable, for a boy to refuse to fight a girl.

I used to take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. One day, we were doing this thing where we kind of sparred, and rotated opponents. There was 1 girl there. Eventually, I got matched up with her. It was a quick "ok, time's up. Switch. Now go" kind of thing, so I didn't really have time to think about it. So I'm on my knees with this girl on her back and her legs wrapped around me, and I'm supposed to get out of this while she tries to get me in a submission. There was imediately the awkwardness of "ok, where do I put my hands?", and trying to avoid her chest. Now, I was kind of lucky because I just had to get out of her guard, I didn't have to actually beat her, and it wasn't an all out, intense, actual match. And also the fact that as I tried to pull up off of her, she tried to swing her leg over my shoulders to get me in a particular submission, and ended up kicking me in the face, so by the time she was done apologizing and we were ready to start again, the time was up and we switched again.

I mean, certainly there are situations where playful wrestling with a girl is ok. But serious competition where the goal is to physically dominate your opponent by any means necessary? I mean, what are you teaching the kid then? It's ok to fight girls?

I look at wrestling as a sport to have fun and keep in shape...not as a bloodsport or anything. Nothing wrong with girls learning ow to compete in a sport of tehir choice, or learning how to defend themselves. heaven forbid you accidentally might have touched a breast....oppurtunities, youre missing them.

 

[Jaric]

I wrestled when I was younger. I was also raised to never get physical with a woman (aside from the obvious of course)

There is no way I would ever perform 90% of the moves we learned in wrestling on a girl, even if she agreed to it. If that makes me sexist, so be it. I'm not saying it's wrong for the girl to wrestle, only that I would have an issue wrestling her.

 

[OffTopic]

145 lb football players...musta been scrawney cornerbacks? I'm not a big guy, but I havnt weighed under 150 since middle school.

I had a few wrestler friends, one who had to act anorexic to hit a certain weight the high school needed spots for. Why not just wrestle in your natural weight class is what I would wonder.

He was only about 5"8" :shrug: I think he was more like 165 now that I think about it.

I think it was 145 when we were freshman and weight class was 113
then 119, then 126- which was when he was about 165. The wrestlers always put the weight class they won sections with on their lettermans. That always stood out to me, especially because I was 6ft and 145, lol. I remember it was like 40 pounds he would lose in about 6 wks. Only chewing to help rid himself of fluids and running with a garbage bag on him. The dude was skeletal.

 

[OffTopic]

I wrestled when I was younger. I was also raised to never get physical with a woman (aside from the obvious of course)

There is no way I would ever perform 90% of the moves we learned in wrestling on a girl, even if she agreed to it. If that makes me sexist, so be it. I'm not saying it's wrong for the girl to wrestle, only that I would have an issue wrestling her.

Not that you are sexist, just that you didn't want to **** her up, no?

I can understand why a dude would say no, and I could understand why a dude wouldn't let some silly girl get in his way.

Personal preference, I suppose. Either way is all good to me.

 

[MAYHEM]

I wrestled when I was younger. I was also raised to never get physical with a woman (aside from the obvious of course)

There is no way I would ever perform 90% of the moves we learned in wrestling on a girl, even if she agreed to it. If that makes me sexist, so be it. I'm not saying it's wrong for the girl to wrestle, only that I would have an issue wrestling her.

I never wrestled myself except in gym class when they made us..maybe its more physical than I rememer. We just learned armbars and half nelsons or whatnot. Hardest action I saw were slams.

I know that the positon you start in, whatever that is called...doggy?...would be far better having a girl.

 

[MAYHEM]

Anyone ever wrestle a girl? No girls wrestled at my schools, but I do remember girls playing football. Had a big Samoan chick play offensive line for one of the high schools on a military base I was at. I dont like seeing girls play football, but on the other hand I'd feel like an ass for refusing to play because of them.