BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com

The clock is ticking for Great Bend High School junior Natalie Garza.
If Garza wants to wrestle strictly against girls in Kansas, the approval has to occur in the next six months. Garza is one of nine Panther pioneers who are making a statement that girls deserve their own wrestling division.
Kansas high schools are working to establish girls wrestling as a Kansas State High School Activities Association-sponsored state event. More than 24 schools must establish girls wrestling programs for the KSHSAA to approve girls wrestling as an approved sport for 2018-2019.
Garza prefers that girls are tested by their skill and ability rather than sheer strength when they wrestle against boys.
“We need girls against girls,” she said. “It’s a lot better wrestling against girls. The girls are really competitive. It’s a lot more fun.”
Garza and teammate Mady Bittner achieved school history by earning first-place medals at the Panthers’ girls wrestling tournament in December. Garza (106) won four matches on pins. Bittner (113) pinned five foes, including beating teammate Sienna Serna.
Sienna Serna (113) and Linzie Miller (132) placed runner-up. Savannah Kennon (126) and Meleny Carrarco (113-120) finished third, Marissa Hanrahan (126) finished fourth and Ali Pierce (106) placed fifth.
“I knew we could do well,” Garza said. “I was happy how well we did. Some of the girls had never wrestled. They understand that if you enjoy wrestling, it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose. You’re out there doing something you enjoy.”
Great Bend wrestling coach Nathan Broeckelman said Garza encouraged classmates to try wrestling.
“We had Natalie coming back and a few of the managers wanted to wrestle, if they could wrestle girls, so I put a lot of the recruiting on them,” he said. “I mentioned it to a few girls, but most of it came from the girls.”
Garza said she enjoys the fellowship and being part of a team with other girls competing.
“I was really happy when I saw how many girls started wrestling,” she said. “It surprised me and the coaches. Knowing I’m not the only girl out here, it’s nice having more girls because now I can talk to them.”
Broeckelman wants girls to see a level playing field wrestling against girls.
“Girls wrestling needs to be separate at this level,” he said. “Females are at a disadvantage when wrestling against boys at the high school level as far as physicality goes.”
Broeckelman said the Panther girls feature a wide range of experience.
“We have girls who have never stepped on a wrestling mat to girls who have competed at national level tournaments,” he said. “Some wanted to just try it. Others want the possibility to earn college scholarships.”
Broeckelman said the girls can learn the same lessons as the boys by testing their ability in a challenging sport.
“Girls learn all sorts of lessons,” he said. “It varies from nutrition to some ways to help defend themselves if they are ever in a situation.”
Broeckelman said the girls receive no shortcuts.
“The atmosphere has not changed in the wrestling room,” he said. “The girls fall right in and do what we ask. There are times that they work just as hard if not harder than the boys that day.”