When KAHS cut gymnastics as a girls’ winter sport, eighth-grader Jamie Krantz decided to join wrestling. It was something she considered as a seventh-grader, but the conflict of gymnastics forced her to choose aerobatics over the physical contact sport. “In gymnastics, you did more of what you want. In wrestling, there is a lot of conditioning. You work really hard,” Krantz said. She was one of two girls who pursued the sport this season. Recently, Emily Straley, the other female competitor, dropped out. Straley was wrestling at the 119 varsity weight class and Krantz has filled this position. Her teamwork has helped out. In a recent meet at Holdingford, Thursday, Jan. 8, Krantz earned one point for the team. “She will go at whatever weight we need her at,” KAHS head wrestling coach Frank Schiefelbein said. “Right now, we don’t have a 119 pounder so she wrestles at that.” Krantz was encouraged to join wrestling by her three brothers. “They told me I should join, I tried it and liked it so I stayed in.” Krantz started wrestling in fifth grade. She was new to the Kimball school district and a sheet promoting the sport was distributed at school. It gave elementary students the opportunity to participate. This spurred Krantz’s interest. “[In wrestling] I learned how to get along with different people I am not used to.” Krantz has grown to respect her teammates, which is reciprocated. “When I do good, they always tell me ways to improve and say I did a good job,” Krantz said. Schiefelbein added that the team sees Krantz as a player and doesn’t treat her differently because of her gender. “It’s more typical for girls to be involved, especially in elementary.” He said that physically, wrestlers are more equal as elementary students. Competition becomes more difficult as students grow. “[Girls] have a real disadvantage because they are not as strong,” Scheifelbein said. “When they get older they don’t have the strength.” Schiefelbein said he doesn’t train his female wrestlers differently than others on the team. But his coaching techniques may help Kimball girls stay in the competition longer. “They do well here because we do a lot of strength conditioning and techniques.” Krantz said the best part of the experience is getting a win, which she did as an elementary student. “When you win, you feel really good about yourself.” She also challenges others to be involved in non-traditional activities. “If you try your hardest, if people talk against you, ignore them and do what you like no matter what it is.”
