St. Stephen's/St. Agnes wrestler Sara Langsdorf remembers a matchshe won by pin earlier this season in the first round of atournament. It was a thrill for her - and traumatic for her opponent.
Her fallen opponent 'just sort of laid there and whispered, `Oh myGod,' ' said Langsdorf, who, along with Laura Hall and GretchenLukban of T.C. Williams, are the only three female high schoolwrestlers in Northern Virginia.
Langsdorf said she felt sorry for her opponent, realizing for himit was a no-win situation: 'When {boys} win people say, `You beat agirl, no big deal.' But when I win, he's going to hear it for therest of his wrestling career.'
Langsdorf, a freshman at the Alexandria private school, and Halland Lukban, both juniors, have seen and heard firsthand thesentiments of anti-feminism in the traditionally male sport. But theyalso have experienced the fulfilling, addicting pleasures ofcompeting in a sport that demands unmitigated dedication.
The three agree that they are not trying to make any socialstatements. 'If I did it just to go against everything,' saidLangsdorf, who has won four junior varsity matches this season, 'Iwould have quit a long time ago. I'm out there to wrestle, just likeeverybody else.'
Which is why, they say, the hardest part of the season has beenwhen an opponent forfeits. Once, St. Stephen's/St. Agnes Coach DavidHooper allowed Langsdorf to compete at the varsity level againstGeorgetown Prep. However, Prep elected to forfeit against Langsdorfat 125 pounds and have its 125-pounder move up to wrestle 130-poundAll-Met Brendan Noonan, who defeated him.
'It's a guy's sport, what can I tell you?' said Georgetown PrepCoach Jeff Trees. 'I guess I would have a problem if they allowedboys to play field hockey.'
The girls say that although the issue of boys and girls rollingaround on a mat may seem difficult to accept, it really has notpresented a problem.
'No one really tried anything,' said Langsdorf. 'You really don'tthink about it. I don't think of wrestlers as being guys when Iwrestle. They are just an opponent.'
Said Hall, whose mother works for the Equal Employment OpportunityCommission: 'Some of the guys thought it would be a problem, but it'snot. You can't really think about anything but wrestling. If {theboys} think about it it's going to put them at a disadvantage, andthen I'm going to pin them.'
The season has been somewhat easier for Langsdorf, 14, who hasbeen wrestling since she was 7, when she went to one of her brother'swrestling practices and figured she could do it. She has beenwrestling for the Saints' junior varsity team for two years becauseSt. Stephen's/St. Agnes has an eighth grade.
Hall and Lukban, each in her first year of wrestling, had topetition the Alexandria City Board of Education for permission toparticipate.
The Virginia High School League states that under federal Title IXregulations, if a school does not offer the equal number of sportsfor girls, it has to allow girls to compete in male-dominated sports.But if girls have equal offerings, it is up to the individualjurisdiction's school board. Langsdorf said she attended St.Stephen's/St. Agnes because Mount Vernon, in Fairfax County, wouldnot have allowed her to wrestle.
VHSL spokeswoman Claudia Dodson said that it is not unusual tohear about female wrestlers in southern Virginia, where usually notas many girls sports are offered. However, she said, she has heard ofnone this year.
After the girls were given permission to compete, even the mosttrivial details had to be addressed. Since the boys weigh in beforematches without clothes, separate weigh-ins had to be arranged. Now,the girls, who wear swim suits to the weigh-in, can request a femaletrainer.
The girls wear the conventional uniforms during competition.Langsdorf wears a sports bra, and Hall and Lukban put T-shirts overtheir uniforms.
'I hate the {uniforms},' said Langsdorf. 'They are not made to fitfemale proportions. They are very uncomfortable.'
Langsdorf wears her hair in a swimming cap and puts her head gearover that. Hall, who wrestles at 112 pounds after starting the seasonat 125 pounds, and Lukban (125 pounds) braid their hair.
As for wrestling, all three girls have had little success on themat. T.C. Williams Coach Mike Copperthite describes Hall and Lukban,who have yet to win a match, as 'poor to fair wrestlers.' But, saysHall, 'I think I could do really well if I started earlier. It'sgoing to take a very long time to become successful.'
Langsdorf said that she was more competitive when she was younger,but at about age 12, she noticed the boys started getting stronger.
And that is part of the reason the girls hear the comments theydo; why they see cartoons like one in a local newspaper that had asign on a gymnasium saying girls wrestling, with a large group ofboys rushing through the doors to watch; why they often arediscouraged by others to continue what they enjoy.
Despite the adversities, the three said the positive experienceshave far outweighed any negatives, and each plans on returning nextseason.
'I've tried several other sports,' said Hall, 'and I thinkwrestling is the best one. It's a total experience.'
