It’s no secret that girls and women’s wrestling have seen an incredible surge throughout the country. A decade ago, there were only 11,000 female wrestlers nationwide. Nowadays, that number has eclipsed 74,000. Ithaca High School is the latest school to add to the sport’s rapid rise.
This year marks the first-ever time that Ithaca High has fielded an all-girls varsity wrestling team. While they’ve had a few female wrestlers in recent memory, they were part of a male-heavy co-ed squad. But that all changed this year when the new athletics administration—led by athletic director Kari Burke—created the program. The rest is quite literally history.
“I am immensely grateful for the support of the athletic department and the boys’ wrestling coaching staff at IHS,” said head coach Kate Zavuholnik. “There is a good deal of impostor syndrome that comes with being a younger woman in this role, and there is a lot of pressure to over perform when you are the underdog. The thing that keeps me grounded is my athletes. Everything I do is for them. If they feel even a little bit more confident, more capable, and more strong—not just as wrestlers but as humans—then I believe that I have succeeded as a coach.”
Zavuholnik is no stranger to pioneering new programs. Three years ago, she co-founded the Cornell Women’s Wrestling Club as only a freshman. Two years later, she joined the Ithaca High wrestling staff to coach the girls on the team. Now she leads a roster of 10 wrestlers, a strong base for expansion in the years to come.
“This season, I really focused on trying to curate a supportive and fun environment to help with retention rates,” Zavuholnik said. “I think [for] a lot of these girls, it was their first time being on a sports team. The commitment that comes with that is a lot. This takes up all of your time, pretty much. It’s just creating an environment in the room in which they look forward to being there, rather than dreading and just wanting them to come back next year.”
The Little Red is a young unit with no seniors. But that doesn’t mean they fully lack experience. Look no further than Rayna Coller. The junior put together a solid sophomore season with a 16-8 record, but she has elevated her game to another level this time around. Coller boasts a 23-4 mark in the 126 weight class with her most notable accomplishment being a STAC title.
“Rayna shows up every single day to practice, never makes an excuse, puts her head down, and wrestles,” Zavuholnik said. “Everyone in the room really looks up to her, and I really appreciate that about her. Rayna is incredible. She started out already being really athletic. It’s a lot easier to be successful in wrestling once you come in being really athletic.”
Another wrestler who has two years of varsity experience under her belt is Brooke Parker. The junior also competes in the 126 weight class and is also enjoying a strong season with a 17-9 record, including a fourth-place finish at STACs.
“Brooke and Rayna are practice partners, so I think they push each other and make each other better,” Zavuholnik said.
As for the newcomers, Zinnia Faraday has put together some impressive performances in the 132 weight class. The freshman holds a 14-13 record, most notably placing fourth at STACs
“Zinnia is very inquisitive and creative,” Zavuholnik said. “She challenges me to think about how to most effectively explain things. We see this a lot in girls. They really care about the why and the bigger picture of moves, rather than just muscling them. She asks a lot of questions, which I appreciate. Her head is always turned on, and she soaks up a lot of information. She brings a flare to the room. She’s an incredible teenager, and I love that she’s part of the team.”
The Little Red’s focus is locked on even more postseason glory as they gear up for sectionals, which will take place on February 13 at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton. While the environment can be daunting, Zavuholnik hopes her team wrestles like they have nothing to lose.
“I encourage them to look at it like it’s just another match, another opportunity to get better and not put so much pressure on themselves,” Zavuholnik said. “You just go out there and it’s wrestling, trusting yourself and trusting your body, trusting the training that you put in, and treating every match like just another match and not being worried about the rankings of your opponent.”
Along with the Little Red’s success as STACs, another highlight from their inaugural season was holding their first-ever home dual meet, taking place on January 28 against Susquehanna Valley. It was the first of many times that Bliss Gymnasium will showcase the nation’s fastest-growing high school sport.
“All of the athletes came out with such great energy that everyone in the stands could feel,” Zavuholnik said. “The goal of this season was to build a foundation for the team, and we did just that.”
