MacArthur High School paving the way in girl’s…
In the wrestling room in the back of the MacArthur High School gymnasium, you’ll discover the 17-member women wrestling workforce honing its craft.
It wouldn’t be unusual to search out the music bumping as the women paired off to work on a transfer or working laps round the room to cool down from a long apply.
While the scene could sound like a day’s work for any high college sports activities workforce, the women wrestling workforce at the suburban Long Island high college is a bit of a rarity.
Hannah Janov warms up at apply. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
While high college wrestling — and women’ high college wrestling, in explicit — has been growing throughout the nation, MacArthur was the first all-girls high college wrestling workforce in Nassau County.
It’s a distinction that the workforce — coached by Nick Rausenberger and Travis Cooksey and captained by senior Gabbi Schechtman — has taken pleasure in all through its first season in existence.
“I think girls wrestling is being seen in a new light,” Schechtman stated. “I think that women’s wrestling is growing around the country, especially on Long Island. And now that there’s developed girls teams, I think the stigma around women’s wrestling is really decreasing.”
Olivia Rausenberger is taken down by Taylor Brock as coach Nick Rausenberger appears on at apply for MacArthur High School women wrestling Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
In Nassau County, MacArthur and Uniondale High School are the solely all-girls wrestling groups at the high college degree, and in Suffolk, there are simply 5 sanctioned high college women groups.
The MacArthur program contains women not simply from the district, but additionally from different colleges similar to JFK Bellmore, Farmingdale, Syosset, Mepham, Herricks and Seaford.
It’s a combine of athletes whose abilities vary from having change into concerned in the sport at a younger age to those that have stepped onto the mat for the first time.
Wrestling coach Nick Rausenberger provides pointers at apply for MacArthur High School women wrestling workforce on Jan. 28, 2025, in Levittown, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Their introductions to the sport can fluctuate from having a member of the family or pal compete to easily listening to an announcement in school and desirous to strive one thing new, however regardless, the ardour for wrestling is obvious.
“It’s part of my life now and I love it so much,” stated junior Justine Zheng, who attends Seaford High School and picked up the sport for the first time this yr.
Girls wrestling has change into one of the fastest-growing high college sports activities in the nation with the quantity of individuals throughout each genders growing.
In New York, there was a 63 % increase in high college women wrestling participation from the 2023-24 educational yr to the present educational yr, based on knowledge supplied to The Post by NYSPHSAA.
Olivia Rausenberger takes down her dad, coach Nick Rausenberge, at apply. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Nationwide, the quantity of women collaborating in high college wrestling jumped to 50,000 in 2023, based on a report from the Associated Press.
In its first yr, McArthur didn’t compete in twin meets, as a substitute getting into women wrestling tournaments on Long Island, primarily in Suffolk County.
It competed in tournaments in Huntington, Bay Shore and Copiague, Rausenberger stated.
The program will compete in the Nassau County women wrestling championships this weekend, and Rausenberger is assured he’ll have a number of wrestlers qualify for a spot in state championships.
Faith Juwana is taken down by Sophia Lombardo. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Members of the workforce have seen the impression the program has had in encouraging different women to get entangled with the sport.
“There’s also like a bunch of younger girls that come to the tournaments and younger brothers and they’ll like see, like, a bunch of girls just, like, being strong and it definitely inspires them,” stated Gauri Sharma, a sophomore from Herricks. “I know a lot of girls from my school, they come up to me, they’re not even interested in wrestling, but they’re like, ‘You’re so cool.’ This is like opening a door, like, ‘I wanna try this.’ Especially me when I was in sixth grade, I didn’t even know what wrestling was. And I just, like, discovered it one day.”
“I think next year we’ll definitely have more girls because we’re getting more recognized now,” stated Sophia Lombardo, a sophomore from Farmingdale. “Just by word of mouth from all the girls from different districts. So I really hope this team can grow in the next season.”
That’s the hope of Rausenberger as properly, whose daughter is a member of the workforce and envisions the MacArthur program being a place to begin for different women high college groups in the county.
“The goal for this is to have these girls know that it’s OK to come in here and then hopefully other girls from your school try it out in the years to come,” he stated. “And then enough of them come the place they will then break off and change into their own workforce.
“That’s how we can help grow this. And, you know, first and foremost, and the most important thing, is just to let the girls out there that are like, ‘I don’t know if I want to try it because it’s such a stigma that it’s a guy sport,’ come give it a shot. Come take a look at it. You may like it. That’s kind of the philosophy that I have.”
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