Franklin Central girls’ wrestling program was introduced this school year; from that point on, it's been growing tremendously. The team has an amazing track record so far; they have won nearly every meet they have competed in, allowing them to advance to the IHSSA tournament. Six members of the team were also ranked top of their classes. The team full of fierce women was also able to make it to State. Savana Garner, Dayauna Myers, Jenna Thompson, Claire Bennet, and Lillana Towne all advanced in their weight classes to State. At State, Jenna Thompson placed 4th and teammate Dayauna Myers placed 6th. Coaching the group of ladies is Kevin Moore. He has coached the boys wrestling team and wanted to expand the sport and his coaching abilities to girls as well. “Women are easier to coach, they work harder, and the women we have now are learning things about themselves I don't believe they would have ever discovered without being pushed,” Moore says. Over the years, more and more women have been pushing to have women's wrestling teams to be recognized at schools. “Women’s wrestling is a growing sport. I enjoy coaching wrestlers and athletes that want to push themselves to new limits. Women have been absent from the wrestling scene in Indiana for long enough,” Moore says. Coach Moore first saw women wrestling in college and since then he has been inspired by their work ethic, strength, and intelligence. Coach Moore says, “A women’s wrestling program is huge for the school. It gives women who never had a healthy output for those aggressive emotions, an appropriate place to voice the frustrations. Women’s wrestling is huge at our school because it gives our women who might not enjoy team sports a chance to shine as an individual while still representing our school and community.” Already in the first year of the official team, the girls have made it to State. Going to State is an amazing opportunity for any sport, but since this is the first year of girls’ wrestling, it was a grand accomplishment. Sophomore Dayauna Myers says that making it to State was a great experience that she was proud to accomplish. “Whenever I found out that I was going to state I was thrilled, I couldn’t believe that my first year of wrestling I was going to State.” Even though Myers is highly talented at wrestling, there were new challenges with heading to state. “Wrestling at State was amazing but it was a lot tougher than I expected. There were a lot of girls that have been wrestling for much longer than I have. So much respect to them and congratulations for those girls that made it to State as well,” Myers says. Myers’ teammate junior Jenna Thompson also advanced to State, and she also shared the same astonishing feeling once she found out she was going to State as a first-year player. “When I found out I was heading to State, I was so excited and in shock since this is my first year.” Thompson recalls being at State and how amazing all the other girls were there. “State was such a fun experience. There were girls from all over the state and all the girls there were very talented.” Thompson says that everyone should experience girls’ wrestling since there's so many life lessons that can be learned. Myers agrees with Thompson saying, “Wrestling is a very tough, competitive, steady-minded sport. Wrestling is important to me because it showed me how to get through tough times. Wrestling can get really rough at times and it showed me how to be mentally stronger.”