What additions of Knoch, Slippery Rock teams mean for growth of girls wrestling in Butler County
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Miranda LaJevic, left, practices wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland, left, practices wrestling positions during girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland poses for a portrait after a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic poses for a portrait after a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland poses for a portrait after a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland practices the starting position during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic practices wrestling positions with coach Logan Downes during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland practices wrestling positions with coach Logan Downes during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland practices wrestling positions with coach Logan Downes during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Braylee Ireland, left, and Miranda LaJevic poses for a portrait after a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, front, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, right, and Braylee Ireland practice wrestling positions during a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Miranda LaJevic, left, and Braylee Ireland pose for a portrait after a girls wrestling practice Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, at Knoch Intermediate Elementary School. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Girls wrestling is sweeping the country, and Pennsylvania is right in the middle of the onslaught.
Butler County is doing its part to help stoke the fire.
Within the last two months, Knoch and Slippery Rock became the third and fourth school districts, respectively, in the county to approve a varsity girls team.
There are now 242 schools in Pennsylvania that have added girls wrestling after the PIAA gave the green light to the sport before the 2023-24 season.
Butler and Seneca Valley were the two schools in the county to field a team a year ago.
"These girls are proving that (wrestling) isn't just for men anymore," Butler coach Nathan Bottiger said. "Every time a new girl gains her first win and has her hand raised, there's a spark of passion and drive in it.
"Pennsylvania is and has been generally regarded as one of the top three toughest wrestling states in the country for decades. It's about pride and culture, and Pennsylvania girls have made it a point to carry on that tradition."
Knoch's Kaylee Ireland had already turned in a strong regular season on the mat and was looking forward to competing in the WPIAL girls wrestling tournament last February.
That opportunity was taken from her in a flash.
The Knights had yet to approve girls wrestling as an official sport, and Ireland was competing on the boys team. In her final bout prior to the postseason, she was facing a male competitor when she tore her MCL, ending her season with a 12-10 record. All 22 bouts came against boys.
"I was hyped to see how I could do against girls at WPIALs," Ireland said. "Having to stop wrestling just like that was really upsetting, and it took a mental toll on me."
Now a junior, Ireland's high school career moving forward will come against other girls as Knoch's school board in October approved a varsity girls team.
Logan Downes, who has 15 years of coaching experience in wrestling at various levels, most recently with Burrell's elementary program, will be the program's first head coach.
"JB (Orris, Knoch's boys coach) knows me well," Downes said. "When the girls team was approved, he contacted me, seeing if I would be interested in applying for the job. I talked it over with my family, and it took about 24 hours for me to decide to go after it.
"The energy has been awesome (at practice). I don't have to remind them what they are a part of. They're a part of history, the first girls wrestling team at Knoch, and they know it."
Slippery Rock joined the party when the program was approved Nov. 11. The Rockets have three rather green freshmen girls who will compete at the junior high level with seven others this year to gain experience.
"The number of girls wrestlers has been increasing at our lower levels the last couple of years," Slippery Rock junior high and youth coach Kevin Shamblin said. "It was inevitable that a varsity team would get started. We'll be competing just at tournaments this season. Next year, we should have at least three sophomores and four freshmen on the varsity team."
Brie Simons is in her third year as athletic director at Slippery Rock.
"Forming a girls team was not on my to-do list when I started," she said. "But when Kevin approached me and told me about the growing number of girls wrestling on his teams, it seemed fitting to create a separate varsity team for them.
"I want there to be more opportunities for kids, and this is one of them. A wrestling team gives girls something deeper to strive for because they're now able to compete on an even playing field."
Knoch's girls, with eight wrestlers on the roster, will compete in a mix of tournaments and dual matches this season.
"We have girls who are willing to put the work in," Downes said. "I'm excited to have them see what the sport has to offer beyond wins and losses."
