Record-high Redmond girls wrestling team looking forward to state tournament, future of girls wrestling

(Update: adding video, comments from Redmond wrestlers, coaches)

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Redmond wrestling is expecting big things from its boys team and its girls team, with a record number of athletes, expects a strong showing too.

The tournament in Portland is delayed a day due to weather issues -- the major snowstorm that has hit the area.

Mackenzie Shearon is the top ranked 140 pound girls wrestler in the state.

“I’m first seed for state but they’re definitely tough girls in my bracket so it will still be a battle,” Shearon said. 

She started wrestling in 4th grade, and convinced her friend Maralise Benson to try out this year.

“Well I just knew I was strong and so if I put my mind to it then I would be able to do it hopefully,” Benson said. 

Wrestling continues to grow in Redmond with more than 70 kids trying out for the team this year.

Plus they had a school record 12 athletes on the girls team with even more coming out next year.

From 2012 to 2023, Oregon went from 131 girl's wrestlers at 39 schools, to more than one thousand wrestlers at 157 schools.

Just in the past year the number of girl's wrestlers increased nearly 12%.

Head coach Kris Davis, who’s been around the sport for 26 years, says the growing opportunities for collegiate women's wrestling, and even more online videos of girls wrestling, have helped spark interest in young athletes.

“Girls sports, girls wrestling in general, is saving wrestling as a whole, within the college and high school area,” Davis said.

The girls fall under the Redmond Wrestling umbrella, but compete on their own.

Shearon clarified they are their own unit.

“Well we kind of do have a separate girls team,” Shearon said. “We go to girls tournaments and we duel with other girls teams."

But, they still practice with the boys.

Davis emphasized the reason.

“We do it a little bit differently than maybe some schools do just because we feel like it's important that our girls have an opportunity to work with the boys and see what the coaching staff as a whole is trying to represent and ask them to do the same thing,” Davis said. 

Benson enjoys the practice competition.

“There’s nobody in my weight class that I could wrestle with,” Benson said. “So having boys to wrestle with has definitely pushed me to be a lot better because you know, boys are a lot harder especially when they’re wrestling with girls they want to prove themselves.”

Davis is proud of the girls' growth, like Benson who in her first year is ranked fourth in her weight class.

Benson is more modest.

“I’m just honestly surprised with myself that I made it to state my first year,” Benson said. “I’m excited to be able to participate with one of my good friends and just have a blast honestly.”

Kelly Foster with the OSAA tells NewsChannel 21, in April, a proposal to add girls wrestling as an officially sanctioned sport, will be presented.