Recordpub.com - Crestwood's Nemec, Light set sights on titles

By Colin Harris
Record-Courier staff writer
MANTUA " This Saturday, approximately 100 of the best girls wrestlers throughout Ohio and neighboring states will converge at Austintown Fitch High School for a pair of championship tournaments.
Originally intended to be held last weekend at Mount Vernon College, the 10th Annual USGWA Ohio Girls Wrestling State Championships were postponed because of heavy snowfall.
The decision to postpone last weekend's events now combines the state championships with the Great Lakes USGWA Girls Wrestling Championships all into one day.
The event will begin this morning at 10 a.m. and will feature some of the most talented wrestlers from the area " including two Crestwood High School standouts: Sophomore Paige Nemec and senior Lisa Light.
Along with Nemec and Light, 30 other area competitors are expected to contend for the titles.
"The girls in this event will mostly be from Ohio, but girls wrestling for state championships are different from boys," said Dean Olson, head coach of the Northeast Ohio Girls Wrestling Club. "Because some states might not have the numbers, girls can compete in multiple state championships.
"This weekend, we're expecting girls from Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and even Indiana and Illinois," Olson said.
The championships is not exclusive to the high school level. It will also feature top competitors from the elementary and middle school levels as well.
Now in its seventh year of existence, the Northeast Ohio Girls Wrestling Club is expected to field one of the most talented groups competing at the tournament.
Based in Mantua, the club accepts girls from all across the Northeastern Ohio area.
"We have about 20 girls who belong to our club," Olson said. "We practice three days a week, and we have girls that drive from Barberton, Painesville, Austintown, Medina and Doylestown."
For many female wrestlers, their season extends beyond that of the high school season and tournaments like this offer a unique opportunity to compete against members of their own gender.
"For many girls, there are really two wrestling seasons," Olson said. "There's the boys season and the girls season. The boys are all done, but these girls are still training four nights a week for states and nationals.
"We look at the boys season as preparation for this time of the year," Olson said. "Girls love being able to practice and wrestle together as a group."