Carly Peterson

The arena is booming, packed to the brim with people. Referee whistles fill the air. The lights are so bright it’s blinding for a moment. Your heart pounds, adrenaline coursing through your veins, shouting, cheering on your team. One false move, one second of hesitation could cost the match. This is NSAA state wrestling.
Girls wrestling goes down in history as CHI Health center hosted the very first girls only state wrestling tournament on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. The girls had a two-day standalone state tournament separate from the boys, which concluded on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
Competing in state or even qualifying is very difficult. Only the best of the best are selected, many who do qualify for state usually started off wrestling at a younger age.
“I’ve been involved in wrestling for about 3 years,” 235 pounder junior Riley Selig said. “I competed some when I was younger, I was surrounded by the sport, helping coach around my little brother and some past teammates.”
Many wrestlers have their own personal goals in mind. Goals that help them push past hardships. Other wrestlers have been heavily influenced or inspired by coaches, teammates, or famous athletes also involved in the sport.
“It was a self drive,” 140 pounder sophomore Sophia Forman said. “I wanted to go to state, it was more like a testament to my determination and work throughout the year, proving that I can do what I put my mind to.” Selig herself said her coaches, teammates, and her own dedication had influenced and inspired her, stating how she had made sure it was well known she wanted to compete at CHI.
The art of wrestling requires loads of mental and physical strength which can be very draining. Many learn to push past the challenges of wrestling and continue forward.
“My freshman and sophomore year I was pushed forward by my family,” Selig said. “Mostly my dad due to the fact that he saw my growth and potential from being around the sport. But going into this season, I was pushing myself along with coaches Matt and Jamie plus my teammates.”
To be a part of the first ever girls only state wrestling tournament is such a historical event in both wrestling and girls athletics. Girls who had qualified for this event were honored with such an opportunity and will go down in both athletic and wrestling history.
“It feels grateful knowing that I was able to be a part of something like that and how lucky I am to even be in that position to where this sport has grown so much as it has in Nebraska to even get to that point,” Forman said.
Being surrounded by a stadium of people is very nerve racking, but there is something so magical that happens. How the atmosphere changes when you put a group of people in one area who love the same sport, all cheering for each of the teams competing.
“The atmosphere was definitely loud, but it was also super encouraging,” Selig said. “During the second day the pressure was high and it got a lot louder during the heartbreak rounds and into the championship.”
As the NSAA girls state wrestling tournament makes the front page on social media it will find the eyes of younger audiences who may become inspired to try out wrestling. As girls wrestling grows, many younger athletes or even new athletes may find many hardships along the way, but there will always be coaches, teammates, and other athletes who will be willing to help and give support along the way. This is girls wrestling.