High school wrestling, long a subject of personal interest that only makes sporadic headlines down here in Florida, got national attention last week after an Iowa wrestler refused to face his first opponent in the state tournament.
The reason? His opponent was a girl.
Joel Northrup, a sophomore with a 35-4 record going into the tournament, defaulted to Cedar Falls freshman Cassy Herkelman in the Iowa state wrestling finals Thursday, effectively ending his quest for the state title. Northrup, a home-schooled student who competes for Linn-Mar High School, told the press he could not wrestle Herkelman or Ottumwa sophomore Megan Black, another girl competing in the 112 lbs. division, due to his religious beliefs.
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2011.