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Joelle Klein, a junior wrestler at Lower Cape May Regional, won her weight class at an all-girls tournament. Klein won each of her matches by pin. Her record is 7-0 against females and 8-8 in junior varsity matches against males.
“She will be competing for a state title,” Athletic Director Erik Simonsen said. “In the past, girls would compete against boys and now it is a separate sport.”
This year is the first one in which girls wrestling is added as a high school sport in New Jersey. The formation of girls wrestling was confirmed in October 2018 by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.
“Now the girls have regionals and matches,” Simonsen said. “It’s been in the Olympics and colleges, but it is a first for New Jersey under NJSIAA.”
Getting Klein onto the team took some convincing.
“It was funny trying to get her onto the team,” Coach Billy Damiana said. “She didn’t want to be embarrassed because she didn’t know how to wrestle. I told her ‘but you didn’t know how to walk when you were born but we will teach you everything you need.’”
Klein’s demeanor is essential to her performance.
“She doesn’t get nervous, overhyped or overzealous,” Damiana said. “It’s a great attitude to have.”
Wrestling is not Klein’s only sport.
“Joelle plays football for us here,” Damiana said. “During football season they said girls wrestling was going to be its own sport, I immediately thought she should do that. She didn’t compete against females until end of year. So when she finally got to wrestle on the team, she’s been dominating. Her making history being the first in South Jersey is a big deal.”
Klein lifts in the weight room four to five days a week, which Damiana said is a key component to her success.
“Weightlifting is her greatest asset and she uses it to her full advantage,” Damiana said.
The girls’ state championship meet will be held at Atlantic City’s Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in conjunction with the boys state meet, Feb. 28 to March 3.
“She wrestles Friday night, state semifinals,” Damiana said. “If she wins, which we hope she does, she’ll wrestle in state final on Saturday. We are hoping she will be able to do her thing and get to that state final.”
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