Iowa-Grant High School’s Female Wrestler Ready For Tournament

The WIAA state individual wrestling tournament starts on Thursday at the Kohl Center in Madison while the team wrestling tournament state tourney will be held next week at the Field House.

Iowa-Grant High School is the only area team to make it to the team tournament, and a major contributor to the Panthers’s appearance can be credited to the team’s unique 106-pound wrestler. Her name is Shania Sarbacker, and she has been wrestling since kindergarten.

Sarbacker said that she is focused on achieving things on the mat, not drawing attention because of her gender.

“I am just a girl that goes out there and kicks butt. I don’t want to be like that girl out there who wants to get the attention,” Sarbacker said.

Coach Ryan Allen said that she has proven herself with her effort and what she has achieved.

“She works just as hard as anyone. She sprints just as hard and does just as many pushups, and like I said, if she didn’t have long hair, you wouldn’t know she was a girl. She has the attitude and she’s has been wrestling for awhile and she has the technique and we are excited to have her for hopefully three more years,” he said.

The Panthers’ trip to the tournament is only the second time in school history that the team has come so far.