Bulldogs girls wrestling continue to build during season

With multiple meets under their belt,the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs girls wrestling team is set to start the second half of the season. The team’s next meet is on Jan. 7. at Aplington-Parkersburg at 6 p.m.

The team’s most recent meet was at the Iowa Falls-Alden Tournament on Dec. 20. At the tournament, the Bulldogs took fourth place out of 10 teams with a score of 83.0. points. In the tournament, Marlee Maas went 3-8 and took fourth place in the 120-lbs weight class, Adriana Gomez went 1-8 and took sixth place in the 125-lbs weight class, Ava Blau went 8-10 and took sixth place in the 130-lbs weight class, and Juliette Koch went 10-3 and took third place in the 135-lbs weight class. Lauren Hill went 5-11 and took fourth place in the 145-lbs weight class, Elsie Kuper went 9-5 and took second place in the 170-lbs weight class, and Maren Subbert went 13-0 and took first place in the 190-lbs weight class.

Bulldogs’ head coach Brittany Stevens said that she felt that things are rocking and rolling so far for the team.

“We have hit the mat with a fire and determination to build something here at Hampton,” Stevens said. “They are 3-3 for duals and have had a handful of top three finishes at tournaments. These girls are showing up and putting in a lot of work.”

Stevens said that the team is getting better every day.

“We have nine wrestlers and every one of them is working towards a goal and having success,” Stevens said. “We are a young team and I can’t wait to see all that they can do for the rest of the season.”

Stevens said that a positive for the Bulldogs so far this year has been the growth of the team.

“This team has made incredible growth already,” Stevens said. “It’s the little things and they are starting to put it together. It’s a whole learning process and from the first tournament when we couldn’t get a takedown to now going out and getting a tech fall or pin. As a team we support each other and compete well. We just placed second at the Humboldt tournament and we were in first place leading into the finals just ahead of Humboldt. We had five girls in the finals and that was a real confidence boost and a lot of fun for the team.”

Continuing to show up and work on getting better is one thing that Stevens said she would like to see the team work on during the second half of the year.

Stevens said it was hard to pick out a few wrestlers when it came to girls who have caught her eye so far as the whole team is filled with wrestlers who give it their all.

“We have first year wrestlers, girls who have never stepped on a mat before going out and getting pins,” Stevens said. “We have tough girls who are not afraid of their ranked opponents. We have girls who never give up and give it their all day in and day out. We have girls who are right there with the ranked girls with just a few losses. Leading the team is Maren Subbert with a record of 10-1, behind her we have Megan Severs with a record of 8-3, and Elsie Kuper with a record of 8-4.”

Being coachable and having a positive environment are some of the things that Stevens said the team has done well so far this year.

“I couldn’t ask for a better group,” Stevens said. “The team is very coachable, they are ready and willing to learn. The girls are finding what works for them and they are working very hard all while having fun doing it.”