Exeter Township HS launches girls wrestling with hopes of inspiring more teams to start in Pennsylania
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa - Girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in Pennsylvania and a Bucks County high school is finishing its first season competing.
Kristin Swartley and Jamie Harner are volunteer wrestling coaches for the girls wrestling team at Exeter Township High School.
"Did you ever see yourself being a wrestling coach?" FOX 29 photojournalist Bill Roher asked the coaches.
"No, never," Swartley said. "I am a wrestling mom and now I'm a wrestling coach."
Last August, Exeter became the 14th school in Pennsylvania to begin a girls' wrestling team and Swartley and Harner are the first coaches.
"I think in the beginning, Jamie and I were like ‘It’s going to be just us'" Swartley said.
The coaches posted messages on Facebook asking athletes from other sports to join. "We had one girl show up," Harner said. "We had another girl show up and then they just kept trickling in."
Kathryn Berger, a senior at Exeter High School, said "I am always kind of around wrestling when I was growing up. So when I heard that there was a wrestling team, I was like really excited to join."
With more than 30 teams in Pennsylvania so far, Exeter is hoping the number will rise to 100 so girls wrestling can become a fully-sanctioned PIAA sport.
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