Lady Pirate Wrestlers Help Make Idaho History

By: Teresa Chipman, Citizen Sports Writer

For the first tournament in the inaugural season of state-sanctioned girls wrestling in Idaho, the Lady Pirate wrestlers were invited to the Black Canyon Brawl at Grace High School on Dec. 3.

The teams invited were Grace, Pocatello, Malad, West Side, Madison, Buhl, Marsh Valley, Bear Lake, Challis, Ririe, Preston and Soda Springs. The Black Canyon Brawl was the senior project for Grace senior Sara Anderson.

Lady Pirate wrestlers Camilla Tew (senior) and Sesha Beckstead (junior) are coached by Coach Burton Tew. Though the girls have been wrestling for some time, there has not been a state-sanctioned program for girls in Idaho until this year.

At the brawl, Tew placed first in the 132-pound weight class. She won the first match by technical fall in the second round against Mille Zohner of Ririe.

Cooper Smith forfeited to Tew in the second match due to injury and in the third match against Josie Newby of Grace, Camilla won by majority rule 7-4.

Beckstead placed third in the 120-pound weight class. She opened the tournament against Alex Sturges of Soda Springs, who she pinned in the second round. She was pinned by Taylor Hood of Buhl in the second match. In her third match she pinned Billie Rinderknecht of Ririe in the second round.