Reanah Utterback strolled back into the warm-up area here inside Wells Fargo Arena. She looked back for her coach, asking for her wristband, then settled by the interview area.
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
Cody Goodwin
Des Moines Register
Reanah Utterback strolled back into the warm-up area here inside Wells Fargo Arena. She looked back for her coach, asking for her wristband, then settled by the interview area.
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union finally offered girls wrestling as an official sport this past season. It was, by most accounts, a big success, with participation more than doubling from last year to this year. The inaugural season was capped two weeks ago with the first IGHSAU state championships in Coralville.
Before the season began, the IGHSAU sent a memo to coaches that included, among other things, a reminder that girls could not wrestle against boys “when competing as a member school under the IGHSAU sanctioned umbrella.”
But Sigourney-Keota coaches quickly found a loophole.
If a school does not start a girls sports program (of any kind), and does not have a sharing agreement with another school, the Iowa High School Athletic Association allows girls to compete for their school’s boys teams.
Straight from the IHSAA handbook: “If a like sports program is not offered for girls in a school district, the IHSAA recommends the school district give consideration for girls to participate on the boys’ team if they request participation.”
Because Utterback is the only girl out for wrestling for Sigourney-Keota this season, head coach Cory Van Den Heuvel gave her the option — and the decision was a quick one.
Cody Goodwin
Des Moines Register
Reanah Utterback strolled back into the warm-up area here inside Wells Fargo Arena. She looked back for her coach, asking for her wristband, then settled by the interview area.
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union finally offered girls wrestling as an official sport this past season. It was, by most accounts, a big success, with participation more than doubling from last year to this year. The inaugural season was capped two weeks ago with the first IGHSAU state championships in Coralville.
Before the season began, the IGHSAU sent a memo to coaches that included, among other things, a reminder that girls could not wrestle against boys “when competing as a member school under the IGHSAU sanctioned umbrella.”
But Sigourney-Keota coaches quickly found a loophole.
If a school does not start a girls sports program (of any kind), and does not have a sharing agreement with another school, the Iowa High School Athletic Association allows girls to compete for their school’s boys teams.
Straight from the IHSAA handbook: “If a like sports program is not offered for girls in a school district, the IHSAA recommends the school district give consideration for girls to participate on the boys’ team if they request participation.”
Because Utterback is the only girl out for wrestling for Sigourney-Keota this season, head coach Cory Van Den Heuvel gave her the option — and the decision was a quick one.
Ultimately, “my decision was for me to get better,” Utterback said, alluding to her decision to wrestle the boys this year. “Nothing against the girls. The girls are great. But my goal is to get as much competition as possible, and I feel like there’s more competition on the boys side for me since that’s what I’ve done my whole life.”
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
Reanah Utterback, an Iowa girl still wrestling against boys, advances at the state tournament
Cody GoodwinDes Moines Register
Reanah Utterback strolled back into the warm-up area here inside Wells Fargo Arena. She looked back for her coach, asking for her wristband, then settled by the interview area.
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union finally offered girls wrestling as an official sport this past season. It was, by most accounts, a big success, with participation more than doubling from last year to this year. The inaugural season was capped two weeks ago with the first IGHSAU state championships in Coralville.
Before the season began, the IGHSAU sent a memo to coaches that included, among other things, a reminder that girls could not wrestle against boys “when competing as a member school under the IGHSAU sanctioned umbrella.”
But Sigourney-Keota coaches quickly found a loophole.
If a school does not start a girls sports program (of any kind), and does not have a sharing agreement with another school, the Iowa High School Athletic Association allows girls to compete for their school’s boys teams.
Straight from the IHSAA handbook: “If a like sports program is not offered for girls in a school district, the IHSAA recommends the school district give consideration for girls to participate on the boys’ team if they request participation.”
Because Utterback is the only girl out for wrestling for Sigourney-Keota this season, head coach Cory Van Den Heuvel gave her the option — and the decision was a quick one.
Reanah Utterback, an Iowa girl still wrestling against boys, advances at the state tournament
Cody GoodwinDes Moines Register
Reanah Utterback strolled back into the warm-up area here inside Wells Fargo Arena. She looked back for her coach, asking for her wristband, then settled by the interview area.
“What’s up?” a reporter asked.
Utterback looked up and smiled.
“The ceiling,” she cracked back, still calm and cool after collecting a 6-4 second-round win at the Class 1A state wrestling tournament. She advanced to Thursday morning’s quarterfinal round, where a win guarantees her a spot on the podium at 106 pounds.
Utterback, a sophomore for Sigourney-Keota, is one of six girls all-time to qualify for the Iowa boys state wrestling tournament. She is one of just three to qualify twice, joining Megan Black, who qualified for Ottumwa in 2011 then Eddysville-Blakesburg-Fremont in 2012, and Ottumwa’s Jasmine Luedtke, in both 2021 and 2022.
Black is the only girl to win a medal at the boys state championships, finishing eighth at 106 pounds in 2012. Utterback was very young back then, only just starting her wrestling career. But it has long been one of her goals to join Black as a girl state medalist against the boys.
This Iowa girl is wrestling against boys — and she's winning at the Iowa state tournament
Reanah Utterback, a sophomore girl wrestler for Sigourney-Keota, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 1A boys state wrestling championships.
www.press-citizen.com
“To be one of the only girls to do this, it would be amazing,” Utterback said. “I want to show that I am one of the top Iowa kids. Megan helped show me that I can do this. She’s one of my biggest supporters.”
Still, how is Utterback even able to do this?
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union finally offered girls wrestling as an official sport this past season. It was, by most accounts, a big success, with participation more than doubling from last year to this year. The inaugural season was capped two weeks ago with the first IGHSAU state championships in Coralville.
Before the season began, the IGHSAU sent a memo to coaches that included, among other things, a reminder that girls could not wrestle against boys “when competing as a member school under the IGHSAU sanctioned umbrella.”
But Sigourney-Keota coaches quickly found a loophole.
If a school does not start a girls sports program (of any kind), and does not have a sharing agreement with another school, the Iowa High School Athletic Association allows girls to compete for their school’s boys teams.
Straight from the IHSAA handbook: “If a like sports program is not offered for girls in a school district, the IHSAA recommends the school district give consideration for girls to participate on the boys’ team if they request participation.”
Because Utterback is the only girl out for wrestling for Sigourney-Keota this season, head coach Cory Van Den Heuvel gave her the option — and the decision was a quick one.
Ultimately, “my decision was for me to get better,” Utterback said, alluding to her decision to wrestle the boys this year. “Nothing against the girls. The girls are great. But my goal is to get as much competition as possible, and I feel like there’s more competition on the boys side for me since that’s what I’ve done my whole life.”
