The girls wrestling team is experiencing significant growth this season, signaling a promising future for the sport. With six girls on the team now, the expanded team reflects both statewide changes in the sport, and a growing interest in wrestling amongst girls.
Returning wrestlers took on leadership roles beyond the mat by encouraging their peers to join the team, as they wanted to build momentum for girls wrestling.
“Several factors contributed to more girls coming out for wrestling this year,” Head Coach Beau Yineman said. “The girls who were out last year did a great job of recruiting. Senior Alivia Kasuboski and sophomores Zariayah Brown, Emileena Neconish, and Aubrey Asleson helped by putting up posters and encouraging other girls to join. I hope girls wrestling keeps growing at Berlin High School.”
For the team, the expanded roster is more than just a number boost; it represents the principles of a developing program. With girls wrestling being recognized as the fastest-growing high school sport in Wisconsin, Yineman hopes to eventually build a full girls team and establish lasting tradition within the sport.
“I hope it creates a culture for the girls program to keep getting numbers and grow,” Yineman said. “Wrestling teaches so much, from physical skills like strength, endurance, and agility, to mental benefits such as discipline and resilience. I believe the girls who join will become better people in some way.”
With many first-year wrestlers, the coaches have focused on balancing skill development across experience levels.
“We have a lot of new wrestlers who have never wrestled before,” Yineman said. “We’re giving different techniques for different skill levels — expanding experienced wrestlers’ skills while building strong fundamentals for newer athletes.”
For new wrestlers like senior Katherine Franco Ortega, joining the team has been both challenging and rewarding. Since it is her final in high school, she wanted to try something new and decided to give wrestling a chance.
“It’s my last year, so I wanted to do something for sports,” Franco Ortega said. “Wrestling just looked interesting.”
For Franco Ortega, walking into the wrestling room for the first time was intimidating, but the supportive environment around her helped her relax. She shares how balancing work and wrestling has been challenging, but the experience is worth it. Her first meet came with a learning curve, but was memorable nonetheless.
“I was nervous so my first match was horrible!” Franco Ortega said. “I wasn’t ready for how aggressive it was going to be, but then my second match was much easier.”
Wrestling can be difficult to get better at, so it’s important for wrestlers to listen to critique and keep their head up to get better. In any aspect of getting better at something, one needs to be flexible, and Yineman says that the team has been very coachable.
“Sophmore Ella Spitler has been a good example of someone that has been coachable throughout practice and competitions so far. She has been getting better and has asked questions and receives critiques well. However, I think all the girls are doing well to be learners and students of the sport,” Yineman said.
This year is Spitler’s first year on the team. She was motivated to join by a friend in her Jiu-Jitsu class. Spiter’s first day in the wrestling room was both exciting and intimidating. Since Spitler has joined she’s discovered greater stamina and strength.
“I definitely learned more about my endurance and how much stronger I can become because wrestling is a very demanding sport. I didn’t really know that until I joined,” Spitler said.
During Spitler’s first tournament in Kimberly, she went through five matches, and she shared how the exhaustion from it was intense and made her even consider why she had joined the team. After experiencing more time on the mat, Spitler won first place in Lomira, and she said the experience was shocking and rewarding for her. For Spitler it’s all about dedication and determination.
“My advice is stick with it; it is definitely hard. You don’t really know what you’re getting into it until you actually do it for a couple weeks. But don’t give up,” Spitler said.
Next, wrestlers go to New London on Jan. 10 2026, for a tournament.
