The spotlight hung unlit above the wrestling mats. The stands were filled with few spectators outside of family and friends.
The PV girls’ wrestling team was undeterred. With a hard-fought performance, PV won over Bettendorf 48-36 at their first and only home meet of the year.
The last time Bettendorf and PV met, PV forfeited five matches and suffered a 5-4 loss in contested matches. Bettendorf, on the other hand, has dominated not only QC area schools, but also defeated Waverly-Shell Rock, the reigning state champions, to finish second at the prestigious Battle of Waterloo.
At the start of the PV-Bettendorf dual, another Bettendorf victory seemed likely. Bettendorf won by forfeit at 100 and 105, then won by pin at 110. That pin, however, was one of only two from the Bettendorf team. PV had eight by the end of the night.
Last year, only a handful of PV girls wrestled at the high school level. Unlike Bettendorf’s roster of over 20 girls, PV did not boast high numbers, and most of the girls practiced with the boys’ team. However, the announcement that girls’ wrestling would be sanctioned by the Iowa Girls’ High School Athlete Union starting the following season changed this dynamic. With leadership from veteran wrestlers, alums and newcomers alike, the PV girls’ wrestling program has grown in size and strength, as shown through their triumph over cross-town rival Bettendorf.
