How one match inspired Eastern Alamance girls wrestlers with NCHSAA sanctioning on the horizon

MEBANE — Eastern Alamance wrestler Kaitlyn Watson was on hand for history in 2020.

Helping out at the NCHSAA state wrestling championships in Greensboro, she watched as Uwharrie Charter’s Heaven Fitch took the mat in the Class 1-A state final, drawing eyes from everyone even though it was one of four matches taking place simultaneously.

Fitch defeated Robbinsville’s Luke Wilson with an 11-3 major decision to become the first female to win an NCHSAA state wrestling title.

“The poor boy, his own family was probably rooting against him. The entire gym was watching her match," Watson said. "When she won, I've never been in a room with that much energy. You would have thought we were at the Super Bowl. Everyone just erupted over Heaven’s match. I feel like it was an eye-opener for many girls. Since then, I think I saw four girls participating in states this year and that's a lot.”

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That seminal moment provided inspiration for female wrestlers across the state, including Watson and her Eastern Alamance teammate, Genesis Chinchilla.

“I remember hearing about it and then I saw a post about it,” Chinchilla said. “I was like, I want that to be one of my main goals throughout this whole high school wrestling career. I told my mom that one day, I want to be just like her, or at least, come close to doing something she did. That's one of the main inspirations I had throughout high school was doing something great like that.”

The NCHSAA announced in April that girls’ wrestling would become a sanctioned sport starting in the 2023-24 school year, while the upcoming school year will serve as a test run of sorts. Since Title IX became law in June 1972, it will become the association's 12th girls sport, matching the number of boys sports.

"It's exciting to know that a sport that, for such a long time, women didn't think they could participate in, especially in our state, so it's another opportunity," NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker said that day. "I think whenever we can provide opportunities to teach the lessons that education-based athletics teaches, that's a win.

"I'm just excited about the opportunity to be able to see those young women receive a medal that will say 'state champion.' That they will have that feeling that up until now, and even this year, it won't be the same. But this final group, as they go through, it will be a great opportunity for them, I think, to say, 'We've arrived.' "

The news has the two Eagles seniors excited about the future, both for them, and others.

Watson said she’s also drawn inspiration from Kat Pendergrass, who was a wrestler at South Granville and is now on the women's team at Division II Gannon in Pennsylvania.

“She was the first girl that I ever really saw wrestle and I saw her beat my cousin CJ, who was kinda like a role model for me,” Watson said. “It was kind of like, ‘Oh, this is possible. If she can do it, why can't I?’ My family has always been very supportive of me doing sports and things like that. … When I went to Eastern, I was like, “Why not give it a try? Everyone else does it.’ ”

There’s become the realization among Watson and Chinchilla that they are an inspiration for a younger generation of girls looking to compete on the mat.

“I wonder if there's some little sister or someone in the stands, who has seen me wrestle and thought to themselves, ‘If she can do it, why can't I do it?’ ” Watson said.  “Which I think is amazing. I think that's super cool. … I’m part of this. I’m one of these numbers. So, I think it’s insane that I could be part of the reason that girls’ wrestling is sanctioned.”

The responsibility that comes along with that is something they relish.

“I try to stay in touch with most girls and I don't know if they look up to me, but I try to be a role model,” Chinchilla said. “They come for me for advice and stuff. And I just know a lot of them, they're new, so they're like, ‘I don't know what to do. What do I do?’ I just try to comfort them, make them feel like they're welcome.”

David Kehrli is a sports reporter at the Burlington Times-News and USA Today Network. You can reach him at david.kehrli@thetimesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidKehrliTN. Subscribe to the Burlington Times-News here.

This article originally appeared on Times-News: North Carolina high school girls wrestling: NCHSAA sanction in 2 years