Move over gentlemen and make room on the mat. Girls’ wrestling has made its way to Stroudsburg High School. Stroudsburg wrestling alumni and Coach Jacob Jones, the boys’ coach, and young program coach, Jess Bryant, have launched the trailblazing sport of ladies’ wrestling in the Stroudsburg Area School District at the high school.
In March of 2024, the SASD and the school board approved the addition of a PIAA girls’ wrestling program.
Coach Jones has been a boys’ wrestling assistant coach for several years at Stroudsburg High School, but this is his first time as a head coach and his first time coaching girls.
Although girls’ wrestling is new to Stroudsburg, 18 girls quickly filled the roster, the majority already wrestling at the varsity level. They wrestle one hour before the boys during their weekly matches, they’ve tackled multiple matches and tournaments, and even earned some medals.
“We started from scratch, at the very bottom. Between them working hard in practices and gaining experiences from matches, they are miles ahead of where they were when they first started. We are excited about the future of the program as it continues to grow and get better,” explained Jones.
Matches are about an hour long. There are 13 different weight classes that compete with the ultimate goal of pinning their opponent or winning points for strength and technique. Girls’ wrestling has become an increasingly popular sport and is both mentally and physically demanding. Two individuals grapple, throw, and hold their opponent’s shoulders to the ground resulting in a pin for the win. Otherwise, they must outscore the opponent by the end of the third period. Each period is two minutes long, with no rest time. Wrestlers can “score” anywhere between three to six points per match.
Several members of the team were new to sports and were looking to try something new. Some use wrestling as a positive outlet for anger and frustration or to keep in shape for another sport. A few girls shared they had some experience in a fighting sport beforehand and wanted to get back into it.
Wrestling, for Jones, is “a way of life.” He says, “The life lessons this sport teaches you go beyond the mat. It forces you to work hard, and that work ethic transitions over to life and the work world. The traits and qualities this sport teaches you are so valuable and beneficial to being successful in life. I became a coach to share my love of the sport and to give back to the sport that shaped me into who I am.”
Coach Bryant coached in the Youth Wrestling Program. This is a wrestling club located in Stroudsburg that includes high school, junior high, and youth ages. This will be Bryant’s second year in the program, and her first year as a high school sports coach.
“I wrestled in the youth program and stopped after my freshman year. As I got older, the competition with the boys became too much for me to handle on a physical level and back then, there wasn’t a big push for girls to continue through to the high school level, so I ended my wrestling days there. Not a day goes by that I don’t regret that decision.”
But despite this decision, Bryant stepped up and overcame the doubt. She strives to be the change and pushes girls of all ages to succeed within the program. Creating a sense of self-worth, confidence, and strength is Bryant’s ultimate goal when working with the young women on the wrestling team.
When asked what goes through her head before a match, as she is new to sports, she said, “Before a match I just always have a winning mindset, hyping myself up, and getting rid of any doubts so I can be the best I can out there.”
Even with the odds against them, the team did well. They significantly improved just from their first match to their second match. For their first match in school history, they faced Emmaus and lost 0-78. A rough start and a hard loss for the team, nevertheless, they persevered.
Not even a week later, they swept William Allen 54-18 for their second-ever home match.
Lucia Espitia, ’27, says “Wrestling is harder than it looks. It takes a lot of determination and dedication for this sport. I have learned a lot like endurance and managing my health a lot better. I will be returning next year. This sport has been nothing but fun. I love my team and coaches.”
According to Mountie Athletics, they finished out their winter season traveling to Jim Thorpe, Liberty, and Wyoming Valley. During the MLK weekend in January 2025, they took first and third place at an open tournament. At the Spartan Invitational, the girls took 1st place and had ten straight wins, making their record 17-4.
Arianna “A-dog” Thomas, ’27, was the first ever Stroudsburg girls wrestler to win by pin. “My goals are to have a positive win/loss rate and to increase my stamina. I’ve learned to not give my opponents so much credit just looking at their record.” She expressed her gratitude for the pin by saying, “It felt great. The Stroudsburg Home of the Mountaineers Facebook post got over 400 likes. Everyone is showing love and support, and I like the attention. I love it!” Her victorious match made history for Stroudsburg High School.
Stroudsburg students were more than intrigued to see the girls start their inaugural season. We can’t wait to see them back on the mat next year to break even more societal boundaries. These girls have set the bar high for students, athletes, and females.
They concluded their first season with their last tournament at Wyoming Valley West.
Nearly all of the first-year female wrestlers will advance to districts to represent Stroudsburg High School.
