This fall, St. Benedict’s Prep (SBP) will officially debut its first girls’ wrestling team, marking a significant milestone for female athletes at The Hive giving Gray Bees in the Girls Division their chance on the mat. The growing acknowledgment of women’s contributions to sports at the Gray Bees’ home ground is reflected in this initiative. With more than 28,000 female high school wrestlers in the United States, women’s wrestling has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Colleges increasingly offer women’s wrestling programs, and several states also have girls’ wrestling championships. This rise is a result of the sport itself being more widely accepted and recognized at all levels.
In response to requests from about ten female students, St. Benedict’s Prep’s Athletic Director Frank DiPiano, and current Head Wrestling Coach and Assistant Athletic Director Henry Turner are forming a Gray Bee Girls Wrestling Team for the upcoming 2025 season. Gray Bee and UD1 Astrid Licona ’27 is the driving force behind this initiative, playing a key role by approaching Coach Turner to express the desire for a dedicated wrestling team for girls.
Coach Turner and DiPiano had been anticipating this request because of the growing number of women pursuing wrestling across the country. As a result, they were eager to establish a program to empower female athletes at SBP. “…as the sport has grown outside of The Hive the interest inside of [the school] has grown…this is the first year we had girls come up to us and say they want a wrestling team and they would be willing to participate on a wrestling team,” remarked Turner, emphasizing the initiative of the Girls Division in ensuring wrestling opportunities for female athletes at The Hive.
Girls’ wrestling is becoming more popular, especially in the state of New Jersey. Despite the growing popularity of women’s wrestling at the collegiate level, many high school girls remain unaware of the opportunities the sport can provide them in college. This lack of awareness continues to present a challenge, even though female wrestlers have access to the same opportunities as their male counterparts. (quote from someone who coaches university wrestling)
Title IX, a federal legislation passed in 1972, mandates equal opportunities for male and female athletes in educational institutions. This means that every high school and university must have the same number of sports for girls as they do for boys. There are more athletic scholarships available to female wrestlers than there are competitive athletes available to claim them. The introduction of a girls wrestling program at St. Benedict’s positions female athletes at The Hive to be eligible for alternative athletic scholarships for college.
Turner stated the demand for the program was evident, with a growing number of Gray Bee girls expressing their desire to participate and commit to this new program. He added, “As competition opportunities grow for [the girls] they will continue to grow… until they are at the highest level down in Atlantic City just like the boys.” Many Gray Bees share Coach Turner’s excitement, wanting to show they can succeed at an elite level, in a sport that male athletes have traditionally dominated.
The establishment of the girls’ wrestling team aligns with the growing opportunities for female wrestlers and the increasing support for the Girls’ Division in sports at The Hive. The impact of this program extends beyond the mat as the new girls’ wrestling team prepares for its inaugural season. Current wrestler Merlin Dilone ’25 emphasized the growth of women’s wrestling, stating, “All over the world women’s wrestling has grown and I think it’s cool that at St. Benedict’s we are giving the girls an opportunity.” This initiative represents a step toward increasing the number of dual-gender sports at SBP, promoting equity in athletic opportunities for all students.
The formation of St. Benedict’s Prep’s girls wrestling team aims to create pathways for future generations of female wrestlers at the Hive, ensuring they have the chance to pursue their athletic ambitions. Additionally, the initiative promotes equity in athletic opportunities at SBP, aligning with broader efforts to support female participation in traditionally male-dominated sports. Starting this winter, with the official season set to begin, practices will take place in the wrestling room.
