Girl removes mat stereotypes

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by Colin Harris

Reporter

Mantua -- Crestwood High School sophomore Paige Nemec is no different than any other girl her age.

She likes the same things, listens to the same music and plays for the girls soccer team.

Well, there is one slight difference. Nemec also is a member of the Red Devils' wrestling team. And she's really good.

A two-year starter at Crestwood, the 103-pound Nemec racked up an impressive 23 wins during her freshman year and has been just as successful for coach Dave Wrobel in her second season.

On Dec. 8, Nemec made a statement at the Aurora Invitational, becoming the first girl to ever win an individual title there en route to being named the event's most valuable wrestler.

While being named the MVP of a male-dominated tournament is certainly a significant honor, Nemec didn't need it to prove her worth on the mats.

As a youth and middle school wrestler, Nemec claimed multiple state and national championship titles, including the 74-pound division at the 2005 United States Girls Wrestling Association National Championships.

Wrobel attributes Nemec's success in large part to her upbringing.

"Paige's history in girls wrestling is very strong," he said. "She comes from a family of wrestlers, so it's something that's in her blood. I think it's something that's always been in her family and she takes it very seriously."

AS A GIRL competing primarily against boys, it's pretty safe to assume the road to acceptance hasn't always been easy.

According to Wrobel, her accomplishments have gone a long way toward breaking down a lot of prejudices.

"Yeah, I think there's an initial shock from a lot of her competition that they're getting beaten by a girl," Wrobel said.

"However, most people know she's legit and isn't there just to prove a point. She's there to get better each and every day.

"Paige doesn't want to be treated any differently than anyone else. She's there to put in her time and improve, and everyone has accepted her at this level."

On a Crestwood team that graduated more letter winners than it returned, this year has presented an opportunity for the younger wrestlers to assume a leadership role.

Described by Wrobel as "soft-spoken," the 15-year-old Nemec has allowed the way she approaches her craft to set an example.

"Obviously, when you have someone as accomplished as she is, she just leads by example," he said.

"When you've won tournaments, national championships and MVPs, you'd expect a different attitude. She just works hard every day and she'll go out there and wrestle hard."

Editor's note: Harris is a sports writer for the Record-Courier.