Patterson Mill wrestling's five girls state qualifiers shows growth of the sport

Mar. 2—Patterson Mill wrestling coach Ryan Arist had a surprise for his team — specifically, the girls. They finished stretching before practice when the longtime coach reached into his bag, feigning ignorance to what he would pull out.

It was a bright teal girls singlet with space gray "PM" lettering across the chest, eliciting a worthy shriek of excitement from the nine girls who previously wore boys singlets. The specially-made garb was more than a gift. It signified tangible growth for the Huskies' girls wrestling program.

"My girls are walking away with probably 20 matches this year," Arist said. "If you asked some other girls around the state, that didn't happen. We're just in a lucky situation. I was proactive and jumped on these tournaments. ... That many matches was unique. It's exciting."

Arist has been coaching Patterson Mill wrestlers since the school opened in 2007. Since then, his teams have never been devoid of a girl wrestler — which he admits is a rarity. But until last season, he has struggled to retain interest from multiple girls for an extended time.

Patterson Mill fielded four girls wrestlers in 2021-22, including three Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association state qualifiers. The total number jumped to 10 this season, five of which will compete at states with two alternates beginning Thursday at The Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro.

At last year's state tournament, only three of the 14 weight classes contained 13 or more girls. This weekend, only one weight class will field fewer than 13 girls.

Dramatic growth in such a brief period begs the question: How? The answer is two-fold.

Arist credits an improvement in brand recognition amongst mixed martial arts sports and popularity, particularly since the pandemic. Many consider MMA the fastest-growing sport because of its increased accessibility via both social media and television rights. For Patterson Mill specifically, it reached a tipping point last offseason. Word spread rapidly because of Marloe Stump, who Arist dubbed the "poster child" for Patterson Mill girls wrestling.

Stump, a junior, placed second in Maryland at 170 pounds as a first-year wrestler last season. She has been a strong advocate and recruiter helping grow the team. Last February, Daisy West won the regional title and Karleigh Gill made states in their respective rookie years. Together, the three became the program's first female state qualifiers.

Stump and West are the first names to grace Patterson Mill's new girls "state qualifiers" and "regional champs" board hung outside the team's wrestling room.

"It gave us the platform to really advertise," Arist said. "It's really taken off because you can hear the talk. Just the success the team has had but also the fact that there is a women's team now."

Patterson Mill held its first girls-only dual meet with Queen Anne's on Feb. 7. The milestone drew a substantial crowd despite the Huskies' narrow loss.

"After we had our first girls dual match, a lot of the girls saw and looked interested," said Jacie White, a first-year wrestler who joined the team per West's recommendation. "I was really happy for them. These girls would come up to me and be like, 'You did really good.'

"I think in the next couple years we're going to have a lot of girls on our team. ... I hope we have a full [14-person] lineup next year. I think it's possible."

Patterson Mill history happening Tuesday 2/7. Women's team takes on Queen Anne's at 3PM. Come support no charge. pic.twitter.com/9bvxYHHQJJ

— PM Wrestling (@pmill_wrestling) February 7, 2023

White's debut season has been highlighted by a first-place finish in the Who is Number One tournament back in January, coupled with qualifying for Thursday's state tournament.

"Having a team of girls, you feel a lot more comfortable to do your best in the sport. And you have almost like a girl bond. They support you. You don't have to worry about men overpowering you."

Arist remembers a dual meet a few years ago where one of his girls wrestlers beat a boy. The next day, the opposing coach called to share that the boy quit. Patterson Mill has also encountered its fair share of forfeits, solely for trotting a girl onto the mat.

"There are some legit girls who can definitely wrestle," Arist said. "But what has been nice about the growth of the sport is now you don't have this, 'Hey, just survive out there.' Now you can compete against another girl. And it does level the playing field."