WRESTLING

NJ wrestling: Jackson Memorial, Manalapan girls make history with 1st match

Steven Falk
Asbury Park Press

MANALAPAN - Abby Stanburry was stunned by the raucous atmosphere in the Manalapan High School gymnasium Friday night as Jackson Memorial and Manalapan wrestled in the first scholastic girls wrestling event in the state of New Jersey.

"I had such little expectations that this turnout just blew my mind,'' said Stanburry, a freshman at Jackson Memorial.

Jackson Memorial's Abby Stanburry is congratulated by Jaguars' head coach Doug Withstandley (left) and Jaguars' assistant coach Aaron Gottesman (right) after she pinned in the first bout of the Jackson Memorial-Manalapan girls wrestling match Friday night. The match was the first official girls wrestling event since the NJSIAA sanctioned girls wrestling as a sport.

Wrestling in front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd of around 300, Stanburry pinned Rub Chakra Abou with a headlock with 47.4 seconds left in the second period of the first bout of Jackson Memorial's 30-21 win.

"It felt amazing. It actually felt fantastic to have so many people there to support you,'' Stanburry said.

Stanburry trailed 2-1 after the first period before she reversed Abou Chakra. She then headlocked her to her back as those on the Jackson Memorial bench chanted her name.

 "I don't know half the people who were on the bench, but they were there supporting me,'' Stanburry said. "When I heard them chant my name, I was like, I've got to do this now. I've got to end this.''

Stanburry, whose father wrestled at Howell in the late 1980s, said this is her first year wrestling. 

"I've always wanted to do it since I was in middle school, but my parents were like, 'Not really','' Stanburry said.  

However, with the NJSIAA sanctioning girls wrestling for the first time and the first girls state tournament to take place March 1-2 at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City — the final two days of the boys state tournament, the time was right for Stanburry and other girls around the state to give wrestling a try.

"When this came out, my parents were like, 'Go for it. You wanted to do it. Now, go for it,' '' Stanburry said.  

Jackson Memorial, which had 12 wrestlers Friday night and Manalapan, which had 16 wrestlers Friday night, are two of the schools in the state who  had large turnouts for girls wrestling. 

The two head coaches — Scott Pressman for Manalapan and Doug Withstandley for Jackson Memorial — have been major proponents of promoting the concept of girls wrestling

Both coaches, who are the head coaches of the boys teams at their schools, agreed to have their girls wrestle each other Friday night — the opening night of the season — to help showcase the sport. 

More:Girls wrestling: NJ's newest sport is here and turnout is high at the Shore

"Did we want to make it special for the kids? Absolutely,'' Pressman said. "I did feel like it was setting a tone for the rest of the state for years to come. 

"Our administration was behind it. You can see the town was into it. Those guys (Jackson Memorial) were awesome. They were wonderful about everything they did. We were on the same page about how we wanted to do it.''

Withstandley said the NJSIAA sanctioning  girls wrestling is the boost girls wrestling in New Jersey needs. 

"Jersey is way behind the times when it comes to girls wrestling. New Jersey should not be far behind,'' Withstandley said. "Universities and colleges in New Jersey that aren't behind (girls wrestling), shame on them. It's a great opportunity for them to promote the sport and women in sport as a whole.''

One thing that was a constant in the match that featured seven pins, a forfeit and only one bout that went the full six minutes was the aggressive style of the wrestlers on both teams. 


"It was good to see the girls go out and compete and go after it on both sides,'' Withstandley said. "One of the things we've wanted to preach to them is this a gladiator sport. Whether you're male or female, we're all humans, and we're all gladiators. I'm firm believer in that in not only sports, but in life.''

"We tell the kids all the time — guys, girls — be aggressive, compete real hard,'' Pressman said. "If you make a mistake, you make a mistake, we can live with that, and we'll fix it.''

There were a lot of firsts Friday night — like longtime well-respected referee Joe Knipper — officiating a girls match for the first time in his 38-year career. 

He said he was more nervous before the match Friday night than he has been at the state tournament. 

"I never thought I'd be doing a girls match,'' Knipper said. "Thirty eight years ago, you'd never thought you'd see all girls, but I think it's great for the sport. In years to come, it's going to be great.''

Because of the aggressive style of both teams, Knipper never had to make one stall call or one caution call.

"For first-year competition, I thought it was great. They all did a great job. They were a little more skilled than I thought in the time they've had to prepare for it."

Manalapan junior Jess Johnson is one who is well-skilled. Johnson, who pinned in the final bout of the match, was a fourth-place finisher at 127 pounds last summer in the Cadet Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. 

Johnson, who is in her fifth-year wrestling, said Friday night will serve as a spring board for girls wrestling.

"I think it will really take off,'' Johnson said. "After this all got started, a lot of girls in my schools really got interested in. It's like the big talk right now. I think next year and year's later, it's going to be huge.''

"I definitely think it's going to grow,'' Pressman said. "I think people are going to see that. At the end of the day, it was about them going out and competing and trying to showcase New Jersey wrestling, and I think they did that.''

"Both crowds were great and into it. Everyone was rooting for everybody. It was a very successful night.''

FIRST GIRLS WRESTLING MATCH IN NEW JERSEY

Jackson Memorial 30, Manalapan 21
161: Abby Stanburry (JM) p. Ruba Chakra Abou 3:13.

185: Alley Meyer (JM) p. Olivia Delgado 1:44.

225: Jordyn Katz (JM) p. Samantha Albujar :56.

100: Trinity Valentin Walczak (M) by forfeit.

111: Julia Manolas (M) p. Gianna Tandari 1:02.

118: Avery Meyers (JM) p. Alexandra Urbanek 5:40.

127: Angelina Vitola (M) d. Kayla Gregory 5-3.

136: Brandi Rado (JM) p. Alyssa Curcio 1:00.

147: Jess Johnson (M) p. Skyelar Smith 1:03.

Exhibition Bout

Sabrina Maniscalco (M) d. Shannon Stroud 6-3.

Steven Falk: 732-643-4267; sfalk@gannettnj.com