Casey thrilled with girls wrestling’s growth

HUNTLEY — Huntley wrestler Taylor Casey remembers the time well when girls wrestlers were a rarity at meets.

“The growth of girls wrestling is amazing. There used to be just four girls on a team, and now, they have coaches dedicated only to girls teams,” Casey, a Red Raiders senior, said. Casey, a state qualifier last season, took home the best finish at fifth, at the Dan Gable Donnybrook Girls Tournament Dec. 2. She was 3-0 with all three wins by pin and to top it off, met the Olympic hero Gable.

Also finishing in the top 10 were senior Jessica Olson, seventh at 140 pounds, and Janiah Slaughter, ninth at 105 pounds and Aubrie Rohrbacker, who was 10th at 130 pounds. Slaughter is back after finishing third at the IHSA State Girls Tournament last season. Olson, at 140 pounds, won by pin to capture the seventh place spot.

“I think the place winners all wrestled well and learned a lot early in the season against some tough competition. All four place winners could have placed higher,” HHS coach Gannon Kosowski said.

Casey said she was better prepared for the trip to Coralville, Iowa this season.

“I was in a better mindset this season,” Casey said. “Last year, I was too nervous. This year, I wrestled like I had nothing to lose. I had a lot of adrenaline.”

Casey wrestled in a club this summer, including at nationals at Fargo, ND.

“I have to constantly remind myself that I’m capable of performing all the moves we’ve practiced,” Casey said.

Casey, who was 1-2 at state last season, her second year at state, doesn’t know if she will wrestle in college, but some of the hundreds of universities now offering women’s wrestling have contacted her.