Kimball youth is growing up with the women's wrestling movement

At not quite twelve years old, Sierra Starr Boviall continues to make a name for herself among young wrestlers. Boviall, a student at Potter-Dix schools, lives in Kimball with her grandmother, Penny Hobbs.

Boviall has been wrestling for four years in the Federation wrestling program and currently trains and competes with the Tri-state Grapplers. She wrestles folk style and Greco-Roman currently but will be learning freestyle soon.

In addition to learning a new wrestling style, she is learning new moves this year and plans to become a member of the AAU in addition to the USAW.

"This year she is a completely different wrestler," Hobbs said. "Last year she was good, but this year she is just phenomenal."

Boviall works hard to keep her grades up and has been working just as hard training, competing and racking up several first-place wins, one second place and one third place.

"I think I am doing really well," Boviall said.

With the end of the season looming, Boviall has some tough competition choices to make.

On Saturday, Feb. 25 she could compete at the district competition in Bridgeport, or she could attend the NSAA State Dual Wrestling Championships, but instead, she plans to compete at The War of the Roses (WOTR) grand finale in Aurora Colo.

This contest will award the top placing high school cadet, by points, a youth wrestling camp experience with the Cadet World Team coaches – basically working with the Olympic training staff, according to WOTR founder and CEO, Brent Harvey.

Harvey, who is the President of the Michigan Women's Wrestling, started The WOTR as a non-profit six years ago to increase wrestling opportunities for girls and young women to compete against other young women.

"It started as one tournament and grew to three the next year, then there were 25 tournaments the third year and 30 tournaments in 25 states in the fourth season," Harvey said.

Additionally, Noella Flora is planning a camp for the younger girls who do well at the WOTR grand finale as well, according to Hobbs, where they will get a chance to work with top trainers and coaches.

Each year there are more opportunities for young women, like Boviall, to compete against other ladies in a sport that has traditionally been male-dominant.

Such is no longer the case, according to Harvey, who said that while there are still just 34 colleges offering scholarships in women's wrestling, that is a number that is growing annually due to the spike in females interested in the sport.

Here in Kimball, Boviall's interest has not swayed. On March 19 Boviall plans to compete at the NEUSA State Competition in Grand Island and will continue working through the summer with plans to move on to the USAW Girls Folkstyle National Championships, Jr. Women Folkstyle Duals, and University National Championships next year.

Finally, if the family can fund the trip, Boviall will compete in the Junior Olympics in Detroit, Mich., on July 30 this year. They will be working to raise funds to cover travel expenses, as last year's travel costs exceeded $900, with snow cone sales, dog walking after school and a 50/50 raffle planned as well as a GoFundMe page.

Boviall's newest goal is to become the youngest woman to compete as a wrestler in the Olympics.