“It’s pretty cool because it’s the 50th year of wrestling at Blaine and the first year of girls wrestling at Blaine,” said Bengals coach Josh Prokosch. “So that’s kind of a cool coincidence.”
The Bengals have a trailblazer on their girls team.
“She’s a natural talent,” Prokosch said referring to Mandi Lu, a 9th grade sensation who has qualified for the girls state tournament.
“I think it’s been incredible what she’s been able to do in her two years that we’ve had her,” Prokosch said. “I’m just really excited to see how she does in a couple weeks and obviously moving forward because we’ve got her for three more years.”
Lu has overcome any challenge she has faced on the mat so far.
“Wrestling boys, wrestling girls all year,” Prokosch said. “She’s just had a lot of success. We knew she had a great opportunity when she got to sections and she made it count.”
Growing sport
Girls wrestling has been a varsity sport in Minnesota since 2021 and it is catching on quickly. Lu is excited to be part of athletic history at Blaine.
She competes in the 155 pound weight class and is one of many females who have gravitated to an activity that is becoming as popular as basketball, hockey or softball.
“Girls wrestling is already on that track,” Prokosch said. “It is the largest growing sport in the country right now and I think it’s only going to continue to grow.”
“It’s honestly amazing to see the amount of girls that are willing to do wrestling,” Lu said. “It used to be such a male dominated sport. It’s nice seeing girls catch up.”
Being part of the team and adapting to the Bengals culture has been a process for Lu.
“Coming into Blane there weren’t many girls at first and I think it was kind of weird to be sharing a mat with boys and girls and obviously the guys weren’t used to that,” Lu said. “But I think over time it became more of an open space.”
Lu has a passion for the sport.
“Wrestling was actually my first sport that I joined,” Lu said. “I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into. But at first it was really tough and I had a lot of doubts throughout the season, but I’m glad I stuck through it and it definitely got me into shape and sharpened my mind.”
Tournament-focused
For now Lu is focused on the girls state tournament.
“I think it means a lot,” Lu said.
But someday she hopes to compete in the boys tournament too.
“I think I want to try to eventually,” Lu said. “But I think right now I’m not ready for that. Eventually down the years as I get more mat-time and get more training in, I believe that I will be able to participate in the boys tournament.”
“I think that will be up to her,” Prokosch said. “Especially where her weight class is. The varsity level can be a little bit more difficult for the girls to compete just with the strength. I think skill-wise she would be able to do so but the biggest gap is the strength.”
The boys and girls state wrestling tournament is February 29 through March 2 at The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
