Field’s wrestling roster includes: Senior Brittin Sampsel, juniors Izabella Dickens, Carly Eldreth, Elizabeth Rock and Raegan Slusser, along with freshmen Juliana Baker, Emma Long, Thea Rebeck and Mackenzie Williams.
Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The season has yet to start and the Field Falcons have already made some wrestling history.

The 2024-25 season will mark the inaugural campaign for the school’s girls wrestling program.

The team was voted and approved as a varsity sport on Oct. 18 and head coach Mason Brainard, a 2016 Field graduate, was approved by the Board of Education on Nov. 18 to lead the program.

Field’s roster includes nine girls and a schedule that currently includes five tournaments and two dual meets, with more possibly being added along the way.

Girls wrestling has been identified as the fastest-growing high school sport and the excitement at Field matches that trajectory.

“We are very excited to introduce girls wrestling to our students,” Field athletic director Aaron Male said. “The group of athletes we have on the team have been practicing for this upcoming season, and they are very enthusiastic about starting. We are lucky to have two coaches with significant wrestling backgrounds and several years of experience.”

Joining Brainard on the coaching staff is longtime Field boys wrestling assistant Clark Bookman. Brainard also was previously an assistant on the Falcons’ boys staff.

“I was very excited when I heard there was going to be a high school girls wrestling team,” said Brainard, who wrestled at Heidelberg University and also spent two years coaching for the Herd after graduating. “I’m grateful to be chosen to lead this program in their inaugural year, and I hope to set the program up for success for years to come.

“The opportunity to lead this team makes me excited and gives me the chance to make a positive impact on the student-athletes and inspire them to be the best version of themselves,” Brainard added.

Creating an opportunity specific for Field’s girls interested in the sport was something that Brainard immediately supported.

“Having been around wrestling for a long time, you have always seen a couple of girls wrestling on the boys teams. However, in the past couple of years, you have seen the number of girls wanting to wrestle continue to rise,” he said. “I believe the growth is good for the sport overall and will help make wrestling more popular and gather more fans for the student-athletes to wrestle in front of.”

Field’s wrestling roster includes: Senior Brittin Sampsel, juniors Izabella Dickens, Carly Eldreth, Elizabeth Rock and Raegan Slusser, along with freshmen Juliana Baker, Emma Long, Thea Rebeck and Mackenzie Williams.

The group begins their season on Sunday (Dec. 8) at the Michael Fording Invitational hosted at Brush High School.

For Brainard, it will be the start of something he intends to build longterm.

“I think it was important for me to step forward to lead the program because it allows me to directly shape the program’s foundation and set it up for long term success. This includes using my life and coaching skills to have a positive impact on the girls and give back to the community in which I grew up in.”

The Falcons’ current schedule includes:

Dec. 8: at Michael Fording Invitational

Dec. 12: at Rootstown (dual meet)

Dec. 29: at Madison Lady Rumble

Jan. 18: at Alliance Top Gun Tournament

Jan. 25: at Fear the Spear Tournament

Feb. 4: at Minerva (dual meet)

Feb 9: at Lady Spartan Tournament