a Salute!

to...

Rachael Hale

of Vermont, 

for becoming the

State Wrestling Champion

Rachael is the first girl to ever achieve this title, and only the third girl to win a state HS wrestling title in gender blind competition,  following

 Hope Steffensen of Alaska, last December, 

 and 

Michaela Hutchison, also of Alaska, in 2006.

Rachael is a freshman at Mount Anthony Union High, Vermont, who got interested in wrestling after her brother Zak wrestled.  Only five states separate divisions by gender, and Vermont is not one of them, so she just fought the boys, and obviously, was better.  :-)  She was one of more than 6,000 girls who wrestled last year, and every state but one has had a girl make it to state.

You've come a long way, baby.  People who think girls shouldn't wrestle are going the way of the dinosaurs, and it's a good thing, and it's thanks to you guys.