(WILMINGTON, Ohio) - For Georgia Horosky, her legacy is more than being the first female wrestler in Wilmington College history; instead, her story is for the future generations of female wrestlers.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, one of the most popular states for wrestling, Horosky had a strong connection with her little brother, Tony, who wrestled. "The way I went through high school was really unique. I took all my classes at a community college. I graduated a year early, and I came here with my associate degree," she said. By not setting foot in her local high school or being involved in high school sports, Horosky became more involved in what her brother was doing, leading her to wrestling.
"I fell in love with the sport. I just never really competed. We would wrestle because we were siblings, but other than that, there were not really many opportunities," adds Horosky.
At Wilmington, she quickly formed connections. "We are Iowa Hawkeyes fans, so big wrestling fans. Last year, when I got here, some of the wrestlers saw me in my Iowa Wrestling sweatshirt," says Horosky. "We started talking, and I became friends with some of them." Last year, the NCAA Wrestling Championships were held in Philadelphia, and Horosky took herself and her brother as a Christmas gift to one another. At this point, her interest piqued.
After being persistently asked, "Why don't you start wrestling if you love it?" She was able to meet with former Head Men's Wrestling Coach Chris Basford. Following a few discussions and support from Basford, she fell in love with wrestling right away. "I knew I would," exclaims Horosky.
Despite Basford's departure, Horosky's involvement has increased under now Head Coach Brad Bruhn. She recalls her first meeting with Coach Bruhn, and to her surprise, he told her that she was the first person he saw in the wrestling room. "I was like, me?" She said surprisingly. "I thought that was funny. When he was at SUNY Cortland, he actually coached a team with a girl too, so the transition was really cool to have a coach who was not concerned and was going to coach whoever was in the room," Horosky emphasizes.
The junior's role thus far has been widespread. "I think that they, together, Coach Bruhn, and Student Assistant Coach Lucas Rodgers, coach really well, and I am very glad they invited me to help with administrative and managerial tasks." Importantly, she recognizes the support from the guys on the team. "They have been great. The biggest thing to them is if you show up, work hard, want to be there, and get better, they do not have a problem. It is always just like we are helping each other get better, and I think you could not ask for anything better," she proclaims.
The support from those around her has helped drive Horosky further. What really motivates her is at home. "I think my biggest motivation is that when I go home and watch my brother wrestle, there are always little girls there. On the younger scale, there are not a lot of girls' teams," she mentions. "When I came home, I wrestled with some of the guys, and the girls were there. They asked me where do you wrestle? And you tell them you wrestle in college, their eyes light up."
"It is important for me that other girls see they have an opportunity in the future. For me, it is my biggest thing to make sure these girls know that they have the opportunity to wrestle beyond high school." The development of women's wrestling, dating back to the 1987 Women's Wrestling World Championship's inaugural official tournament, and the sport's debut in the Olympics in 2004, has reached the high school and collegiate levels nationwide at a high rate.
Horosky's memory of her arrival at Wilmington College resonates with her heavily. "I remember when I came to Wilmington, we had our scholarship interviews, and the question I vividly remember was, What do you want to leave at Wilmington?" She recalls being unsure but recognized that this is what makes Wilmington College special. "You can find your legacy, and sometimes it finds you. My legacy is being the first women's wrestler here, but to me it is not about what I can do, but it is about what opportunities does this lead for other people."
Her path to the mat has never been easy. "If you have to push for it, by doing something uncomfortable, being on a guy's team, that is what you have to do," she remarked. Finally, on Friday, January 23, against Ohio Northern University and Muskingum University, Horosky wrestled in the first collegiate matches of her career. Her historic arrival on the mat marked a major moment in support for women's athletics, and hopefully a positive sign of the future for women's wrestling.
