Osage freshman has lofty goals at lowest weight class
By Kristi Nixon
OSAGE — With a namesake after the legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable, Osage freshman Gable Hemann has a lot to live up to.
Originally from New Hampton, she wrestles at 106 pounds for coach Ryan Fank’s Green Devils and earned one of five first-place finishes at the Osage girls’ home tournament held last week.
Others for Osage who earned first at the meet among the girls’ team were Jalynn Goodale, Jacy Kreiner, Katelyn Johnston and Annaliese Arcieniega.
She hasn’t been wrestling long – about three years – but has always been around the sport.
“This is my third year, my dad was a head wrestling coach, so I’ve seen wrestling for a long time,” Hemann said. “That’s what got me doing it.
“I actually moved here my seventh grade year, so that was my first year wrestling. I moved from New Hampton. They just started (girls wrestling).”
Unofficially, she had a 13-2 overall record after the meet with her wins and losses recorded as either exhibition or JV matches.
When the season started, IAWrestle had her ranked among girls to start the season, however, since weight classes are changing for girls and some meets have had wrestlers compete in weight ranges rather than classes, the organization hasn’t done a set of girls rankings since. And, when contacted, IAWrestle had no plans to rank again any time soon.
Hemann looks forward to the day that the sport will officially be sanctioned. The wheels are reportedly in motion.
“I think it will be a good thing for us,” Hemann said. “It’s a really good sport, it just needs a lot more girls. We already have so many…they are pretty close to sanctioning.”
