Kaylee Glover understood the risks of wrestling in the boys’ division.
She knew that wrestling in the girls’ division would allow her to be, and would be, the top wrestler in her class. Now, a year after winning the girls’ 100-pound state title, she has given up the possibility of winning a second title in pursuit of a bigger goal: history.
“My goal this season was to win the boys’ division, win some matches and get on the podium,” Glover said.
The Northfield High School sophomore made history Feb. 29 when she became the first girl to win a match at the Minnesota State Boys Wrestling Tournament, pinfalling Apple Valley’s Saitaro Kong in the first round of the Class 3A, 107-pound weight class.
She built on that feat with a 5-2 win over Mounds View’s Owen LaRose in her second match, but then lost to the state’s No. 2 ranked wrestler, Dylan St. Germain of Eagan. Glover beat LaRose again in the repechage match to finish in fifth place.
Graeber’s willingness to take risks and the unparalleled success she ultimately achieved make her the 2024 Star Tribune All-Metro Sports Courage in Competition Award recipient.
“It was in the back of my mind at the beginning of my high school season,” Glover said, “and when I placed second in the boys’ division at my high school’s Rumble on the Red tournament, I really decided I wanted to try and compete at state on the boys’ side.”
Glover was used to the athletic field, having competed against boys since she was a child, but she still had fears. One in particular stood out.
“I didn’t want to go out there and do really poorly, not place, not win a match and walk away with the girls’ state title with very little to gain,” she said.
Graeber said she heard chatter from people opposed to competing in the men’s division, but she didn’t let it hurt her deeply. Instead, she relied on her support system.
She recalled what coach Jeff Staab and others told her in the lead up to the state championships: “They told me, ‘You’re in the practice room wrestling with the boys almost every day and you’re hanging out with the best kids in the state all the time. There’s no reason you can’t continue that at the state tournament.’
In hindsight, Graeber knows it was the right decision, and now she’s heading into her junior year with confidence. That’s one accomplishment. The day after the state tournament, another accomplishment came.
“After the game, I went up to the stands where my parents were and a bunch of girls gave me high-fives and said, ‘well done,’ and asked for my autograph,” Graeber said. “That was the best moment I’ve had in a really long time.”
Girls wrestling is set to grow next season, with the Minnesota High School League Board of Directors approving four additional girls-only events that won’t count toward the 16-school participation limit, and Glover hopes that pushing past the boundaries to claim her first victory will ignite hopes among younger wrestlers competing on a bigger stage.
“Don’t be scared,” Graeber said, “stay confident, and remember that if you put in the work and you put in the effort, you can do anything those boys can do. Anything is possible.”
