RaeAnn Craft helps to bring home Wrestling’s first Team Sectional Championship

Wrestling prodigy RaeAnn Craft won the first ever 118 lb. Women’s Section IV Championship in history on Saturday, Feb. 12, and helped earn the team’s first Team Sectional Championship for Owego Free Academy Wrestling. Despite only being in 8th grade, Craft is already wrestling on the boys’ varsity team where she went 11-8 against boys in her weight class. 

“It was cool to be a part of, and I’m glad that I could help pave the way for women’s wrestling in the future. It was fun to be a part of because it can show girls who may not be into school wrestling yet that they can do what the boys are doing and that there are spots for girls in the sport,” said Craft. 

Along with her 3-1 record against girls, Craft went 14-9 against both the girls and the boys which, according to her coach Nicholas Rodgers, placed her as one of the most consistent performers on the team. 

“She’s aggressive and not afraid to shoot,” said Coach Nicholas Rodgers, adding, “Most young people don’t like being aggressive off the whistle, but she gets right after it. I use her as the example of the room a lot for her aggression and ability.” 

Despite standing just over 5-feet-tall and giving up a lot of strength and leverage to her male counterparts, her technical ability allows for her to compensate. 

Rodgers continued, “Technically she is phenomenal. She has been around the sport a long time and she probably has 100 matches under belt already. She picks up on things very fast and is very intelligent, which is why she also does very well in school.” 

While Craft admitted to some nerves before the tournament, the second the whistle blew her focus kicked in. 

“I had some doubt going into the match, but once I was down on the mat and in front of everyone I knew what I had to do; just go out there and have fun and put on a show for everyone that came out to support me,” said Craft. 

For a wrestler of her ability, Rodgers said the sky is the limit. 

“She dominated the two wrestlers she faced. If they end up putting together a state championship for girls I see no reason why she couldn’t be state champion before she graduates,” Rodgers added. 

This summer Craft will be going to Texas to try out for the 16U girl’s world team, and beyond that she already has her eyes set on King’s College in Tennessee to wrestle.

“That is where Cheyenne Sisenstien wrestles and she is someone that I have known since I was about eight years old, and she is someone that I look up to,” Craft said.  

In the meantime Craft said her focus is to continue beating the boys and hopes that even if a girl’s championship isn’t instituted before she graduates she can get far enough against the boys to at least make it to states. 

“I would like to try and compete with the boys in sectionals and get on the podium and make it to the boy’s state meet and place at states. If there is ever a girl’s state tournament I will be there and would like to be a state champion,” concluded Craft.