The first Greene County High School wrestler to compete in 2020 was the only girl on the team. Freshman Emma Hoyle started the new year with two wins, both by fall, on Saturday in Colfax at the Colfax-Mingo tournament. The event had a JV boys division, as well as a girls’ division with female wrestlers from as far away as Waukon and other sections of eastern Iowa, along with entries from central and the west central part of the state.

Hoyle won her three-girl round-robin bracket at 145 lbs. She started the day with a fall in 2:00 over Mary Ann Fox of Osage and finished her afternoon with a fall in 3:20 over Caitlyn Busch of Mid-Prairie (Wellman). Hoyle trailed 6-3 after two periods in match two, then came from the down position to reverse her opponent, put her on her back, and secure the fall, all in a few seconds time. The tournament used five minute matches instead of the usual six, with a one minute first period.

She used a pinning combination in both matches known as “The Butcher” or “Butcher Boy” and she was asked where she learned it. “Well, I knew it, but had never used it in a match, so this morning (Sat.) Coach Beekman wanted me to try it on him (during warm-up) and it wasn’t the best, but he wanted me to use it. In the first match, the opportunity was there, so I went to it and it worked, so I guess I knew it better than I thought. In the second match, I knew I had to score points being down by three going into the last period. Once I got the reverse, I was able to turn her with the “butcher” and that was the end of that.”

Hoyle is now 3-1 with three falls in her young high school career. She’s next scheduled to wrestle in the girls’ division of the Jan. 11 Ogden JV tournament. She also was the main varsity pitcher for the softball Rams last summer right out of eighth grade.