Bridgewater 5th-Grader Is 1st Female Wrestler To Take On The Boys

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Weighing in at 60 pounds, Paige Karp is not a girl you want to mess with. The spunky fifth-grader at Eisenhower Intermediate School is the first female to join the school district’s wrestling team.

Karp had been watching her brother wrestle for a couple of years when she wanted to try it.

"I wanted to show girls they are better than boys," Karp said.

Karp joined the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers on the Junior Varsity Recreation team and instantly felt at home.

"It is fun taking people out," Karp says of being on the mats.

Karp’s family is also very supportive of her decision.

"I think it's really exciting for her to have this opportunity," Karp's mother Erika said. "As a mom I was terrified at first, but she loves it, and I am absolutely impressed by her."

Karp has won about nine matches and only lost three times this season. She even wrestles boys above her weight class.

"I am thrilled to have Paige on our team as our first girl wrestler!" Coach Michael Puorro said. "She has been a great addition to the team and I know that she'll stick with it for years. She has a fire that you just can't teach. I wish half of the boys on the team had her drive and enthusiasm. I’m a strong proponent of girls wrestling. I have a 4-year-old daughter myself who asks when will she able to wrestle. Paige is helping pave the way for more girls to join our team and I really hope they do!"

Karp plans to continue wrestling in the off-season.

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