Female Supremacy Articles - Page 13

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Her coach isn't the only person saying this. Accolades for Hutchison come from coaches around Alaska.

"She's one of the best 103-pounders in the state, boy or girl," said South coach Tom Ritchie Jr. "She is the real deal."

And Kodiak's Pat Costello, who has been coaching that program for 15 years, says: "Michaela is the best girl wrestler I've seen."

Despite the praise, Hutchison remains modest, even self-effacing.

"I still don't feel like I'm very good," she said. "I just want to get better."

Clearly, Hutchison is at the forefront of the dozens of girls who wrestle varsity in Alaska, even though she doesn't feel anything like a role model.

She views herself as just a wrestler -- not a "girl wrestler" either -- and many are beginning to view her and the growing number of girls competing in a boy-dominated sport the same way.

"They're getting technically way better," Costello said.

Almost technically as good as boys, especially at the lower weights. Girls know they are still at a disadvantage at the middle and heavy weights because they're not as strong as the boys in those divisions.

That doesn't prevent Hutchison, or the other two girls on Skyview's team, from challenging boys, even if they're heavier and stronger.

"We'll wrestle anybody that's close in weight," Hutchison said.

It's that attitude, and the ability to back it up, that has people taking note of the strides female wrestlers have made in Alaska.