Arnhold 'pins down' her goals
Sports reporter
It didn't take long for the boys to accept her.
It helps when you go 21-14 your freshman year in a sport totally dominated by males.
So dominated in fact, most people can't imagine how or why a girl would want to do it.
To Marion High School senior Chelsea Arnhold it's no big deal as she prepares for her fourth year as a member of the MHS wrestling team.
"Same 'ol, same 'ol," she said of hanging out with boys every winter afternoon at practice.
She's actually more than just a member. She's a three-time state qualifier with a career record of 79-39, and the only girl in Kansas to qualify three times.
If that doesn't earn the respect of your teammates, nothing will.
"With everything new there is a little skepticism," said fifth-year MHS wrestling coach Chad Adkins. "But I have no problem with it. She really works hard and is a fun kid to be around."
By now Chelsea has heard and seen it all. From people saying girls shouldn't wrestle to having one opponent refuse to wrestler her because of school policy.
"That's their opinion," she said with a laugh. "I think I have a relative somewhere who doesn't like me wrestling. I have so many relatives though it's hard to keep track."
So Chelsea keeps wrestling, with one major goal in mind: to win at state. She has failed to do so in her three attempts.
"She wants to win at state so bad," said Adkins. "She's dedicated. She ran cross country this year just to be in shape for wrestling."
She downplayed it a bit by eluding to the success of the team as an important goal.
"I just hope we are very positive all the way through the season," she said.
Getting started
Chelsea's wrestling days began in the seventh grade as a Marion Middle School Wildcat, just as the program was getting started.
A few of her friends decided to come out with her, but it didn't take long before she was the only one left.
Her father, MHS principal Ken Arnhold, who wrestled in high school and for a short time in college, said he was shocked at first but later loved the idea.
"Dad was really excited because he really likes wrestling," she said. "Mom wasn't so supportive, but she was there."
Her mother Teri said Chelsea pretty much nailed it on the head.
"My opinion of wrestling was pretty low," Teri said. "I didn't like it all, but they do work hard."
At the same time Teri knew she had to be there for her.
"I didn't want to discourage something she had a chance to excel in," she said.
So, both parents go to most of her matches and support her like any other wrestler.
But Chelsea remembers when it wasn't all smooth sailing in the beginning.
"In middle school I was the girl wrestler," she said. "Somewhere in the middle of my freshman year that changed."
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, that was the same time some of the boys realized she was good enough to beat them.
As she finished up her sophomore year at 24-13, it was obvious she was for real.
Last season she put together a 24-12 record, but again fell short at state.
This season things could change.
On the mat
Chelsea has wrestled both boys and girls during her career, and couldn't care less who her opponent is.
"It doesn't matter who I wrestle," she said. "A lot of guys are like this guy does this and that and I have to do this and this. But really if I know what I have to do that usually just propels me."
In fact it's propelled her not only to state high school tournaments but also high finishes at women's national tournaments.
Adkins said she has finished eighth and fifth at two separate women's national tournaments. She has traveled to Minnesota and Colorado and seen the type of competition she would face if she wanted to wrestle in college.
Women's college wrestling teams are popping up across the nation, causing Chelsea to at least give it a thought. She also keeps in contact with a girl she met at nationals who now wrestles at a college in Oregon.
"That's something I'm not so sure of because college wrestling is so much more different than high school wrestling," she said. "It's on a completely different level. It's just something I have to look over. There are days I'm like no, I'm not doing it. But some days I think about it."
Off the mat
As hard as Chelsea works on the mat, she may work even harder off it.
While running cross country this fall she also spent time as a cheerleader. When she wasn't busy running or cheering she was practicing for the school musical, "Seussical the Musical," which finished this past weekend.
In the spring she runs track and participates in the school play.
In between she does just about everything else. Chelsea is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club, MHS Singers, choir, the 3A Kansas state student representative for KSHSAA, and she medaled at the state forensics competition last year. She also in involved with many other community activities.
If she had her way there would be a few more activities she would do if offered.
"The musicals and the plays, I really like to do those and are probably on the top of the list. But I always wanted to play soccer or rugby," she said with a smile.
Final season
Now that Chelsea has just one more go-round with wrestling it's becoming more important to her than ever.
"When I was a freshman it was just go, wrestle," she said. "Now it's a little more goal-oriented."
Even her mom notices after each match she wins, it's more business-like than in the beginning.
"At first she would just jump up and smile after she won," Teri said.
Now her mom said she is used to winning and while each match is important, she knows the ultimate goal is to place at state.
It's a long road to get there, and Chelsea knows there are other goals that need to be met before reaching state.
"There are some things I have to work on," she said. "I should get in the weight room. I don't like it, but I should."
Especially since she will be wrestling in a weight class one level higher than last year.
If all doesn't come together in a fairy tale ending, that's OK with Chelsea. She's already proven she belongs, and her success has not gone unnoticed.
In her three years of high school wrestling she has wrestled only one girl, from Northern Heights.
"She said she started wrestling her senior year, she was a manager her junior year, because she saw me wrestle," Chelsea said. "I thought that was pretty cool."
Once the wrestling season is over, and her career most likely finished, Chelsea will have plenty to look back on.
"I've learned a lot of self-discipline," she said.
That includes what foods to eat, how to use every muscle in your body for six minutes, and how to hang around 15 boys everyday.
Other than that, she does everything else any other high school girl would do. And she said she wouldn't change a thing.
"I'm pretty happy with what I've done," she said.
Tell that to her opponents.
