Girls’ wrestling is fairly new in the state of North Dakota. It only became a sanctioned sport in 2021, making North Dakota the 30th state in the country with official girls’ wrestling championships.
Devils Lake is a part of the growing sport. While the team is small compared to the boys’ program, the Firebirds still have a solid 12 female wrestlers on their varsity roster this year. Four lady wrestlers joined the 18 boys at state last season.
One of those was Isabelle Berg, who has since graduated. She placed fourth in the 190 weight class at state.
The three other state-bound wrestlers for the girls are all back this year: freshman Olivia Lindstrom, senior Brianna Edwardson and sophomore Jaylee Jetty.
Lindstrom and Edwardson placed fifth and sixth in their respective weight classes at the 2024 Minot Early Bird Tournament this fall. Junior Izzy Orness recorded the girls’ first pin of the year in the team’s season-opening dual against Valley City.
But after losing duals to the Hi-Liners and Central Cass, the Firebirds won a pair of duals on Dec. 12. They beat Northern Lights 40-30 and Turtle Mountain 39-36. In the first dual of the day, Siri Bryce Volk and Orness each had a pin, while Mallie McCloud won by a major decision. In the second dual, Bryce Volk, McCloud, Maria Riojas, Edwardson and Lindstrom each had a pin, and Jetty won by decision.
The most successful wrestler in the short history of Devils Lake girls’ wrestling thus far is 2022 graduate Jenna Gerhardt. She spent her first two collegiate years at the University of Jamestown, then transferred to Dickinson State University for this season. She joins a larger team, with an opportunity to mentor high school girls in Dickinson on the side, according to a post on the Devils Lake wrestling team’s Facebook page. Gerhardt is also pursuing a business degree.
Here’s the full Devils Lake varsity girls’ wrestling roster.
Head Coach: Fields Olson
106 | Siri Bryce Volk | Eighth-grader
112 | Cianna Littlewind | Senior
112 | Elizabeth Orness | Junior
118, 124 | Mallie McCloud | Junior
124, 130 | Jossalin Carpenter | Freshman
124, 130 | Leah Dahle | Eighth-grader
124, 130 | Maria Riojas | Junior
130 | Brianna Edwardson | Senior
130, 136 | Olivia Lindstrom | Freshman
142, 148 | Carlynn Walkingeagle | Sophomore
148, 155 | Gabriella Hunter | Eighth-grader
155 | Jaylee Jetty | Sophomore
