Ed-Co’s Knipper, Walz wrestle in home gym for Senior Night

COLESBURG — For the past four years, Kara Knipper and Miley Walz have been sporting the light blue and red of East Buchanan, as part of their girls’ wrestling program.

On Dec. 2, the duo and their team made history by wrestling in the first-ever girls’ wrestling dual hosted by Ed-Co at their district’s elementary school.

It was a night and experience in the making — giving Knipper and Walz a chance to wrestle at Ed-Co, where they go to school, while competing with East Buchanan through a girls’ wrestling co-op agreement.

“We told them that before they graduated, they would get to wrestle in their home gym,” East Buchanan co-head coach Kendra Burchett said. “We made it happen.”

Her counterpart, co-head coach Dan Stiefel, believes it was important to get two of the Buccaneers’ leaders a dual in their own territory.

“They got in front of people who might not have come to watch them at East Buchanan,” Stiefel said. “I love this gym. It was a cool atmosphere with the lights. They deserve to be in front of their home crowd.”

The Buccaneers sent the Ed-Co seniors out on a high note — going 2-0 on the night, defeating North Cedar, 42-6 and West Delaware, 36-24.

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Knipper was proud of her performance that night and wrestling in front of her home crowd at Ed-Co made it even more special.

“It means a lot to me,” Knipper said. “Miley and I are the only two girl wrestlers at our school. It means a lot to be able to make history for our school.”

Walz agrees and hopes the dual encourages young Vikings to participate in girls’ wrestling.

“It’s cool, because we are the first-ever girl wrestlers for Ed-Co,” Walz said. “I hope it opened eyes for the little girls that I have been coaching.”

One of the girls that has been coached through the East Buchanan girls’ wrestling program is Knipper. It was just four years ago when she stepped on a wrestling mat for the first time, after a “random thought” one day.

Her coach, Burchett, expressed how amazing it has been to see her transform from a newbie wrestler to one of the team’s leaders.

“If we could take her first match video and compare it to her first match video of this season, we’d show her how she’s grown in mat maturity and calmness,” Burchett said. “It’s unbelievable what she’s achieved in her four years.”

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As for Walz, she has been experienced on the wrestling mat, having attended East Buchanan girls’ wrestling practices when she was in middle school.

Stiefel believes she has also grown throughout the past four years, especially when it comes to her mindset.

“She came over and practiced with us a lot (in middle school),” Stiefel said. “She’s grown a lot, too. It’s been great to see her confidence grow and consistently performing like we know she can.”

Helping lead the Buccaneers with fellow seniors Tayla Stiefel and Brooklyn Graham, Knipper and Walz have rather simple goals for their final season with East Buchanan.

“My goal is to just get better than last year,” Knipper said. “I always want to improve and get better.”

With her name already adorned on the wall inside the gym at Ed-Co’s elementary school with her fellow Viking state qualifiers, Walz wants to add her name once more.

“My goal is to win state,” Walz said.

Reflecting on the legacy these two seniors will leave on the East Buchanan girls’ wrestling program, Burchett is thankful for opportunities to invite and coach wrestlers from nearby schools.

While the dual at Ed-Co also served as Senior Night for Knipper and Walz, Burchett is also holding onto the belief that they will have a great finale for high school wrestling.

“We loved having the co-op agreement, because it allows us to get to know the girls over the course of four years,” Burchett said. “We are super happy to have them and believe we are going to have strong senior seasons for both of them.”