CEDAR CITY — As a youth wrestler, she competed against boys because there were few girls who wrestled. As the first female wrestler to earn a scholarship from her high school, Hallie Carter has pinned her dreams on a bachelor’s degree.
“I never thought that I would have a girl that would go to college wrestling,” Travis Carter said. “I am super proud of her today.”
On Friday, both boy and girl Falcon grapplers packed the library as Carter signed her letter of intent to wrestle for the Snow College Badgers in Richfield.
St. George News spoke with Snow College Coach Ross Taylor, who said last year — the Badgers first year with a women’s wrestling program — they finished seventh at the NJCAA Championships.
Taylor started the program with 21 women wrestlers, all from Utah, and hopes to have 30 on the team before the start of next season. Attending Snow College is the perfect place for athletes with Carter’s passion, he stated.
“We’re excited that Hallie is joining our program,” Taylor said. “I believe we’re building the next generation of women’s wrestling coaches, officials and administrators.”
Dallas Lowry, girls wrestling coach of the year for Utah Divisions 1-3A, gave his praise for Carter and encouraged all wrestlers in the room to seek higher education.
“Her talent is untapped — all of your talent is untapped,” Lowry said. “When you get into college, it moves to another level. It’s a whole different animal but you get an education, you get a college degree.”
Although she is going to college to wrestle, Carter hits the books as hard as the mat, CVHS counselor Steven Hoggan said. She finished the season in the top-ten academically of the girls wrestling in 3A.
“I think her drive, it’s motivating for me,” he said. “It is cool to see students succeed and she’s a great example of what a student can accomplish when they set their mind to do something.”
Carter said she was excited to wrestle collegiately and higher education has always been a goal. Snow College has the only women’s wrestling team in the state, so she’s not too far from home.
“I feel like this will be a fun thing to do,” she said. “So, I’m doing it.”
Carter’s mother, Heather, emotionally told the crowd of her daughter’s determination and skill. She sets goals, fights to achieve them and “she does it super well,” she stated with tears.
Canyon View High School Principal Dennis Heaton said he is proud of all female Falcons wrestlers who are inspiring elementary-aged students to come to grips.
In a telephone interview after the signing with St. George News, Heaton stated he was overjoyed when he learned of Carter’s post-graduation opportunities. He was also a little sad.
“Hallie is one of the most determined students I have had — Snow College made the right choice,” Heaton told St. George News. “She can be quiet and she can be shy, but don’t let that fool you. The bad thing about her graduating is she has to leave.”
Although relatively new, womens wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the nation, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
In 1994, there were 804 girls wrestling in high school and college — mostly against boys. That number grew to more than 50,000 in 2023, with females wrangling women counterparts on 115 college teams and hundreds of high school squads.
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