The Davis Wolves usually know what’s next on their high school and junior high wrestling schedules, so Challan Bailey gears up for it along with her teammates.
Like other non-starters, she tries to earn mat time for the next meet.
“Sitting on the shelf, not getting to participate is OK,” Davis coach Jayson Bailey, Challan’s father, said Monday. “She has two brothers who wrestle.”
The oldest brother, junior Christian Bailey, wrestled in the 112-pound Class 2A consolation final last season for Marlow.
Challan, who along with her family moved back to Davis from Marlow, can wrestle in any class 130 pounds and higher, her dad said.
She could get her chance today in a junior high dual meet at Pauls Valley. Davis’ 140 and 150-pound wrestlers won’t be available, Jayson Bailey said, and he’ll send Challan to the mat — waiting for Pauls Valley to send its own.
The coach said he’s not just going to put her on the mat against any boy, however. If an opponent’s wrestler at Challan’s weight class is a boy who can contend for championships, Bailey said he wouldn’t put her against him.
As far as convincing dad to go against a boy, Challan said: “Sometimes I’ve tried. (He responds,) ‘Just pretty much wait and see.’
“I think I will probably have a good chance of wrestling against a guy.”
Jayson would like to see her defeat one. He’s also looking for high school girls tournaments in Texas in which she can compete. (Girls cannot compete against boys in Texas.)
So far, Challan’s competed in one match, a high school exhibition against Gena Scott of Haltom (Texas) in Ardmore on Dec. 10. Bailey won by fall 23 seconds into the second period.
“It was a pretty good match,” Challan said. “I didn’t feel excited; I didn’t know how I was going to do.”
Hey, it was her first-ever organized match, but Jayson said she’s been on and off the mat since she was a little girl.
“I would just wrestle with my brothers,” she said. “I didn’t have any pee-wee tournaments.”
She was more of a wrestling partner, coach Bailey said. But her brothers, the other one eighth-grader J.E. Bailey, have helped her a lot, she said.
“They’re right there telling me what I’m doing right, what I’m doing wrong,” Challan said.
A girl wrestler in Oklahoma is nothing new. Woodward’s Joey Miller placed in the OSSAA state championships twice and now competes at Oklahoma City University, which has a women’s team that finished as a national runner-up last season. Hannah Martin of El Reno competed in the 4A consolation final at 103 pounds last February.
Challan, too, would like to earn a scholarship at OCU. For now, she’s inspired two middle-school girls to join the wrestling program at Davis.
“All three girls come in here and work their butts off,” Jayson Bailey said. “It’s been positive.”
Ah, the impact Challan’s already making.
I.C. Murrell,
(580) 221-6527
ic.murrell@ardmoreite.com
