Surrounded by encouragement, Bernard flourishes

Sole female wrestler for New Ulm continues tough competition, no matter the opponent

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- At first, Ali Bernard seems to stand alone as the sole female wrestler for New Ulm, but with a closer look, she is surrounded by support.

When she won the national girls' wrestling competition in the 144 weight class in Michigan last spring, her family was behind her. When she traveled to China to compete in August, her mother Sue, sisters Annie and Abby, and brother Andy all came with. As she starts this season 9-0, her team is encouraging her.

And according to coach Darwin Arndt, even referees are behind her, asking whether they are going to get to see her use her skills on the mat. She even has an effect on opponents' fans.

"It's amazing -- it seems that even the school that we're wrestling against, it's like their fans almost have a change of heart, and they're saying 'Go get 'em," said Arndt. "There's been a lot of times that she's received a standing ovation, whether she won or lost, just for what she did on the mat."

Bernard doesn't make a big deal out of fans and being a female in a predominantly male sport. She became involved in wrestling as a kid, and by now, the people around her are used to it.

"I always wrestled around with my brother Andy," said Bernard, who went along and wanted to join. Her parents, Sue and Rocky, who also wrestled for New Ulm in high school, talked about it and said it was fine. "They were a little unsure at first, but I think they are really proud of me for going out."

"My family supports me a lot," said Bernard. "Even my grandma -- when somebody asks if I should be wrestling, she gives them an earful."

And coaches and teammates have no doubt that she, or other girls, should be wrestling. Some of Bernard's opponents feel a little differently.

"I think they are a little leery," said Bernard. "I think when they realize that I'm there to really wrestle, they go 'What am I going to do now?'

"Some of them -- you can see them talking about me, trash talking me, 'Oh, I should've pinned her.' But then others come up to me and say, 'I had a really good match,' and are really nice about it," she said.

Kelli Rasmussen, from Blue Earth, is another girl in the area who wrestles. The girls first met at a camp, and they have been to many tournaments together since.

Both girls have brothers who wrestle, and appreciate having another girl around for support. Rasmussen's older brother Todd graduated last year, as did Andy, who was fifth in State last year at 189, and set the school record for most career pins, with 76.

"I think it is hard for [Ali] to compete in guy tournaments, because the guys don't want to lose to a girl wrestler," said Rasmussen. "But Ali is a great wrestler."

Tim Kral, who wrestles 160 for New Ulm, also thinks it's hard for some boys to wrestle Bernard.

"They think, 'It's a girl, I've gotta beat her,'" he said. "And the look on their faces when they get beat ..."

But Bernard thinks that girls who wrestle on mixed school teams have an advantage when it comes to girls' tournaments.

"I think the girls that wrestle on guys teams are tougher, because they don't get that much competition just wrestling girls, -- there's not that many of them," said Bernard. "Some girls in the sport -- they're good and everything, but they're not as tough."

What does Bernard do to stay tough, to compensate for some of the upper body muscle advantage that some boys have? Several things -- some learned, and some that just come naturally.

According to Arndt, Bernard was born with good balance, and strong legs and hips. Bernard has learned to take advantage of that and employ it effectively on the mat, using the cross-body ride.

"She's very dominant in it when she wrestles women, and she's pretty successful with men," said Arndt. "She really gives them a lot of fits, and what it does is make up for that men have a bigger upper body.

"Using her legs, she's able to break her opponents down and ride them on the mat and turn them and pin them," said Arndt. Male competitors have come to fear her for her lower body strength and technique, and she dominates national girls competition because of it, he said.

"Her body's like a Twist-O-Flex watch band," he added. "She's very hard to pin. The best competition that goes up against her gets frustrated."

Although teammates think of her simply as a wrestler at practice, they do see some differences.

"She is good technically," said Mike Kral, who wrestles 140. "She's flexible and can wiggle out of a lot of things."

Bernard's answer was much more simple. She tries to lift weights three times a week, in addition to going to practice -- something that most of the wrestlers don't do.

Bernard does all of this because she just wants to wrestle, and wrestle well.

After her national championship and three match success in China this summer, Bernard is ready for more national and international competition.

"I was really satisfied with my wrestling [in China]," said Bernard. "Because the girl that I lost to at Nationals at Fargo got pinned by the girl that I pinned." Bernard won all three of her matches in China.

In the spring, she hopes to be able to wrestle in Sweden. There are also chances for Bernard in the future, with all-female college teams on the rise.

Right now, Bernard is concentrating on wrestling well and winning. Although seniors Paul Ruch and Matt Wenninger occupy her weight class on varsity, there are still chances for her to move up.

"It's not really a big deal to me, as long as I have wrestling time on the mat," said Bernard.

"I want to win, and maybe eventually go to the Olympics in a couple years. That's why I do everything I do every day."