Josephine “Diamond” Gonzales shimmies into her South Rebels Wrestling singlet as she braids back her long hair. Her teammates explode with excitement, screaming, “Let’s go Diamond!” as they watch her prepare for her first match of the season. Paired up against a boy in her weight class, she’s ready to show both her team and the world what it means to be one of the few women who wrestle in Nassau County.
The number of female wrestling stars in Nassau county has rapidly increased in the past few years. “The sport has seen tremendous growth, with ten official girls teams and over 250 female participants in Nassau County,” said Coach Michael Morrone. South is home to four female wrestlers this season, the program’s second-largest female roster in history.
“My time on the team has been amazing. Everyone supports one another and is welcoming regardless of your experience,” said Diamond. At tournaments, where multiple schools from Nassau County meet to compete against one another, Diamond often finds herself competing against other women, an experience she describes as “uplifting.”
“With increased awareness and support, more athletes are giving [women’s competitions] a try. It’s created a strong sense of community and a really positive team environment,” said Coach Morrone.
However, at dual meets, where the Rebels wrestle only one other team, all female athletes have the option to wrestle men, this female vs. male matchup being the more common configuration in women’s wrestling. Gonzales said, “I feel good about wrestling boys since you get to challenge yourself. After wrestling a boy, I always know what to work on the most.”
In recent years, South’s wrestling program has produced some of Long Island’s most powerful female grapplers. In 2024, NYWAY (New York Wrestling Association for Youth) state champion and current Felician University Division II Wrestling freshman Crissia Bonilla graduated from South, becoming the program’s first female wrestler to continue at a collegiate level. Additionally, Tiara Guan, a 2024 alum, later committed to East Strasburg University as a part of the school’s almost entirely male Division II team. In 2024, the first year New York held a state women’s wrestling championship, South was able to send both athletes.
While women remain underrepresented in wrestling, their participation is at an all-time high. The National Federation of State High School Associations indicated a 53% increase in female involvement in wrestling in Nassau County during the 2023-2024 season. Yet historically outnumbered female wrestlers in Nassau County continue to grapple their way to the top, as Nassau held its first-ever entirely female wrestling tournament in February of 2025. The match included 100 women from 16 Section VIII athletic teams, competing in weight classes ranging from 94 lbs to 204 lbs.
While the Lady Rebels have faced persistent challenges, their girl power on the mat continues to grow—junior Edith Atahualpa finished third at the Girls Nassau County Championship, which earned her All-County honors last season.
As the team looks forward to finishing their historic season, it’s clear they’ve made a mark for years to come. “Having multiple girls on the team creates such a welcoming environment. The women on this team are strong, and I can’t wait to see how the Lady Rebels wrestlers continue to grow,” said Gonzales.
