Sylvia Pierce has added another first to Bedford High School’s rich wrestling history.
Dave Long became the school’s first male individual state wrestling champion when he won a Michigan title at 165 pounds in 1967.
Now, 53 years later, Pierce is the Kicking Mules’ first girls state champion on the mats.
On Feb. 2, Pierce captured a Michigan Wrestling Association individual state girls tournament title, winning the 127-pound crown at Adrian College.
The Bedford junior, who otherwise competes as the lone female in coach Kevin Vogel’s Kicking Mules program, entered the girls tournament on a mission.
Pierce received a first-round bye, then recorded two pins, a technical fall, and another pin to win the title in what was Michigan’s second girls state wrestling competition.
In the second round of her bracket, Pierce took just 25 seconds to pin Isobel Wharff of St. Clair Shores Lake Shore. In the quarterfinals, she pinned Willow Barnes of Summit Academy North at 1:56 of the first period.
Pierce then took a 15-0 technical fall victory in the semifinals over Danni Swihart of Hanover-Horton, and completed her title run by pinning Clinton’s Taylor Randolph at 2:41 of their finals match.
“All I could think of when I won,” Pierce said, “was just looking at coach Vogel like, ‘I did it!’
“Everything was out of my mind, and it didn’t hit until the next day that I was the first girl [from Bedford] to win a state title. It was really rewarding because I put a lot of work into it, and I felt like I deserved it.”
Her big moment created a flashback for her proud coach.
“It was really a special moment, her being a pioneer in women’s wrestling for Bedford,” said Vogel, who was a two-time state champion (1986 and 1987) at Bedford. “For her to be that first state [girls] champion, it took me right back to me winning it.
“The excitement, I could see it in her face. She was bawling by the time she got to her feet. She was really excited. As a coach, you brace for that leap into your arms, and she came running at me and leaped into my arms. It was a cool celebration moment.”
Pierce, who wrestles on Bedford’s varsity B team, is 14-3 overall this season, carrying a 10-3 record against boys while competing at 125 and 130 pounds.
“I’ve known Sylvia for about six years,” Vogel said. “I’ve seen her coming up through the youth club, and through junior high. Sylvia’s just a hard worker. She’s kind of defied the odds with what she does.
“She’s the only girl on our team, and she doesn’t ask to be treated any different than any of the other wrestlers on our team. She does all the same work that they do, and her hard work has paid off for her this year.”
The daughter of Jason and Jeanette Pierce, Sylvia has been wrestling since age 5, and for most of her 12 years in the sports has battled mostly against boys.
Going against the grain to challenge herself is more the norm for Pierce, who has also played football since sixth grade, and last fall was a cornerback and wide receiver on the Bedford junior varsity squad. Her third sport is fast-pitch softball, as a catcher and outfielder for the Mules.
With more colleges beginning to establish women’s wrestling programs as scholarship sports, Pierce now has a goal of continuing her mat pursuits at the next level.
“They are a lot of opportunities right now for women in this sport,” Vogel said. “They already have it in the Olympics, so there’s a path for them.
“Not only can they get their education paid for and compete in college, but if they have that ambition to compete at the Olympic level, it’s already there for them.”
As for now, Pierce uses a rigorous weight-training program to help offset the natural physical advantage her male opponents might otherwise have on her. It is her way to close the physical gap.
“I started using weight training more this year,” Pierce said. “I started weight training over the summer, and I started a repetition of going in the mornings [to lift] and then going to wrestling. It has worked in my favor in making me stronger.”
She has long since dismissed the gender issue associated with a female competing in an almost exclusively male sport.
“I think of it more like I’m like any other athlete,” Pierce said. “I don’t really see gender when it comes to wrestling. I believe you’re a wrestler, and when you step on that mat you’re my opponent, whether it be a guy or a girl.”
Pierce said that her parents are not overly fearful of potential injuries to their daughter, and share her competitive spirit. Her dad, Jason Pierce, introduced the sport to her, and has been her most fervent supporter throughout her career.
“My parents were always 100 percent supportive,” Sylvia said. “My dad was the one who actually put me into it, and encouraged me to do better and to get as good as I can be. They’ve always been with me every day since.”
It has been a journey filled with with memories, none better than the one created Feb. 2, when Pierce became both a champion and a pioneer.
FAST FIVE
■ Favorite athlete: “Adeline Grey [Olympic wrestler]”
■ Hidden talent: “I can ride a unicycle”
■ Intriguing historical figure: “Joan of Arc”
■ Favorite TV show: “SpongeBob SquarePants”
■ Go-to food choice: “French fries”
First Published February 12, 2020, 4:22 p.m.
