Iowa Wrestler Forfeits Match Instead of Wrestling a Female Counterpart in State Tournament

It is my opinion that girls can compete in any sport boys do. Just ask my friend Jen Welter who has been playing professional woman's football for 11 seasons.  I do believe that do to the physiological make up of males and females they should not be competing against each other in full contact sports. I mean does anybody really want to see a man and woman go at it in MMA, boxing or wrestling? I would like to believe that most people would not find it fair or entertaining but in the state of Iowa they have been making the girls compete with the boys for eleven years.That is if they wish to wrestle. Hello Mcfly! It's 2011 why do the girls not have their own teams and tournaments with everything equal with what the boys have? The reason it's been able to go on for two decades without a lot of people giving it a second thought is a girl had never made the state tournament. That is until this year where two girls have made the tournament . Both in the 112 pound class. Casey Herkelman a freshman at Cedar Falls and Megan Black of  Ottumwa (Iowa) High. Casey Herkelman became the first girl to win a match in the state tournament when one of the favorites in the weight class Joel Northrup reported and withdrew from the match or in other words forfeited. This way he earned a loss but was able to continue wrestling but can do no better than third. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cassy and Megan [Black] and their accomplishments," Northrup said in a statement given to the media following his official forfeit. "However, wrestling is a combat sport and it can get violent at times.
"As a matter of conscience and faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner. It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa."  It seems that Joel has a much better grasp of right and wrong that the adults running high school wrestling in Iowa. Northrup could be faced with the same scenario later in the tournament. Northrup is in the losers bracket after his forfeit and will be wrestling  losers from the winners bracket  so he could easily be matched with black or Herkelman. Another forfeit and he is done. The sad thing about it is Northrup was a 3rd place finisher last year as a freshman. Would anyone expect Laila Ali to be matched with Wladimir Klitschko? The fight would never be sanctioned but in the state of Iowa Joel Northrup had to forfeit any chance at a state title this year because to win a state title he was going to have to do something he had been taught was wrong. Engage a girl in combat. I think the governing body of high school wrestling in Iowa owes young Mr. Northup an apology.