Published: January 15, 1997

Female Wrestlers Spur Officials To Go to the Mat

When Courtney Barnett tried out for her high school's wrestling team in Arlington, Texas, she wasn't trying to make a political statement.

"I like the sport and didn't think it was a big deal," said the 112-pound junior, a first-team varsity wrestler at Martin High School. "Now everything's gone crazy."

By ''gone crazy,'' the 17-year-old was referring to a decision by the independent governing body for high school wrestling in the state to refuse to recognize...