Though girls wrestling is now in its fifth year as a sanctioned high school sport, not all schools have had an official team. Farmington hasn’t had a dedicated coach to focus solely on the girls team – until this season. 

The Phoenix are excited to move their program forward and to compete in Class 6A’s Region 1 with other girls teams. Farmington doesn’t have a lot of experience, but new head coach Matt Kartchner said the girls are eager to learn and have a positive attitude. 

“It is very much a building year for us,” Kartchner said. “Most of our girls are new to wrestling.”

Kartchner has been impressed with the girls early on and appreciates their determination and willingness to learn. On Dec. 6, 7, the Phoenix hosted the Farmington FIGHT, a girls-only wrestling tournament that featured some of the top teams in the state. The Phoenix had some good performances. 

“Our girls all wrestled better than expected,” Kartchner said. 

Starting a program essentially from scratch can be challenging, so Kartchner is taking things one step at a time. He’s working on the basics with the girls – core skills and fundamentals. Helping the girls develop good techniques and simply understanding the sport are essential. Kartchner also said a big goal for the season is to “get some wins under our belts.”

On a team composed mostly of newcomers, Farmington benefits from the seasoned experience of senior Marley Halterman, the only returning wrestler from last year. 

“I expect her to place at state,” Kartchner said. 

First-year sophomores Violet Bell and Mya Christopherson have stood out so far this season. Both wrestlers have worked hard and had some success. 

“So far, [Bell] is doing really well and already has really good mat presence,” Kartchner said. “She is going to be amazing as her skills get better. [Christopherson] has raw sports talent that she is bringing to her first year in wrestling.”

Kartchner has the good fortune of coaching his daughter Makenzie, who is just a freshman. As the only ninth grader on the team, she is an important part of the program as her father looks to lay the foundation for long-term success at Farmington. He said his daughter is “very determined and will be a great wrestler.”

The Phoenix face some challenges this season as they go up against more established teams that have larger numbers and more experienced wrestlers. Kartchner knows that wrestling can be a difficult sport. He’s hoping the girls are resilient and continue to put in the effort each day on the mat. 

“For this season to be a success, we really just need to hang in there,” he said. “I tell the girls this is the hardest part and the part when a lot of people quit. It’s that time when you are still unsure if it’s going to work for you. If they can just hang in there, they will get better, and it will become easier.”

The Farmington girls will continue to wrestle in meets and tournaments in preparation for the Region 1 and Class 6A tournaments. The 6A state tournament is Feb. 14, 15 at Utah Valley University. λ