Deanna Rix (born 1987) is an American female

wrestler Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves diffe ...

from

South Berwick, Maine South Berwick is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,467 at the 2020 census. South Berwick is home to Berwick Academy, a private, co-educational university-preparatory day school founded in 1791. The town was s ...

, noted in media for her success wrestling against girls and boys in state and national competitions.

Wrestling career

Rix has shown success

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

both girls and boys. Against girls, she won three consecutive Junior Girls National Championships (2003-2005), finishing sixth at the 2005 Senior Women's National Championships, second at the 2005 Body Bar Senior Nationals, and fourth at the 2003 Women's World Championships. Wrestling for Marshwood High School, she won the 100th match of her high school career in January 2005; all her high school victories were against boys. She made national headlines when she made it to the finals of the Class A state wrestling championship in Maine, being profiled in ''

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'' on March 4, 2005, and by the

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. Poised to become the first female in U.S. history to win a state wrestling championship against boys, she ultimately lost the match with four seconds remaining in double overtime against Shane Leadbetter, and so finished second in State. While ultimately not winning, her victory is a clear sign of what the absolute best women can potentially accomplish when compared to male counterparts. At the 2005 Junior National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota, she entered the boys

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division, wrestling at 130 lb., and handily defeated her first two opponents (10-0, and pin at 1:14), before losing her third match 3-0 and ultimately pulling out with a minor hand injury. When asked by a reporter whether she preferred wrestling boys or girls, she replied that she preferred wrestling boys because "beating them is more fun, even though they are clearly better and there is no need to put down boys who lose to me because that is toxic masculinity which I do not subscribe to unless I win."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rix, Deanna 1987 births Living people Rix People from South Berwick, Maine Sportspeople from Maine Northern Michigan University alumni American sportswomen 21st-century American women