Taylor Graveman makes history in South Dakota’s first girls wrestling season
SPEARFISH, S.D. (BVM) — On Feb. 27, the first-ever South Dakota High School Activities Association Girls State Wrestling Meet ended. The inaugural season was a success and highlighted the growing popularity of girls wrestling at the high school level.
There were many athletes who became first-time state champions and will go down in history because of it. One of those was Taylor Graveman.
“At first I didn’t think that it was going to be something that special,” Graveman said. “I didn’t think that it would have such a big impact but after it’s all said and done I feel like it was bigger than I thought it was. I feel like competing and doing what I did was pretty amazing and I made history.”
The Spearfish High School sophomore and No. 13-ranked wrestler in the nation in the 138-pound weight class dominated at state. Graveman won all her matches at the Class A 143-pound division by first period pins, with her longest match being in the championship against Pierre’s Hattie Baldwin, lasting a whole minute and 17 seconds.
However, this isn’t the first time Graveman has etched her name in the history books. Last fall at the United States Powerlifting Association National Championships, she broke four junior division records in bench press, deadlift, squats and total pounds, placing first in the junior division and second in the open division.
Besides setting records and making history in both powerlifting and wrestling, there are other similarities between the two sports Graveman competes in. There are strong family ties.
Her father, Shane Graveman, was a powerlifter, coaches Taylor and got her brothers into it as well. As for wrestling, that has always been a family sport first before any of the success.
“I never really thought I would be here today,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know that I would do such great things in life. I just kind of enjoyed wrestling because it was something all of my brothers and I did together. I just thought of it as something we did to spend time together.”
That’s how she first fell in love with wrestling and now they are one of the reasons she has pushed herself to be one of the best in the nation.
“Part of the reason that I am where I am is because of my brothers, my dad, my mom, my team and all them pushing me to go farther,” Taylor said. “Pushing me to try harder, to keep going and not give up.”
Considering how demanding the two sports Taylor competes in are, being able to persevere and to have that motivation is vital. But it doesn’t just come from her family and team.
Girls wrestling is a growing sport and Taylor is a part of a generation of girls that is helping to grow it. As part of the first round of state champions in South Dakota, she knows there are girls looking up to her.
“Knowing I have people looking up to me and knowing how big of an opportunity I have is what keeps me going,” Taylor said.
Taylor looked up Ronna Heaton, the former Brookings wrestler who was the first girl in South Dakota to qualify for the boys state meet. Taylor wanted to be Heaton and now there are girls who want to be Taylor.
“I feel so special because I am that person that all of the little girls look up to,” Taylor said.
Taylor stays humble even with the success she has had and the fact that people are looking up to her. In fact, she credits that mentality as one her best attributes when it comes to her wrestling.
“I think my mindset,” Taylor said. “I don’t think too highly of myself but I have enough confidence in myself to know that I can go out there and do what I need to do to bring home the gold.”
That gold is the national championships this summer in Fargo, N.D., but that won’t be the end for Taylor as she continues to make a name for herself.
