BOX ELDER - Not everything went as planned but the first all-girls wrestling tournament in South Dakota was considered a success Saturday at Whitehead Auditorium.

Weather kept the number of participants to just 24, which was below the 40 or 50 that tournament organizers hoped for, but the level of wrestling did not suffer. With girls from four different states taking the mat there was plenty of competition to be had.

"This is a pretty good start," said Ed Malone, who was one of the event's organizers. "The girls are out there trying to do some good, technical moves. No one is out there just lying down or just

trying to bully someone."

The all-girls tournament meant there would be no boys to deal with or their parents who refuse to let them wrestle or make remarks about their gender.

"Usually, parents will tell their kids to take it easy on me, but if I win, they jerk them off the mat and they are upset," said 14-year-old Brittany Palato of Wyoming who has been wrestling for 10 years.

This tournament was more low key with parents or coaches allowed to sit matside and give instruction and encouragement while their wrestler was taking part in a match.

The idea of girls wrestling is still relatively new in South Dakota, but that is not the case in all states and many of the wrestlers who competed Saturday have much bigger aspirations.

Montana's Austin Wortman, 13, has already secured three girls state wrestling titles, but is hoping wrestling can open doors for her.

"Girls' wrestling is not that big yet, so it is easier to get college scholarships," Wortman said. "That is what I am going for right now."

Like many of the wrestlers, Wortman's wrestling career began six years ago because her brother was a wrestler, and her parents felt both kids should get involved in the sport.

"I have been wrestling guys for five years, but it is hard to get a lot of mat time because a lot of boys don't want to wrestle me because there is a chance I might beat them," she said. "There was one guy that dropped three weight classes to get away."

When comparing girls and boys wrestling one coach said while the boys may have the strength advantage he believes that girls are quicker to pick up the technique and different moves without as much repetition.

Malone began thinking of putting together an all-girl wrestling tournament three years ago when his daughter first took up the sport. It was not an easy thing to do, but he is hoping this sparks enough interest to get other tournaments started.

His daughter, Amanda, couldn't agree more.

"This is awesome and I am glad my dad supported all the girls here," she said. "It has been fun and it gives you a chance to meet new people," she said.

Amanda may have been happy to get this tournament started, but the fact that this was the first all-girls tournament was hard for her to believe.

"I think it is kind of sad that we have to get together as just one club, and we can't get together as a state and make it a bigger tournament," she said.

Amanda's wrestling career got off to an impressive start with an overtime win over the first boy she ever squared off against in the circle.

Regardless of how each wrestler did Saturday, they were glad to have a chance to wrestle other girls closer to their age and physical abilities.

"This tournament is really good because there are girls from all over that I haven't seen," said Palato.

Every girl who participated at the tournament received a medal - with an engraving of a girl wrestler on it - and congratulations from their peers. The organizers closed the tournament by thanking everyone for attending and promised the first all-girl tournament would not be the last.