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Maddie Ripley is the first female in Maine to win a wrestling state title

"If you put the work in, then anything's possible," Maddie said.

OWLS HEAD, Maine — High school wrestler Maddie Ripley found her place in the history books Saturday at Maine's state wrestling tournament.

She became the first girl in Maine to ever win a state wrestling title while wrestling against boys.

"It was like a big moment," Maddie said. "Like adrenaline rush."

Maddie, 16, been wrestling for the past 13 years. She began wrestling at the age of 3 alongside her twin brother, Gavin, who's now her teammate on the wrestling team at Oceanside High School.

He said he was confident his sister could win after seeing all the work she's put into the sport all these years.

"I love the sport because whatever effort you put in you usually see it get back to you," Gavin said.

"We always knew she could do it," Jason Yates, Maddie's stepfather and Oceanside wrestling coach, said.

In Maddie's family, wrestling is a family affair. Yates is the head coach at Oceanside High School, and all of four of his stepchildren, including Maddie and Gavin, are successful wrestlers.

"It's just something that we get to share together, which is really awesome," Yates said.

Maddie is the only girl on Oceanside's wrestling team, but she said she hopes her accomplishment will help with that.

   

"I hope more girls get into it, and the sport is growing," Maddie said.

Maddie won the 106-pound class championship, but she wasn't the only one in the family who came home with a title.

Her brother Gavin, also, took home a state title in his weight class. This year's win at state making Gavin a two-time state champion.

The Ripley's season isn't over quite yet. Maddie and Gavin are hoping to make it to this year's New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championship in Providence, Rhode Island.

"If you put the work in, then anything's possible," Maddie said.

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