Soo Line- Young and Fearless: Mila Ingles Making Her Mark in Wrestling

by Soo Greiman  

Wow, that was fast! The recently added athletic opportunity of girls wrestling has  rocketed in popularity so quickly it is now recognized as one of the fastest-growing sports in  the country.  

In January 2022, Iowa officially sanctioned it as a high school girls sport. Today, 265  schools across the state participate, with more than 1,600 wrestlers competing. Not only at the  high school level, but the sport’s rapid growth among junior high girls is expanding quickly as  well.  

One Hudson sixth-grade student, Mila Ingles, knows a lot about the sport and what is  happening in it. The young athlete is highly focused on wrestling. In fact, the 12-year-old loves  the sport so much she began competing in tournaments as a second-grader at Hudson  Elementary, often facing — and beating — boys in her weight class.  

Having wrestled since she was 8, Mila shared details of her journey just days before  leaving to compete in a large freestyle tournament in Spokane, Washington, held this past weekend. Following that, she will participate in the Twin Rivers Girls Duals in Des Moines as a member of the Black Mambas team.  

“When I began, I started with the Waverly-Shell Rock Wrestling Club because they had a girls program,” she said. “Now I attend Big Game Wrestling Club in North Liberty. It’s one club for boys and girls, and I like that it has many girls participating.”  

Skirting the question about how many tournaments she has wrestled in, Mila smiled and said, “Probably too many to count. I just try to focus on learning and getting better. I do like that I’ve gotten to compete in large tournaments in surrounding states.”  

Continuing, she added, “I think the greatest part about wrestling is learning from my mistakes, getting better and making friendships everywhere I go. I compete in the 75-pound weight class.”  

A bonus of competing in tournaments around the Midwest is that her family is often  able to go along. Her dad, Zach Ingles, is a familiar voice from the sidelines, while her mom, Amanda, and siblings Maci (15), Jacobi (9) and Jaylen (8) join when schedules allow, often turning the trips into mini family vacations.  

Though wrestling takes up much of her time, Mila still enjoys typical 12-year-old activities.  

“When I’m not busy with wrestling, I like to hang out with friends and do nails,” she said.  

What might the future hold for the Hudson sixth grader?  

“I definitely am going to wrestle in high school,” she said, “and would love the opportunity to wrestle in college someday.”