For those out there who think girls can’t, or shouldn’t  wrestle, it’s obvious you’ve never met Lancaster junior Lizzy Austin.

While the sport of wrestling typically is thought of as being a male sport, Lizzy and a group of her peers aren’t about to let that keep them from competing in the sport they love.

On March 16-17 of this year, Lizzy not only competed in the United State Girls Wrestling Association’s National Championships in Ypsilanti, Michigan, she came away a champion.

Competing in the 112-pound weight class, Lizzy added a national title to an already impressive wrestling resume.

Earlier this year, Lizzy competed at the Wisconsin USGWA Girls Wrestling State Championships Open in Kenosha, and won the 116-pound state title by pinning Waunakee’s Sam Keichinger in the first period of her championship match.

Lizzy also has two second-place finishes at the USGWA State Championships to her credit, as she was a state runner up in 2006 and in 2009.

With this year’s state title at 116 pounds, and a national title at 112, Lizzy has a USGWA record of 6-0 this season, and has quickly become one of the top female wrestlers in the country.

She has also shown she can hold her own against the boys, and recently finished her junior season at Lancaster High School with a varsity record of 10-6.

With her determination, skill and love for the sport, there’s little doubt Lizzy will continue to excel in a sport that is largely dominated by boys.

She certainly isn’t doing it all on her own though, and owes a great deal of gratitude to her parents, coaches and teammates who have helped support her wrestling career.