When Julie Wilson, a junior at Vashon High School, told her friends she was joining the school’s wrestling team, they didn’t believe her at first. As an outgoing and perky cheerleader, Wilson herself admits she is “the polar opposite of a stereotypical wrestler.”

“My dad didn’t even believe me at first,” she said.

Wilson, who has participated in fall and winter cheer at the high school for two years and was a co-captain of the team this fall and as a sophomore, said giving up winter cheer to join the wrestling team was a tough decision, but she was drawn to the athleticism and intense training involved in wrestling.

“Since it’s an individual sport, you really have to push yourself,” she said. “But at the same it’s a team sport.”

Much to the surprise of those who are used to watching Wilson cheer at football and basketball games with her long, dark pony tail bouncing and a huge grin on her face, Wilson said she has actually wanted to wrestle for some time.

“This year I finally got up the courage,” she said.

Girls wrestling coach Dave Chapman said Wilson is one of several new female faces on the team this year. The team has seven girls this season, more than twice as many as usually participate.

“This is the first time we’ve gotten up to seven, and an official team is seven for the state,” he said.

Chapman said Vashon wrestling is following what seems to be a trend in Washington, as girls’ participation in wrestling statewide has shot up 20 to 25 percent this year. He believes that like Wilson, many girls are drawn to the intense conditioning involved in wrestling and the self confidence they build on the mat.

“If you can survive wrestling season and the practices and competition, is its really a confidence builder in knowing you can do just about anything you want to do,” Chapman said.

And as more girls wrestle, he said, they have more opportunity to go up against other girls rather than boys as they have in the past.

“Our girls have never had any problems wrestling the boys, but I think it balances out the competition if the girls get to wrestle girls at competition,” he said.

Chapman described Wilson as a solid beginning wrestler and said he’s impressed by how quickly she has progressed in a month of practice. She has already notched some wins in competition, and recently placed fourth of a dozen girls at a tournament in Yakima.

“She’s actually the aggressor and on the attack in wrestling,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch. It’s a good style.”

Chapman said she is pleased with her decision to wrestle this winter. And though setting down pom poms to step onto the wrestling mat is like entering another world, she said she thoroughly enjoys both sports.

“I love it,” she said. “They’re both so different. I couldn’t place one over the other.”