‘Wrestling saved her life’: How Wichita’s Ryasia McDougle became No. 1 in Kansas
Ryasia McDougle was headed for trouble.
Growing up in a three-bedroom household with eight siblings, McDougle had to fend for herself in life a lot of the time. She was fierce and determined, but also immature and stubborn. And she just so happened to be her own worst enemy.
When she started high school, she talked back to teachers, hung with the wrong crowd, instigated fights in the hallways and skipped class. Two different high schools asked her to leave her freshman year.
That was three years ago — before McDougle transferred to West to join the wrestling team as a last-ditch effort from her father to teach his youngest daughter discipline.
Now a senior at West, McDougle is undefeated (21-0) and the top-ranked 115-pound girls wrestler in the state of Kansas entering Saturday’s Division I regional at Dodge City. She’s even improved her grades to the point where she will have her choice of a wrestling scholarship to attend college.
“I’m talking summer and winter, night and day difference,” said Ternell Marshall, McDougle’s father. “I can honestly say wrestling saved her life. You don’t understand how much joy it brings me to know that wrestling really did save my daughter’s life.”
The potential always resided in McDougle, it was just a matter of her realizing it. When she was younger, it was just easier to rebel.
Wrestling came along in McDougle’s time of need and provided the structure and discipline she craved, but rarely sought out. She loved that it was an individual sport where it was up to her to fend for herself. When she stepped foot in West coach Kenny Taylor’s wrestling room, it was a perfect environment for her to thrive.
“This sport means so much to me because I used to be kind of a little rough as a kid,” McDougle said. “Wrestling helped me control myself and gain discipline. I feel like it’s an escape for me, like I can escape to my own little world.”
Don’t think that wrestling was some out-of-the-blue sport for McDougle to find. She was raised in a wrestling-crazy family. Her father, better known as “Coach Polo” in the local wrestling community, is a club wrestling coach and it’s not a coincidence all of his children wrestle.
When McDougle was 11, she joined the local club Team Hard Knox and was mentored by local legend Charles Knox. She was a natural and found early success, but her interest waned in the sport. It wasn’t until his daughter was down to her final strike in high school when Marshall told her to give wrestling a second try. She was enrolling at West, where she could wrestle for Taylor, Knox’s nephew.
“I just believe she needed to hear some things from someone else besides her dad,” Marshall said. “It was going downhill and that’s when wrestling came into the picture at the perfect time.”
When she returned to the sport as a sophomore, McDougle coasted on natural ability. When Kansas became the latest state to recognize girls wrestling as an official sport and hold a girls-only state tournament, McDougle was jolted by the new source of motivation.
“I was so excited,” McDougle said. “I was bragging for the longest time. I couldn’t believe we were finally getting our own state and finally getting recognized. My family was probably tired of hearing me talk about it. I couldn’t even sleep. I was so excited the night before regionals.”
Instead of a triumph, McDougle suffered a bitter defeat in the match to qualify for the inaugural state tournament. She so desperately wanted to be part of history — the inaugural girls wrestling state tournament — and it devastated her to come that close.
In a testament to her new-found maturity, McDougle didn’t dwell on the missed opportunity. Instead, she bottled up the feeling of failure, told herself she never wanted to feel that way again, and used it to motivate her during an off-season that propelled her to her current No. 1 ranking.
McDougle started practicing twice a day and developed “big ears” — coach speak for a wrestler who listens well. She no longer let her emotions get the best of her. In a true compliment to her work ethic, Taylor said McDougle has become a “chain” wrestler, meaning she is able to smoothly link offensive moves together on the mat.
“Watching Ryasia wrestle is like listening to an orchestra,” Taylor said. “It’s a free flow. She’s a very transitional wrestler. She can make mid-match adjustments. She’s one of the most technical wrestlers I’ve had the opportunity to coach at West High and that’s boys and girls. She’s just a coach’s dream. Sometimes I just sit in the corner and nod my head like I’m listening to some good music.”
This season has only featured the greatest hits from McDougle’s catalog. Her senior one has been one of dominance, complete with victories over every wrestler who beat her last season, as she steadily rose in the rankings and established herself as the favorite in the 115-pound division.
Taylor believes McDougle’s potential success later this month could have a ripple effect. Girls wrestling is still in its infancy stage in the City League, evident by Wichita sending a total of six wrestlers who went a combined 3-12 at the inaugural girls state tournament last winter.
“Getting girls out for wrestling in Wichita has been difficult and with COVID, we’ve taken a step back in numbers this year,” Taylor said. “Girls wrestling is not very popular here. I think we need a face of girls wrestling and I think that can be Ryasia. If she can bring home a state championship, that could do major wonders for the sport and catapult interest.”
Being the face of girls wrestling in Wichita is a job McDougle eagerly accepts. After searching so long for something she could call her own, she has found it in wrestling and she doesn’t view the title adding any more pressure than she already puts on herself to perform.
McDougle hopes her story can inspire other girls who might be heading down the wrong path. Her success shows others that sports, not just wrestling, can be a great avenue to learn the discipline needed to succeed in life.
She doesn’t need a state championship for validation — McDougle has already won at much more important things — but it sure would be quite the story-book ending for her high school career.
“I’ve been waiting for this and wanting this moment ever since last year ended,” McDougle said. “I think what I’ve learned in this process is what hard work can do for you and to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Sometimes I would feel bad for myself and come up with excuses. But if you’re willing to put in the work and get over the small stuff, then you can dominate and get to where you want to be.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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