Fischer leads from the front

Long after most varsity wrestlers have hung up their shoes for the season, Owatonna eighth-grader Aliah Fischer is still on the mats looking to sharpen her skills.

Fischer completed the 2022-23 high school season by placing fifth at the state meet as a seventh grader before most recently finishing 16-0 at the Tulsa National Duals in Tulsa, Oklahoma over three months later.

“You kind of have to have a different mindset to wrestle year-round because it is such a hard season. To wrestle before and after the high school season you have to push yourself through a lot of and not many people can do that,” said Fischer.

In Tulsa, Fischer competed in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman divisions of the national duals tournament, giving her the opportunity to wrestle in styles that she will not compete in at the high school ranks.

According to Fischer, the Greco-Roman style of wrestling is one she enjoys as she gets to focus on her throws and upper-body work.

However, the eighth-grade standout also said that freestyle wrestling is close enough to folk style – the style used in high school wrestling – that the experience will pay dividends down the line.

The result of Fischer’s hard post-season work and flawless record in Tulsa was being named one of just eight athletes to earn all-tournament honors in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

“I didn’t really feel excited or anything in the moment. It was a long tournament and with a lot of matches. I felt as though it was just more valuable experience and practice time,” said Fischer.

Enroute to finishing 16-0, Fischer was able to clear her Greco-Roman decision with a forfeit, six wins by fall, and a technical fall to cap the event.

Just one opponent managed to make it out of the first period with her over the course of the eight-match streak.

In freestyle, Fischer once again earned nothing but bonus points in the form of six wins by fall and two technical falls.

As the lone Steele County representative on her Minnesota Storm 14-and-under team, her efforts helped the Storm earn 11^th place overall and third place in the Bronze/Copper division of the freestyle tournament, also helping her Greco-Roman team take second out of nine teams.

While Tulsa is the last stop on her summer wrestling program, Fischer said the work is far from finished both on and off the mats.

According to her, training will continue all the way until pre-season work begins at the high school, while she and her father, Ryan, will continue to be advocates for growing women’s wrestling both in the state and across the nation.

“I like how more girls are wrestling nowadays. It’s nice to see them try something that was once considered more of a ‘man’s sport.’ It’s fun how there are more girls to compete against now, but I also like wrestling the guys so I’m kind of hoping that I’ll be able to continue to do both throughout my career,” said Fischer with a laugh.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Ryan Fischer has been with Aliah every step of the way in her career and has seen not only his daughter, but the sport itself progress over time.

“Her mom and I are just beyond proud of her for her dedication and desire to want to get better and wrestle hard every time she’s on the mat… Tulsa was awesome getting to see the amount of teams and competitions that showed up. The girls’ tournaments almost have a different feel or aura to them that is so fun to watch. You have girls from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri and other states around the country that all come together, and they make friendships that last a lifetime. It’s really cool,” said Ryan Fischer.