Senior Karma Hedges continues to make girls wrestling history, taking her skills to Fairmont State University and becoming the first PHS girls wrestler to commit to compete at the college level. Hedges was a part of the first girls wrestling team during her sophomore year at PHS, and is now continuing the same legacy at Fairmont, as she will be wrestling for their first girls wrestling team. She will be joined by Big Red teammate Anniya Powell who signed with Fairmont last week 

During Hedges’s wrestling career, she has learned a lot of unexpected things about herself.

“I’ve learned that I am mentally stronger than I thought, and I was capable of working through hard times,” Hedges said.

Being in a traditionally and historically male-dominated sport, Hedges often felt in practices and matches that she had to prove herself more than others. She faced challenges with having a good mindset on the mat and believing in herself. She has since recently won the 132-pound weight class in the West Virginia South region and has competed in many high-level tournaments such as the 2025 Powerade tournament where she placed 4th in her weight class. 

“I’ve only been wrestling for three years. I wasn’t on any rec teams. I would practice with my brother,” Hedges said. 

Prior to becoming one of the first wrestlers on PHS’s inaugural girls wrestling team, Hedges would watch and practice with her older brother, Braycon Hedges, who also wrestled for PHS and graduated in 2024. This is when she found her love for the sport. She pushed for coaches to create a separate team just for the girls, so that is what coaches Matt Littleton and Chris Way did. The coaches and the school community were very supportive of the idea, creating a separate team for Hedges and her teammate, Brailynn Custred. During Hedges’ second year, she helped recruit a team of 13 girls.

As Hedges moves into the college level, she has goals on becoming stronger, to learn more freestyle wrestling and hopes to improve her technique. She looks forward to building a team at Fairmont just like she did at PHS.

“There is always pressure in wrestling, but it is a different type of pressure in going to college with getting new coaches and having a new wrestling room,” Hedges said.

Hedges said wrestling has changed her as a person.

“My coaches always pushed me to become better,” Hedges said. “I became more respectful and cared more about my life. I learned the way of life because of wrestling.”