Hanover-Horton’s Danni Swihart pins down history with letter of intent
She’s the first Michigan-based wrestler to commit to Division 1
HORTON, Mich. (WILX) - In March, Hanover-Horton’s Danni Swihart won a state wrestling title In her first finals appearance.
With the stroke of a pen Friday afternoon in her school’s library, she made history again.
“My mind is blown. I honestly still can’t rub my head around it.”
Well, Danni, believe it: Swihart is the first female wrestler in Michigan to sign at an NCAA Division 1 school.
Next year, she’ll be wrestling for the Iowa Hawkeyes, signing her letter of intent eight years to the day after her first ever wrestling practice.
“Seeing that memory brought on so many emotions to see how far I’ve come,” Swihart said. “In no way did I think my first day of wrestling practice I would end up on Iowa’s wrestling team.”
her high school coach, Andy Fielder, isn’t surprised at all.
“They’re gonna get a great teammate,” Fielder told News 10. “Having her in the room is fantastic. She’s a great worker. She’s a great leader for our team. She’s one of our captains. She never gives up. She’s not a quitter.
In fact, she’s a trailblazer, paving the way for other girl wrestlers in the state to pin down their own piece of history.
“I feel like I have the qualities and the traits as a student athlete to be able to make a mark, to stomp that down in history to be able to continue that and build a culture in Iowa,” she said. “The men at Iowa already have developed a wrestling kind of culture, just in the way they train, eat, sleep, talk, and walk. I hope to develop that same [culture] on the women’s side.”
Fielder hopes it can increase participation in his program as well.
“I’m hoping that Monday I start having like six, seven, eight, nine more girls show up to wrestling practice.”
“You have both more girls being involved and more experienced coming up,” Swihart said. “I think there’s big things heading for Michigan.”
Swihart will study veterinary medicine at Iowa.
But first, she’s got another State Title in her sights.
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