(File Photo) Spencer graduate Paige Storm puts an opponent on her head as Storm works toward one of her many victories on the women's wrestling circuit. Storm has committed to extend her wrestling career, verbally accepting an offer from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Spencer's Paige Storm, the 2006 Iowa Female Wrestler of the Year, has decided to extend her wrestling career, verbally committing to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UW-RF) in December of 2007.

Storm will compete on UW-RF's women's club team throughout her collegiate career. UW-RF is a member of the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA). Kevin Black, the head coach of the UW-RF women's team, is also the Commissioner of the WCWA.

"We are very excited to have Paige join our team in the fall," said Black. "We have a nice group of girls who are ready to compete and take their wrestling to a new level. We're a small team, but we will be very competitive next season and Paige will play a very large role in our success."

Storm, a 2008 graduate from Spencer High School, has won an Iowa record seven girls state titles in the wrestling-rich state. She also boasts multiple All-American awards through USA Wrestling and the United States Girls Wrestling Association (USGWA), most notably her sixth-place finish in '06 (128 pounds) at the prestigious ASICS Junior National Championships, the world's largest wrestling tournament. She also finished sixth at 130 pounds at the inaugural USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle National Championships in Oklahoma City in March. Storm holds six All-American honors in all, a feat no other Iowa High School female wrestler has accomplished.

"Paige is from a wrestling family and has a deep passion for the sport," said Black. "She is the type of athlete that we are looking for. Wrestling is in her blood. We have some top quality athletes that she will train with, including 2006 US Champion and USA National Team member, Alaina Berube. Paige will improve very quickly here."

The WCWA is the governing body for women's collegiate wrestling and competes in the international style of freestyle wrestling. In '04, women's wrestling became an Olympic sport and has grown exponentially at the youth and high school levels, and now at the collegiate level as well.

Storm will likely be in the starting lineup at 59 kilograms (approximately 130 pounds). The UW-RF women's wrestling team will compete against other WCWA member teams in anticipation for the WCWA National Championships at Missouri Valley University on March 7, 2009. The season does not end there, however. Competitions at various senior level events will follow throughout the spring and summer seasons. "I've had the opportunity to work with Paige for almost a year," said Black, "I am very confident that she is going to enjoy a lot of success at the collegiate level. The ultimate goal for our young athletes is to prepare them to compete for a spot on the 2012 US Olympic Team."

Storm, who was the first Spencer female to earn a varsity letter in both football and wrestling, also had wrestling scholarship offers from Missouri Valley College and Jamestown University in North Dakota.