Courtesy Photo | Veteran U.S. Marine Sgt. Elizabeth Krugel officiates a match during the 2023 U.S....... read more read more
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FARGO, N.D. -- On a lighted mat in front of thousands of wrestling fans, veteran U.S. Marine Sgt. Elizabeth Krugel stood between two wrestlers on the mat competing for the coveted championship as she officiated a match during the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals here. Krugel was part of the contingent of officials supporting nearly 3,200 wrestlers July 15 - 22, 2023.
The event, one of the premier youth wrestling events, takes place annually in Fargo and is one of the Marine Corps partnership events.
“You see the utmost professionalism and fairness on the mat when she is out there,” said U.S. Marine 2nd Lt. Paul Warner, recent U.S. Naval Academy graduate and current staff member at the academy while he awaits training at The Basic School, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. “She grew up with the same values instilled in her brothers who wrestled and then she joined the Marine Corps. It’s really full circle as she comes back and helps out the next group of young kids.”
For Krugel, a native of Litchfield, Ohio, officiating matches is only part of her life as she finishes her degree in architecture at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
Her path to the Marines and wrestling has come naturally. Krugel comes from a family of Marines that includes her father and brothers. She served six years in the Marine Corps as a landing support specialist before ending her service following four deployments while stationed at Marine Corps Base Okinawa, Japan. After service, Krugel joined her parents, both international wrestling referees, on the wrestling mats for the past two years.
Krugel took the next step to elevate her status as a referee. In Fargo, she completed her candidacy for international referee certification.
According to Krugel, she can quickly draw on her skills as a Marine to keep the wrestlers in line once they get on the mat.
“Respect goes a long way. If I am wrong, I say that I am wrong. It’s a learning experience for everybody,” she said. After graduating from Clover Leaf High School in Lodi, Ohio, Krugel attended the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, for one year before enlisting in the Marines in 2015. She served both in Okinawa and
Twentynine Palms, California, during her career.
She has never been a wrestler; however, she has been officiating since she was a young teenager when she started her career at the Ohio State Fair. After a break for service in the Marines, she returned to the mat where she officiates on the National and International stage. According to Krugel, she attempted to wrestle one-time when she was seven but chose a different path.
Krugel hopes to gain work in an architecture firm once she completes college.
The Marine Corps' partnership with USA Wrestling started in 2017 as a way for Marines to develop new relationships with wrestling coaches and athletes. These partnerships are a way to highlight Marine Corps opportunities, create advocacy and support recruiter access to prospective audiences.
| Date Taken: | 07.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.26.2023 12:53 |
| Story ID: | 449804 |
| Location: | FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, US |
| Hometown: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | LITCHFIELD, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marine Referee Keeps Eyes on the Mat in Fargo, by Greg Gilliam, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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