Honoring and congratulating Champion of the Week, Julissa Ortiz, for becoming the first young woman to win a Philadelphia Public League wrestling title.

WHEREAS, Ortiz, a Freshman, attends

Marianna Bracetti High School

; and

WHEREAS, Ortiz had intended to compete in the girls’ unsanctioned state championships at Central Dauphin High School, but unfortunately weighted out of her class by only a pound; and

WHEREAS, As a result, Ortiz was forced to participate in the boys’ Public League championship; and

WHEREAS, On February 11, Julissa defeated Central High School’s Henry Hunsicker in the 121-pound weight class on decision (up to 7 point margin of victory); and

WHEREAS, From 1994 to 2022, the number of scholastic women’s wrestlers has increased from 804 to over 31,000; and

WHEREAS, Julissa comes from a family of wrestlers, inspired by her sister, Tatyana who, in 2016, was the first female athlete to wrestle a male athlete in the Philadelphia Catholic League. Her brother also competes; and

WHEREAS, Tatyana noted “it doesn’t matter” if girls compete against boys “as long as [they] put the dedication in”; and

WHEREAS, Misfits Girls Wrestling, a Bensalem club, took Julissa and other female wrestlers to Washington, D.C., to expand the sport to more female athletes. She also works with the group SanctionPA to urge the PIAA to sanction it as an official sport; npw, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby congratulate and honor the Champion of the Week, Julissa Ortiz, for becoming the first girl to win a Philadelphia Public League wrestling title.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an engrossed copy be presented to the Julissa Ortiz, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.

End