WATERFORD – Gabby Malinowski received a polo shirt when she graduated from Fort LeBoeuf High School. Keep this, her wrestling coach said, for the future. You might need it. Malinowski had doubts. The ...

At the turn of the 20th century, a sporty American woman would have had relatively few arenas to test her skill: croquet, maybe, or archery, or basketball played gently in an ankle-length skirt.

When Ariana Byrd steps onto the mat for a wrestling match, there’s always an initial feeling of fear. A few steps away, her coaches and teammates are on their feet, shouting in encouragement—just as ...