Mary Kelly turns a few heads.

Whether it's her perky smile or the fact she's one of the best women's level wrestlers in the world, she still draws attention. Maybe other wrestlers might wonder where she got a Japan freestyle singlet.

Kelly, a rising senior at Mahomet-Seymour High School in Mahomet, IL, was the sole female competitor in the Asics Tiger Junior Freestyle National Championships in Fargo, ND this week.

Compiling a 27-13 record while wrestling at 103 pounds this past season, she went 1-1 at her sectional tournament, unable to advance with follow the leader bracketing.

Kelly is competing in her fourth tournament in Fargo, but this year, Kelly didn't come home with a win.

"The first two years out here (in Fargo) I went 2-2.  I wanted to win a couple this year, but it didn't happen," said Kelly.

She wasn't saddled with the best draw one could hope for.  Her tournament ended at the hands of New York's Mathew Sganga and then Oregon's Eric Stevenson, a multiple time All-American.

"I'm not even tired!," said Kelly of her time on the mat. But "the girl wrestler" knows what the sport is and what its about.

"I enjoy wrestling a lot.  People ask me if its odd wrestling against the guys compared to when I wrestle other girls, and it is different, I just really don't know how to explain it," said Kelly.

Kelly got her start when the Kelly family lived in Ames, IA, a town any wrestling fan will immediately identify with.

"When I was little, my uncle Bill (Kelly) was a national champion in 1987 for Iowa State, and at the time and my dad was helping out and the team would always come by to the house and I'd say 'well I want to wrestle,' and most of them would be like 'ok Mary' like I was joking," said Kelly.

She wasn't joking, winning silver in England in 1999 and taking the gold medal in 2000 in Poland at the now-defunct Cadet Women's World Championships.

"I was always a daddy's girl, I wanted to be like my dad," said Kelly.

Kelly got the opportunity to wrestle when her younger brother Chris, a rising sophomore, asked to compete.  Chris wrestled in the cadet tournament in Fargo as well.

"He said he wanted to wrestle and that was really how I got my start back in third grade," said Kelly.

Mary was the starter at 103, her little brother was JV…you make the connection.  Many kids that have a family with such a wrestling background are right there matside everywhere their sons, or in this case, daughter will go.  Jerry Kelly doesn't get to see all of his daughter's matches, at least not all of them live.  He's the head coach at Class A Monticello High School about 15 miles south of Mahomet.

"My dad watches the tapes and gives me pointers, Steve Combs is an assistant, and he's really helpful too," said Kelly.

Steve Combs helpful? Go figure.  He was an Olympian in Greco-Roman and was the executive director of USA Wrestling back when the organization was called the USWF.  Kelly credits her brawling with the boys and her solid coaching back home to her rise to prominence on the women's level and qualifying for nationals in Fargo.

"I'm fortunate to have good coaches, a lot of people don't have that," said Kelly.

A few weeks back, Kelly was wrestling with one of the icons of American women's wrestling, Stephanie Murata, at the world team trials.

Not bad for a 17 year old.

Kelly doesn't see her being female as an obstacle.

"I just go out there and do my best, I've been wrestling with the guys so long, it doesn't effect how I wrestle, it hasn't for a while," said Kelly.

While flustered in her two short outings in Fargo, she remained upbeat.

"Whew, I get a break," she commented.

Kelly's next match will be along side her Bulldogs' teammates in Illinois.

It's cliché to say she's anything but your typical high school teen, but she's quick to admit she does the "normal" things that a rising senior would do.

With the exception of wrestling in England, Austria, Poland and France.

"I don't do a whole lot but wrestle!" said Kelly.  "But when I do have time, I hang out with friends and go out," she continued.

When late August rolls around and the lockers begin slamming and cafeteria food slithers onto lunch trays in high schools around the country, Mary Kelly will be in the same dilemma every other senior faces.

What do you want to do?

"My grades are fine, but I don't like school that much, but I'm looking to wrestle in college somewhere with the programs popping up," said Kelly.  Is she thinking career right now?  No, what senior does.

"I have some short term goals and some long term goals, and most of them revolve around wrestling.  I'd like to qualify for states and place this year, but I'd probably have to go 103 (pounds) again to do it.  I should have gone 105.5 here," said Kelly who competed at 114.5 pounds.

"Eventually I'd like to get a shot at the Olympic team, now that women's wrestling is an Olympic sport," added Kelly.

Now that her season has finally ended, after trips to the women's world team trials, junior nationals, club practice and high school tournaments, preparing for her senior year is next on the agenda.

"Maybe there's a future in coaching women's wrestling teams in college, I'd like to do that when I get older," said Kelly.

Being called "the girl wrestler" doesn't fit her anymore, it never did.  She's Mary Kelly: Wrestler.  27 guys last year found out.