Some say wrestling was a dying sport, then came the girls! Girls wrestle in greater numbers than ever before. The 2019-2020 wrestling season saw a 300% increase in the number of girls wrestling in the United States.
Girls wrestle boys, girls wrestle girls, girls just love to wrestle. It’s not just a passing fancy either, there is a movement to get the sport of women’s wrestling sanctioned in many states and NCAA sanctioning. As of January, 2020 twenty-one states have sanctioned the sport of girls wrestling in high schools across the nation.
How long has girls wrestling been a sport? Hawaii led the way and held their first state championship for girls wrestling in 1998. Texas not far behind holding their first championship in 1999. Washington came aboard and held their first championship in 2005. Alaska sanctioned the sport in 2014 with Tennessee following in 2015.
The remainder of the states have been more recently sanctioned.
Girls wrestling continues to grow. Watch a recent TV spo
t about the growth in Iowa!
Next weekend 470 girls will compete in the 2021 Iowa High School Girls State Wrestling Championships presented by the Iowa Wrestling Officials and Coaches Association will take place January 22 and 23, 2021 and will be hosted by Waverly-Shell Rock High School, Iowa City West High School and Iowa City City High School.