State of Wrestling

Written by Fogle40 in Uncategorized

Iowa is a wrestling state. Powerhouse wrestling at all three state schools for men. If you watched recently Iowa State and Iowa mens wrestling programs competed in a tough match. UNI has historically had a great wrestling program too. How many states support three such strong collegiate division 1 wrestling programs.

Add to that one of the premier state high school wrestling events in the nation, there is no doubt Iowa is a wrestling powerhouse. To those of us who have lived in Iowa, it seems “normal”. Wrestling in Iowa is way above many states.

I didn’t realize Iowa was different until my daughter dated (and eventually married) a college wrestler. In his home state of Idaho, wrestling was strong, but they longed to compete in the historically sold-out Iowa State High School Wrestling meet and our collegiate programs. Participating at the “Iowa level” was something to strive for.

How did wrestling get so big in Iowa? My own personal opinion is rural Iowa youth have been brought up to be tough. Farm chores are tough in the heat of the summer or the freezing cold, dark Iowa winters. Chores on the farm or with animals have to be done every day. The work ethic develops in rural Iowa fosters kids who have worked hard as a way of life. Jobs have to get done, no one else is going to step in and do them. Much like in wrestling, you are responsible for your actions on the mat or on the farm. Yes, but not all kids are farm kids. Exactly, but even those without farm upbringing see the success of those who work very hard and achieve. The drive to compete and achieve is contagious. I know football teams with wrestlers often times were more successful. The personal responsibility in wrestling translates to powerful teammates.

Rise of Girls Wrestling

Is the drive to compete and achieve behind the rise in girls and women’s wrestling? Have girls seen the boys wrestle and want to prove themselves? Is the rise attributed to the all around fitness level of wrestlers? Are girls proving their work ethic in wrestling? Trying to prove the “fairer sex” is a misnomer?

As a grandparent of a young lady wrestler, she likes to be her best at everything. She likes to make the boys cry when she beats them. She prizes herself in her muscular build, speed and power. The quick decisions she must make, and all wrestlers make, go a long way toward boosting self-confidence. Is the empowerment of girls and women wrestling just a natural progression?

The Iowa Women’s wrestling is a growing sport in colleges across the United States. The Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) is the governing body for women’s college wrestling in the US. While these reflect Division 1 wrestlers, I know in Iowa many of the Division 111 schools led the way with women’s wrestling.

Schools with Women’s NCAA Division 1 Varsity Teams

D1 Schools with Women’s Wrestling Clubs

What does the future look like for girls wrestling? The future of women’s wrestling is likely to continue evolving, with several potential developments: increased opportunities, crossover opportunities to other sports, mainstream recognition, and the development of women’s only events. We are seeing many, many more girls tournaments open up for young wrestlers. As the exposure to women’s wrestling increases, young ladies are more willing to give it a try. More wrestlers lead to more opportunities for the young ladies and better competition. Used to be girls-only events were sparse because they couldn’t fill weight classes. In just a few short years that situation has evolved. Large tournaments for only girls are available.

In conclusion, Iowa is a wrestling state. We are proud to have sanctioned girls wrestling at the middle school and high school levels. All this leads to more confident young ladies and empowered women.

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