Carly Eversole, [email protected]
Sweetwater County, Wyoming – This year, an exciting new addition has come to the Wyoming Athletics Association (WHSAA) with the addition of Girl’s wrestling. The sport was approved to be added to Wyoming High Schools last spring, with nearly all high schools within the state signing up to add the program to their already offered activities.
In recent years as girls’ wrestling has gained popularity, girls were required to wrestle as part of the boy’s teams, wrestling against their male counterparts.
“Girl’s wrestling has grown the most in the last several years, and we just feel like in order to grow the sport it needs to get the recognition it deserves,” said Trevor Wilson, Associate Commissioner of WHSAA.
The exact number of girls participating in the sport this year is unclear. However, over 220 girls attended the weight management program required of all wrestlers within the state compared to the 40 girls that have attended in the past.
The weight management program is a measurement of height, weight, hydration, and body score among other measurements that determines a wrestler’s weight bracket and the safest way to decrease into a weight division down. According to the regulations released by WHSAA, member high schools will be required to determine a minimum, competitive weight for each of their varsity and sub-varsity wrestlers. The minimum body fat percentage for males is 7% and for females is 12%. The WHSAA does not advocate that a wrestler’s established certified minimum wrestling weight is the athlete’s best weight, but simply the minimum weight at which the athlete will be allowed to compete.
During regular season wrestling, girl duals will be added to the boy duals and tournaments, with the option to still wrestle against a boy in order to compete in more matches. The State competition for girls’ wrestling will be held on February 23, with the championship round being held during the boy’s semi-finals round on February 24. State Championship Tournament wrestling will only allow girls to wrestle against girls.
Associate Commissioner of the WHSAA, Trevor Wilson, stated, “This first year will be a challenge and a trial year for all the schools to get duals and tournaments figured out, but that’s to be expected with a new program.”
Rock Springs and Green River High School have added the program to their activities, with space available in their upcoming winter wrestling schedules to incorporate some girl’s matches.
