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Girls wrestling takes hold in the U.S.

DAVE GIBSON
Posted 1/29/25

Girls wrestling: the fastest-growing sport

DAVE GIBSON

COLORADO – In the throes of the Great Depression, the year was 1936. Supported by American farmers, FDR was elected to his second term in a landslide victory over Alf Landon. The...

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Girls wrestling takes hold in the U.S.

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COLORADO – In the throes of the Great Depression, the year was 1936. Supported by American farmers, FDR was elected to his second term in a landslide victory over Alf Landon. The construction of Hoover Dam was completed.

The RMS Queen Mary made her maiden transatlantic crossing. Heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling knocked out Joe Louis at Yankee Stadium. Adolf Hitler presided over the summer Olympics in Berlin. In what was intended to be a showcase of Aryan superiority, Jesse Owens won gold medals in the 100-meter dash, 200m, 4x100m relay, and long jump.

1936 was also the year that Colorado declared boys high school wrestling as an official sport.

It took another 84 years before the Centennial State granted girls wrestling the same distinction. Not even recognized until 1990, when an estimated 112 girls participated in the activity nationwide, in 1998 Hawaii was the first state to sanction girls wrestling.

The next year Texas followed suit, with one quarter of its 160 schools at the state championships fielding female squads. Two years later, 113 of their schools had girls’ wrestling programs. 46 of 50 states in the union now offer girls wrestling.

According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s OPC weight assignment data, over 50,000 girls are presently engaged in grappling. Proving to be hugely popular, it is the fastest-growing high school sport in the country.

A relative newcomer, Colorado sanctioned girls wrestling in 2020. The 139 teams are divided into eight regions and four classifications.

Currently Pueblo Central and Lamar are ranked first and second in 5A, just ahead of last year’s champion, Pomona. Grand Junction Central and Chatfield are first and second in 4A. The 2025 CHSAA State Wrestling Championships will be held on February 13 at Ball Arena in Denver.