Takedown Report

Edwardsville (Illinois) Wrestling Club adds girls program

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Wrestling Club has announced the addition of a girls wrestling program. The girls’ coach is Sarah Bollinger, a three-time Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association All-American. “We’ve seen a trend that’s really moving in that direction in the sport of wrestling, with a bunch of college programs all over the country and especially in the surrounding communities, that are endorsing female wrestling,” EWC head coach Pat McNamara said. “The state of Missouri has just endorsed it as a state-sanctioned sport and we feel that Illinois is going to be moving in that direction. We’re excited to give girls the opportunity to learn about the great sport of wrestling.”

Missouri held its first state tournament for girls’ high school wrestling during the 2018-19 school year, and McNamara feels it won’t be long before the IHSA follows suit. “I don’t think the IHSA has a timetable for when that might happen, but we know it’s coming,” McNamara said. “We’ve had girls in our program for a while, but we want to try to take it to the next level.” The Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association offers its own girls’ state series, which is reserved for any high school girls in the state of Illinois. Almost 200 wrestlers entered five sectionals this year, with the top three wrestlers in every weight class from each sectional competing in the state tournament in Springfield. Until this year, girls have been allowed to compete with and against boys in IWCOA events. But with the IHSA declaring girls’ wrestling an “emerging sport” last year, a new era has dawned for girls, many of whom historically have been reluctant to participate within a coed context.

“In the past, we’ve had around 15 girls across ages 6 and under up to age 14, but we’re hoping to double that number,” McNamara said. “We’d love to have 30 girls or more this year.” There are 16 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington) that have sanctioned girls’ wrestling as a high school sport. There is also a campaign called “Wrestle Like a Girl,” which has its members travel throughout the nation to tout the benefits of girls’ wrestling. Rest of the story at

June 8, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized