Takedown Report

As girls’ wrestling grows, it faces old stigmas and new challenges

More and more female athletes are participating in high school wrestling, but rapid expansion is never simple.
By Michael Howes
On a Friday afternoon this month, five wrestling mats covered the gym floor at Northeast High in Pasadena, the setting for a day-long tournament called “Who’s #1.”
In the minutes before the event began, wrestlers put the finishing twists in their braids and ensured their singlets fit snugly while a sizable crowd filed into wooden bleachers. By the end of the night, the concession stand would sell out of hot food. This tournament was for female wrestlers only, featuring 215 competitors from 47 schools. Its size and scope were a testament to the rapid growth of the girls’ sport. “It was a great event,” Northeast Coach Chris Dyke said. “The chance for us to bring that many girls together at one event is a good thing.”
Over the past decade, female participation in high school wrestling has surged locally and nationally. According to Virginia High School League participation surveys, the number of female wrestlers in Virginia increased by 133.57 percent since the 2021-22 school year, following the VHSL’s addition of an open girls’ individual tournament. Maryland has seen a 53.37 percent rise in female wrestlers since 2019, with 638 girls competing last year, according to USA Wrestling.
But growth is never simple. As the numbers get bigger, old stigmas persist and new challenges emerge. “It’s slowly getting better,” said Rockville senior Anastasia Dakoulas, who won the tournament’s 130-pound bracket. “But there’s still some discrepancies between the girls and the boys.”
Old and new challenges
For a burgeoning sport, recruitment often falls to dedicated coaches and the athletes themselves.
La Plata wrestling coach John Pankhurst was tossing mulch at a 2022 fundraiser when he recruited his first female wrestler. He found himself working alongside Madison Rich, then a freshman with the lacrosse program. Pankhurst convinced Rich to try the sport, and she became one of five female wrestlers to join the team the following winter. Three years later, in Rich’s senior year, the team has 16 female wrestlers. “At school events, we would just go around and say, ‘Are you interested in joining wrestling?’” La Plata senior Oriana Boling said. “We’d get their names down and everything.”
Rockville Coach Ryan Fickes attends other sporting events at the Montgomery County school, talking to parents about the merits of wrestling. He is joined in his recruiting efforts by Dakoulas, who won the 130-pound girls’ state title last season. After being the only girl on the team last winter, Dakoulas recruited friends and former soccer teammates to join her, raising the team’s total to five.
But as she works to grow the sport, Dakoulas said, she has to confront old stigmas. … more at … https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/01/22/girls-high-school-wrestling/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzM3NTIyMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzM4OTA0Mzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3Mzc1MjIwMDAsImp0aSI6Ijk2MTc5OTIzLTZkYmUtNDUwMi1iOGQ2LTc1ZTg5NWRmY2Q1MSIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9zcG9ydHMvMjAyNS8wMS8yMi9naXJscy1oaWdoLXNjaG9vbC13cmVzdGxpbmcvIn0.1UUOcPfUQCeiuflFzmw0PzpdqxlBNYWwoZ8Lj53HOWk
And …

Through four years of sanctioned girls wrestling in North Dakota, athletes, coaches look back on sport’s rise
Grand Forks’ program has grown exponentially over the last few years, now at a roster of 28 girls.
GRAND FORKS — 2025 marks year four of sanctioned girls wrestling in North Dakota, meaning freshmen on varsity in year one are now seniors going for glory one more time. Grand Forks’ program has grown alongside the sport’s popularity, now with a roster of 28 in 2024-25, including eight middle schoolers.
It’s a sight senior Bryn Larson could have only dreamed of when she first started wrestling in sixth grade. “It was listed as an intramural sport in sixth grade, and I was like, ‘Sure, why not, I’ll give it a go,'” Larson recalled. “All day before practice, I was like, ‘Are you doing wrestling? Is anyone else?’ None of my classes, no kids were doing wrestling,” she added. It turned out she was only one of two girls to show up that day. Instead of quitting, she pressed on, learning the ropes of the sport through her middle school career. “I wanted to show other people that they could do it too if they wanted,” Larson said.
After three years wrestling against boys, girls wrestling became sanctioned in North Dakota right before her freshman year, giving her a chance to compete on a bigger stage and against other girls. “I ran home to my mom screaming, I was so excited,” Larson recalled. “Then we found out that my middle school coach was going to transition to be the high school girls coach, so I was over the moon,” she added. … more at … https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/through-four-years-of-sanctioned-girls-wrestling-in-north-dakota-athletes-coaches-look-back-on-sports-rise

January 27, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | girls-wrestling, sports, wrestling