Sentinel-News Editorial

The University of Iowa turned heads last month when it announced it would become the first Power Five conference school to add women's wrestling as a scholarship sport. The move is a landmark win for the sport, and it creates added momentum for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) to sanction wrestling at the high school level.

Though the UI may be the first "big" school to bring on women's wrestling, it's hardly the first post-secondary institution to do so. More than 125 schools across the country offer the sport to female students, with five located here in Iowa: Grand View University in Des Moines, Waldford University in Forest City, Iowa Wesleyan in Mt. Pleasant, William Penn in Oskaloosa and Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa.

Of course, an athlete's interest in a sport doesn't start when they turn their tassels at high school graduation. There's already a strong grassroots movement for youth girl's wrestling across the Hawkeye State, with an AAU state championship tournament held each year in Des Moines. It drew more than 400 participants in 2021 alone.

As with most things, the IGHSAU can't simply snap its fingers and make wrestling a sanctioned sport. There's a process involved, as reported by WHO-TV in September:

"In order for the IGHSAU board to consider approval, 15 percent of member schools must submit a proposal to support the sport.

The IGHSAU needs 50 schools to express their interest in girls wrestling before moving to sanction the sport. So far, 32 schools have affirmed their commitment."

With the UI's decision, a groundswell of support is likely to course through the state from border to border. Not only will the move peak interest in wrestling here in Iowa, it will likely be a lynchpin for other Power 5 schools to add scholarships for women's wrestling programs. The genie is out of the bottle now.

There's no doubt interest for girl's wrestling in northwest Iowa – just scan team photos in December and you'll find several female faces laced throughout the rows of grapplers. They put in just as much time and effort as the boys do, and they deserve equal competition in their opponent once they hit the mat. Though many find the win column multiple times during the season, claiming that repeated bouts against male foes is fair simply isn't reality.

The IGHSAU shouldn't dawdle once they hit the 50-school threshold. Wrestling is very much woven into the fabric of this state, and that passion isn't limited to the male gender. It's time to sanction girls wrestling and allow Iowa girls to show how tough they are on their very own mats.