MHSAA adding girls wrestling state tournament in 2021-22
EAST LANSING, Mich. (BVM) — Girls high school wrestling continues to grow across the country, and the state of Michigan is no exception. Recently, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) announced that its representative council had voted to implement a fifth division at the 2022 MHSAA state wrestling championships which will allow girls at 14 different weight classes to compete for state titles.
Prior to this, girls had to compete against boys at the Division 1, 2, 3 and 4 levels in order to win a state championship. Girls will still be allowed to compete against boys throughout the regular season and in team tournaments. And although girls will still be allowed to follow the previous format and compete against boys at state if desired, they will not be allowed to compete at state on both the boys and girls side.
The move comes at the height of growth of girls wrestling in Michigan, as the number of participants has more than doubled over the past five years. According to the MHSAA, 401 girls participated in wrestling across the state during the 2019-20 season.
As a result of the growth, in 2019, the Michigan Wrestling Association began an all-girls state tournament at Adrian College which saw over 150 wrestlers competing. By 2020, the number of wrestlers grew by nearly 100.
After a year away due to the pandemic, the hope is that the 2022 MHSAA state wrestling tournament will return to Ford Field. For girls to qualify, they will need to place in the top eight of their weight class at either of two sectional tournaments held.
Michigan becomes one of many states to implement a sanctioned girls wrestling state tournament in recent years, and now girls across the Wolverine State have their chance to further prove their talents on the mat.
