Add Harry S. Truman to the growing list of high schools offering girls’ wrestling as a varsity sport.
“This is just really cool,” said Isabella Dias, a Truman sophomore wrestler. “To be a part of something new, something that is growing, is just great.
“I didn’t think it would happen as quickly as it did, but this is just a great opportunity and I’m going to try and get more girls involved.”
Truman, pending likely school board approval in June, will become the 37th high school in Pennsylvania to add girls’ wrestling as a varsity sport when the season begins in December.
“With the way the sport is growing, we could be 39th or 40th by the time the budget passes,” said Truman Athletic Director Rob Findlay, who is also a graduate of the school.
“It will be really good for our school to be the first one in the Lower Bucks area to add girls’ wrestling. When you’re first, it gives you the advantage of getting the word out there.”
The ultimate goal for girls’ wrestling in the state is to get to 100 high school programs. If (more likely, when) that happens, the sport will become fully sponsored by the PIAA and a PIAA championship can be held. Currently, a Pennsylvania State Girls Wrestling Championship is held in March on same weekend as the boys’ tournament, but it is not sponsored by the PIAA.
“The (PIAA) board will consider sponsoring a sport and holding a championship once 100 schools are sponsoring it,” PIAA Chief Operating Officer Mark Byers said earlier this year.
“We have about 470 schools now with boys wrestling and are excited about the growth in girls wrestling. Every new sport starts with gaining emerging sport status. If a newly identified sport has 25 member schools sponsoring it then we can provide some official designation and give it the green light.
“Girls wrestling has that and hopefully more schools will continue to sponsor it.”
Before last season, Souderton became the 31st high school in Pennsylvania, and the first in District One, to sanction a girls wrestling team. Palisades, in Upper Bucks County and District 11, also has a program.
“The Suburban One League has 24 schools and Souderton was the first SOL school to add the sport,” Findlay said. “But we all talk together and, assuming everything goes well, you’re going to see more SOL schools adding girls’ wrestling in the very near future.
“It was very easy to create a new team. We started talking about it and Sanction PA (the organization behind the push to get girls’ wrestling recognized by the PIAA) sent me an email. We went through the channels with our superintendent and met with Sanction PA and were able to make it happen.
“It doesn’t matter how many girls a school has. We just want to see the sport grow. We have two girls wrestling and if we can find dual meets and tournaments for them, we will. Then, hopefully, more and more girls will try wrestling and we’ll build the team. This is just another opportunity to get more students involved and we’re hoping it takes off.”
Subscriber only:See the 2022 all-Intelligencer/Courier Times wrestling team.
Dias, and junior Stacy Couillard, both wrestled in varsity matches for Truman last season and both also won medals at the girls’ state championship meet in March. Both girls will be able to “dual roster” and continue to be a part of the boys’ wrestling team as well.
“It’s difficult to wrestle boys,” Dias said. “It’s tough because they are stronger and even if you have really good technique, it’s tough to do well.
“Getting to wrestle against other girls is more fair.”
Of the 12 PIAA districts across the state, only District Eight (Pittsburgh), District Nine (Elk, Potter County area), and District 12 (Philadelphia), have yet to sanction a girls wrestling program. Nationally, girls’ wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport and 32 states have already sanctioned the sport.
On the college level, 45 NCAA programs, including five in Pennsylvania (Delaware Valley, Alvernia, East Stroudsburg, Gannon and Lock Haven) offer the sport.
For subscribers:See the final Intelligencer/Courier Times high school wrestling rankings here.
“My goal is to be the first female wrestler at Penn State,” Dias said. “I know Penn State doesn’t have it, yet, but I’m they do soon.
“I know girls who wrestle who go to Bensalem, Souderton and Pennsbury and they want to have teams. Souderton does already have one, but Bensalem and Pennsbury don’t. Hopefully, they will soon.”
And the cost to add a team, according to Findlay, is nominal.
“Schools already have the mats and the equipment you need, the additional cost is really just a couple of coaches,” Findlay said.
“If our goal as athletic directors is to provide opportunities for athletes, what better way than a sport that has popularity and room for growth that doesn’t cost a lot?”
