Undoubtedly, the girls will receive lots of attention from curious fans and media.
There will also be some grumbling from those who wonder why girls are permitted to compete in wrestling against boys.
Girls commonly compete against boys in youth tournaments in Iowa. By the time they reach high school, though, they face a lot of barriers � comments while they�re on the mat, whispers in the school hallways and complaints from those who feel a boy losing to a girl is a cause for embarrassment and shame.
On Wednesday, the day before Class 3-A opening matches, rumors swirled that Herkelman�s first-round foe might forfeit their match. That�s hard for me to believe any wrestler would give up a chance to compete in a state championship match by taking a direct route to consolations.
Girls make up a small portion of high school competitors. They�re in it for the same reason the boys are � testing themselves in an individual event, the thrill of competition and the ruggedness of the sport.
About 40 girls competed with boys� teams this season. That�s not enough for the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union to sanction statewide competition.
But should the Union consider implementing the sport?
The sport has grown on a national scale for women. Women�s freestyle wrestling has become a medal sport in the Olympics. Colleges, including Waldorf, have begin programs with scholarships. Nationally, more than 6,000 girls wrestled last season, according to participation for the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Will Iowa high schools eventually adopt girls� wrestling? Perhaps. Taking that step will require growth.
It wasn�t long ago that the soccer and bowling had to grow in order to be sanctioned by the Union. In that case, schools had formed club teams across the state. Eventually the groundswell of support led to sanctioning.
Sanctioning girls� wrestling would give more opportunities to these athletes. It would encourage a lot more girls to compete in one of the state�s most beloved sports, athletes who might not be willing to enter a coed wrestling room.
Should Iowa begin taking steps to establish girls� wrestling?
