CURRENT STATES SANCTIONED FOR HS GIRLS WRESTLING
Wrestle Like A Girl has a strong commitment to the growth and development of female wrestling by providing unique opportunities to wrestle at the high school level. Wrestle Like A Girl supports the start-up of new high school wrestling programs and advocates to increase the number of sanctioned girls high school state tournaments
across the United States.
44 States with Girls’ Wrestling State Championships Recognized By a State High School Executive Association.
(Current as of October 18, 2023)
Alaska (2014) - SANCTIONED
2014 Year of 1st Championship
Alabama (2020) - SANCTIONED
2021 Year of 1st Championship
Arkansas (2019) - SANCTIONED
2020 Year of 1st Championship
Arizona (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 Year of 1st Championship
California (2011) - SANCTIONED
2011 Year of 1st Championship
Colorado (2019) - SANCTIONED
2019 Year of 1st Championship
Georgia (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st Championship
Hawaii (1998) - SANCTIONED
1998 1st State Championship
Idaho (2020) - SANCTIONED
Iowa (2022) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - IHSAA
Illinois (2021) - SANCTIONED
Kansas (2019) - SANCTIONED
2020 1st Championship
Kentucky (2023) - SANCTIONED
Maryland (2019) - SANCTIONED
2020 1st Championship
Massachusetts (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st Championship
Maine (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st Championship
Michigan (2021) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - MHSAA
Minnesota (2021) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - MSHSL
Missouri (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st State Championship
Nebraska (2020) - SANCTIONED
2022 1st State Championship
New Hampshire (2023) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - NHIAA
New Jersey (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st State Championship
New Mexico (2019) - SANCTIONED
2020 1st State Championship
New York (2023) - Sanctioned
Governing Body - NYSPHSAA
NYS Girls Wrestling Task Force
North Carolina (2022) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - CHSAA
North Dakota (2021) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - NDHSAA
Ohio (January 2022) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - OHSAA
Oklahoma (2020) - SANCTIONED
2021 1st State Championship
Oregon (2018) - SANCTIONED
2019 1st State Championship
Pennsylvania (2023) - SANCTIONED
2024 1st State Championship
Rhode Island (2023) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - RIIL
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Tennessee (2014) - SANCTIONED
2015 1st Championship
Texas (1999) - SANCTIONED
1999 1st State Championship
South Dakota (2020) - SANCTIONED
2021 1st State Championship
Utah (2019) - SANCTIONED
2021 1st Championship
Washington (2007) - SANCTIONED
2007 1st Championship
Wisconsin (2021) - SANCTIONED
Wyoming (2022) - SANCTIONED
Governing Body - WHSAA
6 Unsanctioned States (including districts and territories) and 3 Emerging Sport Status States
(Current as of October 18, 2023)
Delaware
Governing Body - DIAA
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Guam
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Indiana (2022)- EMERGING SPORT
Governing Body - IHSAA
For a sport to become officially recognized and an IHSAA state tournament be sponsored, 50 percent of the membership must be participating in the sport. The IHSAA currently has 407 member schools around the state. According to the data submitted from those coaches associations, there are 42 schools fielding boys volleyball teams around the state while 350 girls representing 113 schools in this year’s girls wrestling state tournament.
Louisiana
Governing Body - LHSAA
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Mississippi
Governing Body - MHSAA
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
South Carolina
Governing Body - SCHSL
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Vermont
Governing Body - VPA
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Washington, DC
Governing Body - DCSAA
Get Involved (From USAW)
Why Women’s Wrestling (From USAW)
Virginia (2022) - EMERGING SPORT
The sport has three years to meet the 50% + 1 member schools that currently have wrestling for the sport to be sanctioned by the VHSL.
Currently 271 schools in Virginia fielded a boys wrestling team during the 2021-22 season, with 131 of those schools having at least one female on the team.
West Virginia (2022) - EMERGING SPORT
Governing Body - WVSSAC
In 2024 WV will hold an all girls wrestling tournament as WV works towards sanctioning girls wrestling. According to WVSSAC by-laws, at least 32 teams must participate in order to be considered as a sanctioned sport.