LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — "Walking into the girls state championships, you have this feeling. It is excitement. You have nerves. You just hope for your best performance and give everything they have and that your girls leave it all out there," said the President of Sanction Pennsylvania Brooke Zumas.
That is the motto of a wrestler, to empty the tank for seven minutes. This past weekend, that is exactly what happened at the Pennsylvania Girls State Wrestling Championships held at Spooky Nook.
It's an exciting time for girls wrestling as the Sanction PA movement gains steam. Nine current schools have teams, many in District III, and there are more on the horizon.
"Definitely in several years from now, we are looking it as an official PIAA sport," added Zumas.
It takes 100 teams to make that possible. On the mats for this event there are 125 wrestlers from 40 schools across the Keystone state. Making sure this event took place, amidst the challenges of COVID, was a priority to keep the sport moving forward and watch the numbers tick up.
"It is important for us to let the PIAA see this," said Joe Stabilito, the PA State Chairman of USA Wrestling. "We can get our sanction going. We know we need 100 schools, but we hope that somehow they can get us to sanction a little earlier."
The ultimate goal is to have girls wrestling stand right along side the boys.
"You know, this may be at the Giant Center in a year or two," said Stabilito.
That would be a sweet dream come true for many.