YORK, Pa. — According to SanctionPA, girls wrestling is the fastest-growing high school sport in the country.
The movement to make girls wrestling an official high school sport in Pennsylvania started over two decades ago. In 2020, that idea got a huge boost when J.P. McCaskey High School in Lancaster became the first school to officially sponsor the sport.
Since that day, more than 100 other schools across the commonwealth followed in their footsteps and sponsored the sport. That allowed the PIAA to take up a vote to "sanction," or approve, the sport. After three straight unanimous votes of approval, girls wrestling was approved as an official sport on Wednesday, March 17, 2023.
Starting in July, girls wrestling will be under PIAA jurisdiction.
SanctionPA, a nonprofit organization, played a valuable role in the movement toward approval status with the PIAA. Brooke Zumas, the chair of SanctionPA, joined FOX43 in the Sunday Sitdown to discuss this big moment in the sport.