The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced that they will begin sanctioning girls wrestling as a sport in 2022-2023. Knoxville sophomore Haley Mackey tells KNIA/KRLS News that she really enjoyed her first year of wrestling.

“I saw a Snapchat story post saying that someone was trying to start a girls wrestling team, and I wasn’t doing basketball this year, so I was like it might be fun, let’s try it, could make some history at Knoxville. I’m not saying I have to be the best going out there, but I was just going to have fun with it and I really do love it.”

Pleasantville senior girl wrestlers Brynn Miller and Amy Kish tell KNIA/KRLS News they are excited to be a part of causing this change.

Brynn Miller: “It really is an amazing feeling. It feels like it took forever for it to get sanctioned, and when it finally did, it was like a dream come true, because I know now that it is sanctioned it’s just going to keep getting bigger. I mean a lot of girls’ fears were having to wrestle guys and that held a lot of them back, but it’s been a really awesome experience and I’m really thankful I got to be a part of watching it grow.”

Amy Kish: “Since I haven’t been wrestling for very long, I haven’t seen it grow quite as much as Brynn has, but just being a part of seeing people around recognizing that girls do want to wrestle and just seeing small teams grow into really big teams of only girls has been a huge inspiration to me and the other girls around us.”

The announcement was made before the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association state finals in Coralville.