Indianola’s lone girl wrestler Summer Wolff recently competed at the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) State Meet, facing off against the growing number of girls wrestlers across the state, faring well against the best competition in the area. Wolff tells KNIA News she could tell there was something different going on this year, and a different kind of electricity in the air as they knew big news was coming.

“It was a different energy, it was really big. I walked in, and normally it’s half guys and half girls because they are still doing the guys meet, and there were just no guys there and it was all girls, there were so many. After they announced they sanctioned Iowa, everyone was so hyped, we were so happy to have our own sport. It was different, and it was a really nice energy. It was so good.”

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union announced that girls wrestling would be a sanctioned sport at the event beginning in 2022. So while the news is obviously positive for Wolff, she knows that her routine to go out and do the best she can doesn’t change at all.

“For me, not much changes. Before it was wrestling guys, guys, guys, now it’s finally girls. I think it’s better for me, a better type of energy. It doesn’t change my competition level, it doesn’t change how hard I work, it doesn’t really change how I think of the sport, just that it is amazing.”

Wolff also said being the lone girl in the program doesn’t intimidate her, and the team treats her as any other wrestler, and her goal is to try and get 20 girls wrestlers on the team next year. For more information, tune in to today’s Let’s Talk Indianola.

*photo from Indianola wrestling Twitter