North Dakota adds girls high school wrestling as sanctioned sport

Another state is adding girls high school wrestling as a sanctioned sport.

The North Dakota High School Activities Association Board of Directors met Tuesday and voted to approve the sanctioning of girls wrestling as a NDHSAA-sponsored sport starting in the 2021-22 school year. North Dakota becomes the 30th state high school association to sanction girls wrestling.

North Dakota has held non-sanctioned girls high school state wrestling championships for the past five years. Over 50 female wrestlers competed in the most recent non-sanctioned girls high school state wrestling championships held last month at the Fargodome.

Last season, North Dakota had about 80 girls participating in wrestling, which was up from about 20 in 2015-16.