Exeter to start girls wrestling program

Exeter has joined the growling list of school districts across Pennsylvania to approve girls wrestling as a varsity sport.

The Exeter School Board voted Tuesday to start a girls wrestling program, making it the third school district in Berks County and sixth in District 3 to do so.

The program will begin this school year.

Exeter joins Berks schools Gov. Mifflin and Brandywine Heights in approving a girls wrestling program. Other District 3 schools that have voted to start girls wrestling are McCaskey, Annville-Cleona and Gettysburg.

“District 3 has a long rich tradition of wrestling,” said McCaskey athletic director Jon Mitchell. “I’m extremely excited to see our district leading the way in providing opportunities for girls in this great sport. As additional districts sanction girls wrestling teams, it continues to make providing those opportunities easier for schools. Congratulations to Exeter, the most recent District 3 school to approve a girls wrestling team.”

Exeter becomes the 14th school district across the state to add girls wrestling.

Nationally, there are 32 state high school associations sanctioning a girls wrestling state championship. Pennsylvania does not yet have an official PIAA state tournament and has not sanctioned girls wrestling as a sport.

PIAA rules require a minimum of 100 schools to sponsor a sport before it would consider sanctioning it. A group called SanctionPA is trying to get closer to the 100 schools needed.

“Exeter Township School District should be celebrated for voting to form an official girls wrestling team, which will expand athletic offerings for their students and help to grow the sport,” said Brooke Zumas, SanctionPA chairperson and Parkland girls wrestling assistant coach. “The district has cemented themselves as leaders within the state by helping to forge the pathway for more opportunities for girls in wrestling.”

Other schools that have approved girls wrestling programs are Easton, Parkland

and Executive Education of District 11, North Allegheny of District 7, Central Mountain and Bald Eagle Area of District 6, and Delaware Valley and Western Wayne of District 2.

According to SanctionPA statistics, girls wrestling participation in Pennsylvania grew by over 30% during the 2020-21 season and has experienced more than a 200% growth of girls on high school boys teams in the past five years. All 12 PIAA districts have girls wrestling within their schools.