VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (WTKR)- High school girls wrestling is catching fire in Virginia and hundreds of area student-athletes battled for championships this past weekend.
The first girls regional meet hit the mats in Hampton Roads, with more than 300 wrestlers competing in the event. After the championship meet, those involved in wrestling were left with little question as to the sport's popularity among females.
"The growth has been amazing," Grassfield head coach Patrick Shuler said. "This regional tournament here is proof that there's a need for it and there's an interest in it. Youre talking over 300 girls at a regional tournament here in Virginia. If that doesn't says we need to sanction girls wrestling in Virginia, I don't think anything does."
"The girls bring a passion to wrestling," added Nelson Woodhouse, Commissioner of Wrestling Officials in the Tidewater area. "The coaches are just as intense and the girls bring a passion to wrestling that can only improve the sport here in this area."
The first four rounds of the tournament were held at Oscar Smith on January 31, with the event wrapping up at Floyd Kellam on February 1. The top four finishers in each weight class advanced to the state tournament.
"The regional tournaments in Virginia are so large that they're going to have to have districts to qualify for it," noted Frank Lipoli, who led Virginia to a girls national title in beach wrestling this past summer. "We have a vast, large group of quality girls wrestlers."
The girls state tournament will be held February 26-27 at the Henrico Sports and Events Center outside of Richmond.
