GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control (BOC) unanimously approved Wednesday to add a girls individual state wrestling tournament beginning in the 2021-22 season.

The BOC voted 10-0 and the hope is the individual state tournament can lead to an eventual team state championship. WIAA deputy director Wade Labecki had this to say in regards to the change to WLUK Fox 11 in Green Bay.

“That’ll be down the road, if we can get to that point,” Labecki said. “I don’t think a team state championship going to be in the near future, however this is encouraging more girls to individual wrestling.”

Labecki also said “Going to be a while before we get to team state and if we get a girls sport coinciding with the boys teams at state we’re going to have to find a different facility. We can’t fit a fourth mat into it, but that’s way down the line.”

Currently, girls wrestle on boys teams and that would be the same in 2021-22. Once the regular season is completed, girls wrestlers will break off into their own postseason, with the final destination being the state tournament.