PIAA reduces Pennsylvania high school wrestling weight classes from 14 to 13
BY VARIOUS MEDIA SOURCES | JULY 16, 2020, 1:08 P.M. (ET)
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/July/16/PIAA-cuts-high-school-wrestling-weight-classes-from-14-to-13Action image courtesy of PIAA website.
Editor's Note: Media in Pennsylvania widely reported on the decision by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Assocition to reduce boys wrestling weight classes in Pennsylvania high school wrestling from 14 to 13. Another issue discussed was exploring a path to streamline how sports like girls wrestling can become official PIAA sports.
Sentinel: PIAA approves 13 weight classes in wrestling
Excerpts of story by Jake Adams
A year of discussion, pushback and setback.
After all of that, the PIAA finally has some resolution.
The PIAA approved unanimously during Wednesday’s board meeting on a third and final read a move to trim wrestling from 14 weight classes to 13, effective for the 2020-21 season.
The PIAA has spent three years, executive director Robert Lombardi said, exploring cutting weights. Initially last year, the PIAA proposed 12 weight classes. But there was sizable pushback across the state. And when the National Federation of State High School Associations did not take up the proposal at its spring meeting, the PIAA altered course.
The new weight classes will be: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 172, 189, 215 and 285.
Notables
Mark Byers said the emerging sports committee wants to explore a policy similar to the NCAA that would streamline how sports like girls wrestling or rugby can become sanctioned PIAA sports.
He said the conversation arose as a push for girls wrestling has increased, with a smattering of schools in the state adopting the sport in recent months. Byers said there is no proposal for a policy yet but hopes to have one at a future meeting.