Executive Committee Resolution No. 14-___ 

SUPPORT FOR SANCTIONING WOMEN’S HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING 

WHEREAS,  The Bylaws of the United States of America Wrestling Association (“USA Wrestling”) designate the Board of Directors as the principal governing body of the corporation and responsible for managing the affairs of the corporation, and the Executive Committee is responsible for these decisions between Board of Directors meetings;

WHEREAS, The USA Wrestling Women’s National Team Program played a vital role in saving wrestling as a U.S. Olympic sport during the last cycle;

WHEREAS, Hawaii, California, Texas, Oregon, Tennessee, Alaska and Washington have already sanctioned women’s wrestling as a high school sport, as well as the public high schools in New York City;

WHEREAS, Many other states have initiated the process for sanctioning women’s wrestling as a high school sport including Kansas, Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa and others;

WHEREAS, The following women athletes have already won high school wrestling State championships competing against male athletes: Michaela Hutchison, Alaska (first to do this); Hope Steffenson, Alaska; Rachel Hale, Vermont; and Danielle Coughlin, Massachusetts;

WHEREAS,  The following women athletes have been high school wrestling State runners-ups competing against male athletes: Erica Dye, West Virginia (first to do this); Deanna Rix, Maine (placed fifth in the World twice for the USA); Alyssa Lampe, Wisconsin (two-time World medalist for the USA and a top 2016 Olympic hopeful);

WHEREAS, Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann wrestled for Lock Haven men’s team, Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda wrestled for Stanford’s men’s team and 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell wrestled on the Arizona State University men’s team. Jenny Wong wrestled on the Lock Haven’s men team (third in the World Championships) along with National Coach, Erin Tomeo. Other U.S. World Team members who were on men's college teams include Lauren Lamb (Cornell) and Jenna Pavlik (Lock Haven); 

WHEREAS, 11 of the 13 women who have been U.S. wrestling Olympians have wrestled in college, including Olympic gold medalist Helen Maroulis (Simon Fraser, Missouri Baptist), bronze medalist Clarissa Chun (Missouri Valley), bronze medalist Randi Miller (MacMurray, Neosho CC, Northern Michigan), all who were on women’s college wrestling teams;

WHEREAS, Women's high school wrestling numbers have grown every year going back to 1990, when there were less than 100 girls on the high school level, which represents 27 straight years of growth;

WHEREAS,  Women’s wrestling has inspired many of our youth who struggle with the day-to-day challenges; and,

WHEREAS, The sanctioning of women’s wrestling in every State will promote the sport of wrestling and the values support by USA Wrestling.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, USA Wrestling supports the equal rights of women to participate in high school athletics and the sanctioning of women’s high school wrestling in every State.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, USA Wrestling requests that each State high school sports sanctioning entity provide a designee to further the intent of this Resolution.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the USA Wrestling Executive Committee hereby directs Executive Director Rich Bender and staff to make good faith efforts to obtain the identifying information for each high school athletic sanctioning entity to further the intent of this Resolution.

CERTIFICATION 

We the undersigned officers of USA Wrestling hereby certify that on the 17th day of January 2017, at a meeting duly convened, the Executive Committee voted to adopt the above resolution pursuant to the authorities enumerated in Bylaws § 4.1.

Dated this 17th day of January, 2017.