HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS WRESTLING: NYSPHSAA HOLDING FIRST-EVER INVITATIONAL TOURNEY (2023-01-24)

Tioga County Sports Report
LATHAM, N.Y. – The New York State Public High School Athletic Association has announced it will conduct its first ever Girls Wrestling Individual Tournament at SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College.

On Friday, NYSPHSAA will bring together 208 girls from its member schools around the state to compete in 13 weight classes. Each weight class will consist of 16 girls wrestling through to an individual championship or competing in wrestlebacks to sixth place. Currently, 10 sections in the NYSPHSAA membership have girls participating in wrestling, six of which have all-girls teams within their sections.

“This is an exciting time for us as we host our first formal event for only girls wrestlers to compete in a statewide invitational tournament,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, Executive Director. “There are nearly 1,000 girls competing on girls wrestling teams across the state and we’re pleased to be able to have an event to showcase them on January 27th. We are hopeful this will develop into a state championship in the near future.”

NYSPHSAA began the process of establishing this event when girls wrestling was approved last August as an “emerging sport” where there are at least four teams in four or more sections.

“Emerging sport” status means a sports committee can be established and an event may be developed. The girls wrestling committee met in September and proposed to the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee to run a statewide invitational tournament.

After approval was given in October, the wrestling committee then met in December and this past Sunday to continue the planning of the invitational. The association fielded 456 registrations of interest for the event and planned the largest feasible one-day event with 16 girls in each of 13 weight classes. It resulted in selecting 208 girls to compete by invitation based on experience, grade and representation across the state.

Track Wrestling/Flo will stream all the matches on the NFHS Network.

Tickets are $11.50 each (includes all fees) and available only online by visiting www.gofan.co/NYSPHSAA. This event is a one-session, one-day tournament with matches starting at noon.

Tournament Schedule
Noon — Opening Ceremonies
12:15 p.m. — Round of 16
1:45 p.m. — Wrestlebacks
2:30 p.m. — Quarterfinals
3:15 p.m. — Wrestlebacks
4:30 p.m. — Semifinals & Wrestlebacks
5:15 p.m. — Consolation Semifinals
6 p.m. — Finals