Jasmine Luedtke
A recent decision by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union will change the future of girls wrestling in Ottumwa and throughout the state.
On January 12, prior to the start of the championship round of the IWCOA Girls State Wrestling Tournament, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Board of Directors voted unanimously to sanction girls wrestling as the organization’s 11th sport, beginning in 2022-23.
OHS sophomore, Jasmine Luedtke, sees the change as a positive move for the sport. She feels more girls will go out if they only compete against other girls. The OHS sophomore has wrestled since elementary school and recently finished second in her weight class at the girls state tournament.
Luedtke is excited about the growth she has seen in the sport over the past few years. This year, over 700 girls competed at the state meet, more than double the number of participants just last year.
Ottumwa is also one of the few high schools with a girls wrestling coach. In his first year, Isaiah Cox had four girls who were dedicated to learning and growing. Cox, a former OHS and collegiate wrestler, is passionate about giving back to the sport that gave him so much. With three returning wrestlers next year, he has a strong foundation to grow the program. "My goal is to have 50 girls go out for wrestling." To reach his goal, he has already started recruiting. "My younger sisters are even talking about wanting to wrestle."
To date, 58 schools, including Ottumwa, have committed to sponsoring girls wrestling programs in Iowa. Iowa becomes the 34th state association to sanction girls’ wrestling.