ALLEMAN, Iowa —

On Monday night at North Polk High School, every slap of the mat and roar from the stands marked a milestone, as the Comets and their opponents wrestled as official girls teams for the first time.

“It’s super nice being able to do it at my school, wearing the singlet just makes me feel better,” junior Audrey Lucas said after her match.

North Polk and Prairie City-Monroe are among the latest Iowa schools to launch girls' wrestling programs this season. Since the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union sanctioned the sport five years ago, participation has climbed rapidly, reshaping winter sports calendars across the state. The sanctioning set up the first official girls season in 2022-23, marking a major turning point for the sport in Iowa.

This winter marks the fourth san

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