The HHS boys' wrestling gym.
Girls wrestling has been gaining popularity around Nebraska since being approved in May 2020 by the NSAA. Hastings High has not started girls wrestling yet, but they have some ideas.
Hastings High girls wrestling has been discussed with the Board of Education and big ideas about a co-op with Adams Central are on the table.
“The Board of Education approved the passing of sending a letter of interest to Adams Central about co-oping with them, ” Athletic Director Tracy Douglas said.
According to Douglas, there were a few girls who asked and showed interest in girls wrestling before the boys’ season had started. A co-op is when two or more schools combine athletic programs to create one team.
“I sent a survey to all the girls at the middle school and at the high school, and had some interest, so that’s why we are looking at if we start our own team or look at a possible co-op with Adams Central,” Douglas said.
AC started their girls’ wrestling team this year with six girls among all grade levels at the high school, and are coached by Dan Lonowski.
“The reason that the co-op came up is that Adams Central already has a girls wrestling team and the co-op works really well with swimming,” Douglas said.
Douglas mentioned how HHS is the host for swimming and AC could be the host for girls wrestling. The swimming co-op team has been going strong since being established in 2017.
“By having a girls wrestling team and a co-op and having two schools to draw from, then hopefully we would be able to get a whole line up, and have the girls have adequate practice partners,” Douglas said.
With girls not able to be on a boys’ team anymore since the start of Nebraska girls wrestling, this would be a way to get more girls involved.
“I’d like to join girls wrestling because it’s a good form of exercise,” freshman Lillian Shuler, said.
Shuler is one of the girls who are interested in girls wrestling. According to Shuler, girls can use this to let out anger and overwhelming emotion in a safe environment.
“It can help promote women and gender-neutral equality. It’s unfortunate that it took this long, but it’s great that we have a starting point,” Shuler said.
