First Sanctioned Iowa Girls State Wrestling Tournament Starts Thursday

 For the first time as a sanctioned high school sport, the Iowa Girls State Wrestling Tournament will run Thursday and Friday in Coralville.

Charles City coach Rob Pittman notes that the sport has grown substantially in a short time.

The Comets have five wrestlers qualified for state and are led by two-time state champion Lilly Luft, who enters the tourney as the top seed in the 130-pound division with a record of 35-0. Other northeast Iowa wrestlers with high seeds include:

(weight/seed/wrestler/school/record/grade)

100 lbs……..( 2 ) Gable Hemann, O S A G E, 4 0 – 2, 1 0

110 lbs…….( 1 ) Jalynn Goodale, O S A G E, 3 0 – 0, 1 2

130 lbs…….( 1 ) Lilly Luft, C H CI, 3 5 – 0, 1 2

145 lbs…… ( 2 ) Ali Russler, New Hampton/Turkey Valley, 4 1 – 4, 1 2

170 lbs……( 1 ) Naomi Simon, Decorah, 3 2 – 0, 1 1 

Thursday’s wrestling sessions are from 9 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 9 pm. Wrestling Friday continues from 9 am to 3 pm; with hold-by-hold coverage available on KCHA and 95.1 The Bull. Friday’s championship round runs from 6 pm to 9 pm with coverage on 95.9 KCHA.