Durham Reporter

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) has broadened the list of sanctioned sports in high schools across the state for the first time in over a decade. 

Lacrosse made the NCHSAA cut in 2010, HighSchoolOT reported. Now, it has given the nod to girls wrestling. 

"Let me just say how excited I am that (the sports committee) arrived at this," Que Tucker, commissioner of the NCHSAA, said during a board meeting. "This is a historical moment for us."

The vote came Wednesday morning, and it was unanimous, with all of the NCHSAA directors approving the girls wrestling proposal from the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association, HighSchoolOT reported. 

The inaugural season will be the 2023-24 academic year, HighSchoolOT reported. The NCHSAA is allowing a little more than a year to allow coordination with wrestling coaches to conduct trial runs with respect to regionals and postseason competition. 

The National Federation of State High School Associations will announce weight classes for girls wrestling next year, HighSchoolOT reported.

Sanctioning is a formality that means instead of girls wrestling being limited to invitationals, as has been the case for years, the sport will be able to hold official NCHSAA state championships, HighSchoolOT reported. 

In order for a sport to be eligible for sanctioning, at least 25% of schools that are under the NCHSAA must offer the sport, HighSchoolOT reported. The NCHSAA had 427 member schools this year, making the required amount 107 schools. There were 210 NCHSAA member schools with a minimum of one female wrestler and 125 schools with a minimum of two. 

"The bylaws define a team as 'two or more students practicing and competing in a regular scheduled school season,'" HighSchoolOT reported.