Mat revolution: How Utah girls are transforming high school wrestling

By Zack Pinter

 

The spotlight hits the center of the mat as two wrestlers circle each other.  Sweat drips down Eva Zimmerman’s face as she reaches for her opponent's arm. With a quick pull, she rolls her opponent onto her back and maintains control until the referee counts to three, sealing her victory. The Hillcrest High School wrestler is working toward her fourth state championship, part of a growing movement transforming Utah's wrestling tradition. 

Girls’ wrestling has emerged as a powerful force in Utah’s sports landscape since gaining official sanctioning by the Utah High School Activities Association in 2020. Participation has surged 700% in just four years, with the number of female wrestlers jumping from 200 to 1,600, according to UHSAA data.

“The growth of women's wrestling has meant so much to me because the more girls in the sport equals more competition, and better competition is how you grow and improve,” Zimmerman said. “I love how big it's getting. It makes it harder to get to the top, but it means so much more.” 

 

Refining the rules

The expansion of high school wrestling challenges long-held assumptions about gender-appropriate sports and creates opportunities for athletes who previously faced barriers to participation.In 2019, the Women's Sports Foundation found that girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys have.

Laynee Bonner joined Wasatch High School’s team when it was formed in the 2022-23 season, though she said she initially hesitated because she expected negative reactions from friends. 

“I was kind of forced to try it because my dad was one of the coaches, but I ended up falling in love with it,” she said. 

Her brother, Tim wrestled for the school before graduating in 2021, and said creating separate divisions for the boys and girls allowed female wrestlers to compete without the burden of gender dynamics overshadowing their matches.

“When girls wrestling was introduced as a sanctioned high school sport, I was relieved for the girls and also the boys," he said. 

The move addressed growing demand from female athletes who wanted to wrestle but preferred not to compete against boys, said Brenan Jackson, one of the association’s assistant directors.  

“We were hearing there were more girls who wanted to wrestle, but they didn't want to have to wrestle and compete against the boys,” he said. 

 

Breaking barriers

Despite the sport's growing popularity, female athletes like Bonner say they still encounter skepticism and misconceptions. Bonner said she has faced criticism regarding the uniforms and wrestling’s perceived lack of femininity. As a former cheerleader, her friends didn’t initially understand her interest in a more aggressive sport, she added. 

“I faced a lot of negative reactions from my friends and close relationships,” she said. “A lot of people view the sport as gross because of the uniforms they wear and the skin infections that are prone to happen.”

Perceptions that wrestling is too "rough," "unfeminine" or "gross" reinforced the idea that wrestling is unsafe or unattractive for girls, Bonner said. Her experience reflects broader challenges as female wrestlers push back against traditional gender expectations in sports. From uniform concerns to the physicality of wrestling, Bonner said female wrestlers often find themselves defending their choice to compete. 

According to Statista, approximately 82% of high school wrestlers were boys, and 18% were girls in the 2023-24 season. 

Zimmerman said she has encountered similar resistance but uses it as motivation.

“Sometimes boys in my room and on my team don’t give me much credit because I’m just a “girl wrestler,” but honestly that has just made me work harder to prove myself,” she said.

As a three-time state champion, Zimmerman said she credits wrestling with developing her character and resilience.

“Wrestling is a lifestyle. I believe that it is the hardest thing I’ve ever gotten to do,” she added. “I have become very confident in myself for who I am. It has changed my perspective on hard work.”

Bonner said she continued wrestling despite the negativity and eventually saw attitudes shift.

“It was hard in the moment, but … after a while, my friends grew to respect the sport,” she said. 

As participation increased, girls' wrestling is gaining broader acceptance, and athletes and coaches are anticipating what lies ahead, said Chris Shipman, one of the association’s assistant directors.

Because of the growth, Shipman added, lower divisions like 1A and 2A will hold their own divisional tournaments unlike in the past when they were combined, signifying Utah girls wrestling is no longer emerging but expanding. 

“As those smaller programs continue to grow, they'll be moving along with our larger classifications,” he said.

 

Paving the way

What started as a fight for legitimacy is quickly becoming a fight for championships. With support growing from school districts, coaches, and communities, the next era of girls wrestling in Utah is already taking shape and looks more competitive than ever.

“We didn’t view girls wrestling as a new sport—we saw it as an expansion of something already happening,” said Brenan Jackson, assistant director of the association. “Once the numbers started rising, it became clear – this deserved its own space.” 

For the athletes on the mat, the sport and experience has encouraged girls’ to ignore the stereotypes. 

“It will completely change your life forever. It helps grow discipline, one of life's most important things,” said Bonner. 

These transformative experiences extend beyond high school competition, with wrestlers like Zimmerman expressing how the sport has shaped their character and outlook on challenges throughout their lives. The mental toughness developed on the mat, she said, becomes a foundation for facing obstacles in all aspects of life.

“I wish I had started wrestling sooner and I would encourage every young wrestler to start early. They will be better for it. It will teach them good lessons and that they can do hard things,” said Zimmerman. 

Many in the wrestling community, like Afton Rutter, say they hope to see that impact grow.

“I would love to see the sport grow in every aspect,” said Rutter, senior wrestler for Wasatch High School. “The wrestling community is filled with love and support and could be life-changing to so many young girls. Keeping girls in a sport that is body positivity, makes you confident and empowers strength is something I would love to see in Utah.”