LAKE ARIEL, Pa. — Western Wayne High School's wrestling team hosted a "try it out" day for girls.
The number of girls wrestling in the PIAA has doubled in just the past year. More than 200 girls now take part in the sport.
The Wildcats were given the green light to organize a girls' wrestling program because with more schools competing, the quicker the sport can be fully sanctioned.
"The school board was great working with us about getting the girls to be a sanction team in Pennsylvania, the 11th one in the state," said Western Wayne head coach Scott Rush.
Lexi Desiato is a sophomore at Western Wayne. She's been wrestling for the past seven years and is excited that the sport is expanding for girls.
"Just being a wrestler as female, I feel like it's a big step being in a male dominant sport going up and a lot of like determination," Lexi said.
Freshman Grace Langendoerfer came to check out wrestling because she's always had an interest.
"I was thinking about doing wrestling when I was little, but my mom told me I wasn't allowed because she didn't think it was fair to the boys. So when I heard there was going to be a girls' team, it was like my opportunity," Grace said.
This is the first time that some of these girls are trying this sport out, and some might think that wrestling against boys might be a little awkward. These girls feel differently.
"I grew up with a bunch of boy cousins, so I was always like messing around with them, but it's not very awkward at all to me," Desiato said.
These girls are pioneers for the sport at Western Wayne, and Coach Scott Rush hopes this is the beginning of a new legacy at the school.
"Two turned into seven. What can seven turn into? 10,12, 14, which is fantastic. My feelings are it's only going to grow from here," Rush said.
In addition to regular matches, the plan is to enter all-girls wrestling tournaments that are also held in the region.
Check out WNEP's YouTube page.