By Shelby Yarchin shelbyyarchin@gmail.com

“Being the first state to give women the right to vote and being the equality state, it is a surprise that it has taken this long for girls wrestling to be sanctioned.” Father and coach Ben Ronnau, who we last spoke to in January, shared his thoughts on the latest news related to sanctioning girls wrestling in the state of Wyoming. 

According to Oil City News, the Wyoming High School Activities Association has given the OK for schools to start sanctioning the sport in the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. Ben reacted to the news, stating “By sanctioning girls wrestling, it gives so many more opportunities to girls across the state to compete, especially on a level playing field.” 

Ben’s daughter and wrestler, Alleynah Ronnau, gave us this statement; “Being the first state to give women the right to vote and being the equality state, it is a surprise that it has taken this long for girls wrestling to be sanctioned. By sanctioning girls wrestling, it gives so many more opportunities to girls across the state to compete, especially on a level playing field. It is a scientifically proven fact that men are physically stronger than women. Many girls and/or girl’s parents are unsure about wrestling boys because there are physical obstacles in the way. Another thing that makes this sanctioning such a great opportunity, is the differences in how each gender can cut weight. When certifying at a weight, boys can’t have below 7% body fat and girls can’t have below 12% body fat. This means that when boys cut weight they have a higher muscle mass than their female counterparts therefore they are given an unfair advantage. This also creates challenges when females have to cut weight in order to have a chance to actually compete against the other wrestlers, which is something that I experienced in my high school wrestling career. That being said, I am beyond excited to see how much the sport grows in the state and the opportunities it gives future female wrestlers as the sport is a very important part of my life.”

Previously, boys wrestling was the only sanctioned bracket, making it difficult for girls to place, or even get a chance to compete. While the dynamic has not yet been confirmed, it’s expected that girls’ wrestling will make strides towards equality by August of this year. 

Photo used with permission Ben Ronnau.