HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The high school wrestling season came to a close on Sunday with the conclusion of the 2023 Pennsylvania girls state wrestling championships at Central Dauphin High School.

And this is the final year that this will be an unsanctioned event in Pennsylvania as more than 100 schools have officially added girls wrestling as a sport, which surpasses the threshold needed by the PIAA. And you could feel it in the crowd, on the mats, and the overall energy that girls wrestling isn’t just on the rise, it has arrived.

“I’m just very happy that the girls get an opportunity to win a PIAA medal. And I’m very happy that the girls get to be part of a team and train in this martial art. It’s really cool to be part of that,” said Ryan Seagraves, the head girls wrestling coach at Cumberland Valley High School.

And with the increase in numbers in the sport, the bouts on the mat are getting better and better.

“I was here last year but this year is a noticeable increase in the level of talent in the room and the level of skill in the room so it’s pretty amazing to be a part of it,” said Seagraves. “I came here with 12 girls and eight of them were first year wrestlers qualifying for the state tournament and five girls are going to get on the podium for us today so it was a huge success. I couldn’t be more proud of all the work that they’ve put in.”

For full results and brackets from the Pennsylvania girls state wrestling championships, click here.