What coaches have to say about WPIAL adding girls wrestling team championship in 2027
The high school wrestling postseason calendar just became a bit more crowded.
The WPIAL recently announced a district girls team championship tournament will be held beginning with the upcoming season.
According to Butler athletic director Bill Mylan, who serves on the WPIAL Wrestling Committee, the lone requirement for a team to enter is it has at least seven active wrestlers on its roster. Deadline to register will be in late January and the tournament will begin soon after.
Girls wrestling now has three seasons under its belt after being sanctioned by the PIAA, but the postseason has consisted of just individual tournaments.
“This was the next logical step,” Butler coach Nathan Bottiger said. “This gives programs that are building a chance to test themselves.”
Seneca Valley had 15 girls last season who wrestled in varsity matches, with four of them graduating in May.
“Several of our girls were first-year wrestlers,” SV assistant coach Caden Leighty said. “We’re always trying to grow our program and hold two or three tryout nights every year to try to attract new wrestlers, whether it be for our middle school or varsity team.
“A number of WPIAL coaches have been pushing for (a team tournament). We have every intention of competing in the tournament and do what we can to support girls wrestling. It’s a sport that has an individual and team aspect to it.”
Bottiger hopes Butler becomes a viable contender as a team. The Golden Tornado graduated three of its 12 wrestlers from 2025-26.
“We had some injuries, and a few other girls who started the season for us decided to not stick with it,” he said. “We averaged three or four forfeits (out of 13 bouts) per match, had a lot of girls bunched up in the middle weights and that made it tough.”
Knoch is Butler County’s other WPIAL program. The Knights fielded eight wrestlers last season. Only one, Braylee Ireland, graduated.
In 2023-24, the first season the PIAA oversaw the sport, there were 22 schools in the WPIAL that sponsored girls wrestling, Butler and Seneca Valley among them. That number has swelled to 60.
“Girls wrestling is still one of the fastest growing sports in high school,” Mylan said. “The number of schools in the WPIAL with teams has increased, and it will continue to grow.”
