National Girls High School early season team rankings released: Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) is at No. 1, Toppenish (Wash.) at No. 2

Wyoming Seminary girls wrestling team at 2022 Super 32. Photo by Kyle Klingman, FloWrestling.


The committee which selects the National Girls High School Rankings for individual athletes, which includes representation from USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum, kicks off the 2022-23 season with its first-ever early season team ranking.


In the past, team rankings were published at the end of the high school season. In order to accelerate the growth of girls high school wrestling as well as recognize excellence on a more regular basis, the committee plans to publish a number of in-season rankings this year.


This ranking includes public and private schools at the high school level from all states, including states with official girls state championship events as well as those with unofficial girls state championships.


For the early season rankings, the committee selected the Top 30 high school teams in the nation. Starting with the next ranking, there will be honorable mention teams identified in the ranking.


The top two teams from the 2021-22 season remain in the top two spots for the early season rankings in 2022-23, with Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) at No. 1 and Toppenish (Wash.) at No. 2. Both programs bring back strong lineups, including nationally ranked individual athletes, and have started their season with success. Currently, Wyoming Seminary has 11 nationally-ranked athletes on their roster. Toppenish, a defending state championship team, scored a big victory at the loaded FIGHT Tournament in Findlay, Ohio in December against a strong field representing many states.


Moving up to No. 3 in the rankings is defending Utah 6A champion Westlake, which has shown strong efforts in a number of big events, including the Thor Classic and the Christmas Clash. No. 4 Allen of Texas, the defending 6A state champions, flexed its muscles in winning the Reno Tournament of Champions, which featured many strong teams from the Western USA. One of the most active programs on the national level, defending Nevada champion SLAM Academy, gets the No. 5 ranking.


No. 6 Penn of Indiana, a defending state champion and perennial power in their region, is coming off a big victory at the Lebanon Invitational in Indiana in a multi-state field. No. 7 Lebanon, the defending Missouri state champion, scored a big victory at the Dan Gable Donnybrook and was champion at the KC Stampede. No. 8 Marina is the defending champions in a loaded California field. No. 9 Liberty, the defending Arizona state champion, placed second behind Toppenish in the FIGHT Tournament in Ohio. No. 10 Harrison, the defending Ohio state champion, was second behind Penn at the Lebanon Invitational and third behind Toppenish and Liberty in the FIGHT Tournament.


There are 25 states represented in this national early-season ranking, with no state having more than two teams in the top 30.


With your help, the committee aims to have three more team rankings this year, in late January, late February and the final rankings in March.


In order to achieve this, we need more input from coaches, parents, administrators, journalists and fans to have the strongest and most accurate rankings possible.


If there is a team which should be considered for a national ranking and is not on this list, send us the following information.

1) Contact information for the head coach of the girls team

2) The team’s projected starting lineup, with result information on the expected starters and their year in school (senior, junior, sophomore, freshman, etc.)

3) The team’s schedule for the year

4) Updates on the team throughout the season

Please send all information via email to girlsrankings@usawrestling.org


The long-term goal of the committee and others involved is to strengthen the existing multi-state competitions and develop more large multi-state competitions during the season, where nationally ranked teams and other strong programs can come together to challenge each other. This will also help to better promote the best teams and best athletes in the nation.


The next National Girls High School individual rankings will be published the first week of January.

NATIONAL GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL EARLY SEASON TEAM RANKINGS

Published Dec. 20, 2022

1. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) (1 last year)

2. Toppenish High School (Wash.) (2 last year)

3. Westlake High School (Utah) (13 last year)

4. Allen High School (Texas) (6 last year)

5. SLAM Academy (Nev.) (3 last year)

6. Penn High School (Ind.) (23 last year)

7. Lebanon High School (Mo.) (7 last year)

8. Marina High School (Calif.) (4 last year)

9. Liberty High School (Ariz.) (30 last year)

10. Harrison High School (Ohio) (11 last year)

11. Lathrop High School (Alaska) (12 last year)

12. Northview High School (Calif.) (unranked last year)

13. Chatfield High School (Colo.) (Honorable Mention last year)

14. Valiant College Prep (Ariz.) (unranked last year)

15. Orlando Freedom High School (Fla.) (10 last year)

16. Azle High School (Texas) (Honorable Mention last year)

17. Olentangy Orange High School (OH) (unranked last year)

18. Moanalua High School (Hawaii) (9 last year)

19. Dodge City High School (Kan.) (Honorable Mention last year)

20. Daphne High School (Ala.) (21 last year)

21. Cleveland High School (Tenn.) (unranked last year)

22. Jackson Memorial High School (N.J.) (20 last year)

23. South Sioux City High School (Neb.) (25 last year)

24. Kamehameha Kapalama High School (Hawaii) (14 last year)

25. Eagle High School (Idaho) (18 last year)

26. Peoria Richwoods High School (Ill.) (Honorable Mention last year)

27. Waverly-Shell Rock High School (Iowa) (5 last year)

28. Phillips Andover Academy (Mass.) (29 last year)

29. Bixby High School (Okla.) (unranked last year)

30. Searcy High School (Ark.) (Honorable Mention last year)