MSHSAA To Expand Wrestling To Four Classes In 2005

The Missouri State High school Activities Association will add a fourth class to wrestling next season even though they don’t have enough schools for the normal expansion to four classes. Normally MSHSAA requires there to be at least 256 schools participating in any one sport for it to expand to four classes but a petition from Kansas City area schools led to a vote, which passed by a simple majority of 90-74. The process asks for 10% of MSHSAA members to sign the petition and then it’s voted on. Other sports like basketball and football have expanded through the petition process. Currently 209 high schools in the state of Missouri have wrestling teams. Many of the larger schools in Class 3 have dominated the sport and the impetus for the petition was to give the smaller schools a better chance at winning in the state tournament.