Jacksonville Middle School Hosts First Girls Dual Wrestling Meet

Event celebrates growth of girls' wrestling at the middle school level

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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Jacksonville Middle School is hosting its first-ever girls' dual wrestling meet tonight at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature teams from Canton, Chatham, Alton, Jerseyville, Bethalto, and Jacksonville. Five girls are currently wrestling for the Jacksonville Middle School team, and the school is working to provide more opportunities for girls-only wrestling as the sport continues to grow at the middle school level.

Why it matters

The event aims to celebrate the increasing participation of girls in wrestling and educate the community on what girls' wrestling looks like at the middle school level. Until now, wrestling has been a co-ed sport, but next year the Illinois Elementary School Association will have a girls-only postseason tournament, similar to the high school level.

The details

The girls' dual wrestling meet will take place in the Jacksonville Middle School gym. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students, with free admission for students on the red, green, and blue levels. Coach Jim Chelsvig said the school has seen growing numbers of girls participating in wrestling over time.

  • The girls' dual wrestling meet is tonight (Wednesday, February 18, 2026) at 5:30 p.m.

The players

Jacksonville Middle School

The host school for the first-ever girls' dual wrestling meet in the area.

Jim Chelsvig

The coach of the Jacksonville Middle School wrestling team, which has five girls participating this season.

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What they’re saying

“We are working to provide as many opportunities for girls only as possible. We also want people with less exposure to wrestling to see just exactly what girls' wrestling looks like at the middle school level.”

— Jim Chelsvig, Coach, Jacksonville Middle School Wrestling (myjournalcourier.com)

What’s next

Next year, the Illinois Elementary School Association will hold a girls-only postseason tournament for middle school wrestling, similar to the high school level.

The takeaway

The growth of girls' wrestling at the middle school level is an important step in providing more opportunities and visibility for the sport. Events like this dual meet help celebrate this progress and educate the community about the increasing participation of girls in wrestling.