Recognizing Sanaa Rahming, Samiyah Rahming, and Julissa Ortiz for their middle and high school girls' wrestling accomplishments on the occasion of Women's History Month.

WHEREAS, Over the past decade, participation figures in girls’ and women’s wrestling have grown at an eye-popping rate as the perceptions and infrastructure around the sport have changed. According to statistics compiled by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the number of high school girls who competed in wrestling has quintupled since 2013, and nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023; and

WHEREAS, After decades in which high school girls’ only choice in wrestling was to compete directly against boys, 45 states have now sanctioned girls' wrestling as its own event with its own state championships. In college, meanwhile, Iowa became the first Power Five school to start a women's wrestling program last year, and the NCAA has plans to elevate women's wrestling to a championship sport beginning in 2026; and

WHEREAS, The growth of women’s wrestling in the U.S. has been aided by the international success of Team USA, which brought home five Olympic medals in women's wrestling events at the two most recent editions of the Games, including golds won by Tamyra Mensah-Stock in Tokyo and Helen Maroulis in Rio de Janeiro. And it's benefitted from the policy efforts of advocacy groups such as Wrestle Like A Girl, a non-profit organization founded in 2016 to improve girls’ access to the sport; and

WHEREAS, In Philadelphia, major leaps in girls’ high school wrestling have been led by juniors Julissa Ortiz, the first girl to win a Philadelphia Public League wrestling title, and Samiyah Rahming, who won back-to-back Philadelphia Public League and PAUSA freestyle state wrestling titles. Both girls were runner ups at the 2024-2025 PIAA State Championship, and are Fargo All-Americans competing for the 16U Pennsylvania national team; and

WHEREAS, 7th Grader Sanaa Rahming is also a rising star, winning the Keystone State Championships in wrestling for Division 11 and 12; and

WHEREAS, Their accomplishments in wrestling make them role models for other young women to follow, and reflect the largesse of athletic talent Philadelphia’s communities produce every year; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes Sanaa Rahming, Samiyah Rahming, and Julissa Ortiz for their high school girl’s wrestling accomplishments on the occasion of Women’s History Month

FURTHER RESOLVED, That Engrossed copies of this resolution be presented to the Sanaa Rahming, Samiyah Rahming, and Julissa Ortiz as evidence of the true and sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.

End