For the first time in the history of the Don Miller Invitational there will be two tournaments going on in the Dodger gym.

Fort Dodge will be holding a non-sanctioned girls tournament along side the Miller Invitational.

There will be approximately 20 girls in the field, with bracketing being determined on Saturday.

“This is the first time at the Don Miller Invitational that we’ve had a non-sanctioned girls tournament,” said Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson. “We have some girls from Osage, Charles City and LeMars who may come to compete.”

Fort Dodge will have two representatives competing. Eighth-grader Alexis Ross, the younger sister of eighth-ranked 145-pounder Drevon Ross will compete, along with St. Edmond freshman Elly Berry.

“She (Ross) is pretty tough,” Thompson said. “She’s a good student as well and it gives her a chance to compete and get some early exposure.”

Thompson believes with the popularity of wrestling and the number of girl wrestlers increasing this is a great step for the sport.

“I’m a propinent and a huge fan of promoting it,” Thompson said. “I believe in two or three years it will become a sanctioned sport.

“We’re obviously going to learn on the fly as far as bracketing and weights, but I think it’s a big step in the right direction for a growing sport.”

In the long run Thompson thinks there will be huge opportunities for girls in wrestling.

“There is (women’s) wrestling in the Olympics, so girls who want to compete it’s a start,” Thompson said. “It will defintely be good for the sport and future scholarship posibilites out there for female athletes.”