If high school wrestlers look a little bigger this year, it’s not because the mats are smaller.

Last spring, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) instituted an upward shift in 10 of the 14 weight classes. It was the first large-scale change in the weight classes in 23 years.

The maximum for the lowest wrestling weight has increased from 103 to 106. The next five weight classes were also bumped up. Three middle weight classes, 145, 152 and 160, remain the same, but there is one less weight class up to 160 and an additional weight class up to 285, which was the fourth weight division that was not touched.

The new weight classes are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132,138, 170, 182, 195 and 220.

The change has drawn a mixed reaction throughout the country, and in Maine. Critics don’t like that the middle weights, typically the divisions with the largest pool of competitors, have become more spread out.

“They took out one in the middle,” Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said. “The average high school kid weighs 150 pounds. What they did is they took one out of that middle spot and they put it up on the top end, and it’s not right.”

Teams from smaller schools which traditionally lack the upper weights to send to the mat may have to forfeit another weight class, which could hurt their chances in dual meets. But supporters of the changes say it still gives middle weights plenty of options while giving lighter wrestlers more realistic weight limits.

“There are still 14 weight classes, and the middle weight classes are the same as they were last year. They didn’t change 145, 152 and 160,” Lisbon coach Mark Stevens said.

“I liked it. I just wish they put one more (class) in,” Mountain Valley coach Chris Bean said.

The changes were based on data collected by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and designed to distribute seven percent of all wrestlers in each weight class.

In Maine, teams often struggle to find wrestlers for the lowest and highest weight divisions, which results in limited competition, even at the bigger meets.

For example, at last year’s Mid-State League tournament, the 103-pound division had only four competitors. The Class C qualifying meet also had only four wrestlers at 103. That number increased to just six at the state meet. The 285-pound class could only fill out seven of the eight eligible slots.

“(The new alignment) is a good thing,” Oxford Hills coach Tony Stevens said, “especially moving 103 up because a lot of schools are having a hard time filling in that weight class.”

Lighter wrestlers hoping to continue competing beyond high school should benefit from the change, too.

“A junior or senior that’s 103 pounds, he’s not going to be looked at by any colleges,” Mark Stevens said.

College wrestling starts at 121 pounds.

The last major revision to the weight class model was in 1988, when the lowest weight increased from 98 to 103 pounds.

“Look at the weight classes we had (before 1988), Mark Stevens said. “I was a 126-pound wrestler. I don’t think it was a bad thing to move them back to the original weight classes. I’m wondering why they moved them in the first place.”

Some minor changes have been made in the past decade. In 2002, the number of classes increased from 13 to 14 with the addition of the 215-pound weight class. In 2006, the heavyweight class was inflated from 275 to 285.

Long-term, coaches hope the new alignment gives teams more balance in the lower weights yet doesn’t create more holes above 170.

Short-term, the impact will vary from team to team. It’s all a matter of timing.

“With us, it’s going to help this year because our kids are pretty well spread out,” said Bean, whose Falcons are rebuilding after winning Class B last year. “In the past, we’d have four or five kids in one or two weight classes.”

Weight classes

2010   2011

103   106

112   113

119   120

125   126

130   132

135   138

140   —

145   145

152   152

160   160

171   170

189   182

—   195

215   220

285   285