The Board in Control of the Iowa High School Athletic Association voted Tuesday to support proposed weight changes for high school wrestling.

The next step in the proposed changes will come in April, when the rules committee for the National Federation of State High School Associations will consider the issue. If the National Federation adopts the proposal, the new weights could go into effect next season.

Under the proposal, all of the weights except the 285-pound class would be altered, some by only one pound but some by a significant amount.

The 14 current weight classes are 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189, 215 and 285. The proposed new classes would be 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220 and 285.

The proposed new classes are based on body-fat studies and are intended to promote a healthier sport.

"I have been involved in the sport long enough that I have witnessed several changes in the weight classes," Jefferson Coach Dick Briggs remarked. "It has never seemed to be a problem, and the wrestlers and teams always seem to adapt.

"Actually, I sometimes question whether 14 weight classes are too many, rather than the weight classes themselves," he said.

Prairie Coach Blake Williams is concerned about the possible impact at the heavier weights.

"At first glance, it looks like the new proposal is putting an emphasis on the upper weights," Williams said. "Generally, teams have good numbers in the middle weights.

"In essence, they are taking away a lower/middle weight and adding a heavier weight," he said. "This will make it challenging for teams that don't have a lot of big guys on the team."