A lawsuit has been filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court to require the Maryland Board of Education to institute an additional upper weight class for state high school wrestling.

Attorney Robin Ficker filed the suit last week on behalf of himself and several parents of wrestlers in an attempt to create a 215-pound weight class. The state's heaviest classifications are 189 pounds and unlimited. Lighter unlimited wrestlers often are matched against much heavier opponents.

"It's a real health and safety issue," Ficker said. "This [a 215-pound class] also prevents a lean 210-pounder from having to lose 10 percent of his body weight to make 189."

Ficker said he decided to file the suit after discovering that 40 states have a 215-pound class. He said his son, Flynn, a wrestler at DeMatha in Hyattsville, would benefit from a heavier weight class.

"I can tell you my kid is lean, and when he loses weight, he can't think in class because he's dehydrated," Ficker said. "Can you imagine the uproar if a 5-foot-10, 150-pound girl had to lose 10 percent of her body weight?"

Pub Date: 8/06/99