How To Choose A Women’s College Wrestling Program
Here is what a high school girl needs to know when selecting a women’s college wrestling program.
Recruiting season is in full swing, and it’s time to make a college decision. Here is what you need to know about picking a women’s college wrestling program.
What Are My Options?
Many schools offer women’s college wrestling, ranging from NCAA to NAIA to junior college to California junior college. Below is a breakdown of the number of programs in each division.
NCAA Division I: 10
NCAA Division II:42
NCAA Division III:81
Total NCAA: 133
NAIA:52
NJCAA: 38
CCCAA: 21
Division III does not offer athletic scholarships, whereas the other divisions do. However, it does not mean you aren’t eligible for financial aid. A Division III program might be less expensive if you meet the qualifications. It’s important to ask questions and understand the process.
Several major colleges don’t sponsor women’s college wrestling but have a club program. These colleges won’t compete at the end-of-year championships but typically wrestle in open tournaments.
The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) is a folkstyle option with an end-of-season tournament, but this is a guide for colleges that offer women’s wrestling as a varsity sport.
All three NCAA divisions compete at the NCAA Championships, but that will change during the 2027 season when Division III programs host a separate championship.
The best resource to get started is thewcwc.com. It provides detailed information about available college programs and coaches. Most college athletic websites have a recruiting form to get started.
Also, some colleges created a women’s wrestling program and are in transition. That could mean waiting for a year or two for a varsity schedule to begin.
Know what you want, be open-minded, and take all your visits.
What Kind Of Team Do You Want To Be A Part Of?
The answer varies for every wrestler, but it’s important to consider when deciding on a college. Every program has a different competitive level, and every coach has a different vision.
Do you want to be part of a big team or a small team?
Do you want to be part of an upstart or established program?
Do you want … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/12794622-how-to-choose-a-womens-college-wrestling-program?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Former White Oak assistant Dave Morgan tabbed as Lackawanna’s men’s wrestling coach
Lackawanna College is bringing in a former national champion and Scranton native to its athletic department, as the school prepares to compete in NCAA Division II and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
Dave Morgan was recently hired as the Falcons’ men’s wrestling coach, replacing John Fox, who will continue to coach the women’s wrestling program.
“As we continue our transition to NCAA Division II and build a championship-level experience, Dave’s background in working closely with students and supporting both academic and personal development will be a tremendous asset,” Lackawanna athletic director Erik Larson said in a press release. “He understands the critical role athletics plays in complementing the work of our coaches, and his ability to connect with student-athletes will help foster a culture of accountability, growth and success both on the mat and in the classroom.”
A 2004 West Scranton graduate, Morgan was a two-time state medalist — fourth place as a sophomore and runner-up as a senior — and finished his high school wrestling career with 144 wins, which is still a program record.
After earning a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh and spending a year with the Panthers, Morgan transferred to King’s College and became a two-time Division III national champion (2007, 2008) and three-time conference champion, finishing his career with an 86-7 record.
Morgan started his coaching career at King’s as an assistant from 2008-2010, and later coached at Scranton High School alongside his brother, Jim, for four years. Then, Morgan built and coached a club program in southern North Carolina and was an assistant at White Oak High School.
Morgan not only has experience on the mat, but also in the cage — with his amateur MMA career starting in 2006. Four years later, he captured a title and entered the professional ranks. He had a 6-12 professional record, securing a belt in 2022.
After 10 years away from Scranton, Morgan returned … more at … https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2026/07/08/local-college-morgan-tabbed-at-lackawannas-mens-wrestling-coach/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
The Citadel Announces Tim McCall as Wrestling Head Coach
CHARLESTON, S.C. – After conducting a nationwide search throughout the offseason, The Citadel officially named Tim McCall as the Bulldogs’ new wrestling head coach Wednesday afternoon. A former standout and two-time NCAA qualifier at the University of Wisconsin, McCall joins the program following a two-year stint at Utah Valley as the head assistant.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to lead the wrestling program at The Citadel,” McCall said. “This is a place built on discipline, toughness and tradition, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to pour into these young men both on and off the mat. My goal is to build on the strong history and foundation already established here while developing a culture centered around accountability, hard work and belief in one another. I can’t wait to get to work with this team, connect with the alumni and community and help lead this program into its next chapter.”
Led by Senior Associate Athletic Director Rachel Fineberg, the search committee conducted an exhaustive evaluation of a highly competitive pool of candidates, selecting McCall based on his ‘vision, character and proven track record of success, all which perfectly align with the mission of The Citadel and the culture of the wrestling program.’
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach McCall, Beth and their children to The Citadel,” said Art Chase, The Citadel Director of Athletics. “Tim’s competitive spirit, value system and proven coaching acumen will continue to push The Citadel wrestling forward. Rachel [Fineberg] and I are confident he will establish a championship culture that will provide a tremendous opportunity for the young men who choose this dynamic path to flourish academically, athletically and socially. We firmly believe our student-athletes will be the beneficiaries of Tim’s intentional commitment to developing each individual both on and off the wrestling mat.
“The passion and pride throughout the program have never been stronger, and we’re grateful for the support from so many individuals, especially General Mike Regner and Coach Ed Steers, who continue to dedicate their time and energy to elevate our standards. Lastly, we are indebted to Coach Ryan LeBlanc and Coach Luke Welch for their tireless leadership while raising the profile of the program.”
Throughout his tenure with Utah Valley, McCall served as a guiding force within the program as the Wolverines garnered national acclaim over the past two years, notably qualifying five NCAA wrestlers for the NCAA Championships during the 2025-26 campaign — good for the second-most in UVU history — while also knocking off No. 14 Stanford in an early-season dual. The year prior, McCall worked directly with the Wolverines’ sixth-ever All-American Terrell Barraclough — advanced into the 165 lbs quarterfinals of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships — while Utah Valley picked up a pair of victories over nationally-ranked opponents No. 23 CSU Bakersfield and No. 23 Oregon State.
Further, he helped foster a balanced environment for student-athletes with 13 Wolverines securing Scholar All-American recognition via the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) — including a team-record nine for the 2025-26 season — while 18 earned distinction as Big 12 All-Academic honorees. As a unit, the program maintained a 3.45 GPA during the 2024-25 season as well as a 3.65 GPA the following year, both good for top 10 marks nationally.
Prior to joining Utah Valley, McCall spent the previous nine years working in and around the wrestling program at North Carolina State, initially starting out as a regional training center athlete and international competitor with the Wolfpack RTC — an extension of USA Wrestling — in 2015 before moving into an assistant coach role ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. As part of the former, he won the 2017 Henri Deglane Challenge and finished as the runner-up at both the 2016 Bill Farrell and the 2018 Dave Schulz tournaments. Further, McCall claimed third at the 2018 World Team Trials while adding a second-place finish at the 2019 Grand Prix of France / Henri Deglane Challenge. … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2026/5/20/the-citadel-announces-tim-mccall-as-wrestling-head-coach.aspx
College wrestling: Ranking the Top 10 transfer additions so far
The college wrestling transfer portal is closed for entries, but the commitments are not done yet. Still, there’s plenty of data to take a look at so far when it comes to the best additions this cycle.
Looking at the landscape of the additions for teams that had needs, previous accolades and more, On3 put together 10 transfers in college wrestling that certainly stand out. Stanford keeping guys like Tyler Knox and Hunter Garvin were not included even after they entered the portal, since they returned to their original institution.
There was plenty of talent that did not make the cut. And we all know how wrestling transfers can be extremely random, especially for the graduate transfers year to year. But, here’s a look, as of May 3rd, at the top college wrestling transfer additions.
1. Vince Robinson, NC State to Nebraska (125 lbs.)
Robinson is the crown jewel among the transfer additions in college wrestling. The 2025 NCAA champion and two-time All-American surprisingly left NC State with two years remaining to head to the Big Ten.
He’ll plug in right away and has a chance to return to the top of the podium in 2027. A loaded college room and RTC, Mark Manning and crew should be a nice refresh for Robinson to end his collegiate career over the next two years. Robinson previously said there was no bad blood with the NC State crew, so it’ll certainly take some getting used to seeing him rock a Huskers singlet.
2. Ryan Crookham, Lehigh to Iowa (133 lbs.)
Crookham had an argument for No. 1 transfer this cycle, but the lack of an NCAA title plus his injury history certainly played a factor. At his best, Crookham is one of the best pound for pound wrestlers in the country.
Injuries derailed his last two seasons after a third place finish at the weight in 2024. He’s 11-1 the last two years but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be in 2026-27. If he’s like his old form, Crookham is a definite NCAA title threat in a loaded weight class of young bucks.
3. Zan Fugitt, Wisconsin to Missouri (133/141 lbs.)
Fugitt was an All-American for Chris Bono and the Badgers in 2025. However, he missed the podium in March and elected to hit the portal to return closer to home for his final two years.
He’s been 133 his whole career but could go 141 as well. Brian Smith knows Fugitt is a welcome addition down low in the Tigers’ lineup as they bolster the lightweights. With Fugitt and another transfer on this list, Missouri looks pretty darn strong next … more at … https://www.on3.com/news/college-wrestling-ranking-the-top-10-transfer-additions-so-far/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Penn State Wrestling Is Having a Remarkable Offseason So Far
After winning their fifth straight NCAA title, the Nittany Lions and Cael Sanderson are maintaining their strong roster.
After winning its fifth straight NCAA wrestling title, Penn State is winning the offseason as well. At least so far.
The NCAA Transfer Portal for wrestling opened April 1, and through the first 10 days, no Nittany Lions have entered. Which is remarkable, considering the program returns enough talent that it could be even better next season. Penn State loses just one starter, returns three undefeated national champions and brings back eight wrestlers who have won All-America honors.
Basically, Penn State’s 10-wrestler starting lineup has one opening, yet no Nittany Lions officially have announced decisions to leave yet. That makes Penn State an outlier in the portal, which closes April 30.
Flowrestling has built an exhaustive transfer tracker listing the dozens of college wrestlers who have entered the portal. Yet none are from Penn State. In fact, Penn State is the only team ranked in InterMat Wrestling’s top 15 without a portal entrant.
“We’re a blessed program. We follow the rules,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland. “There’s not a lot of that going on right now. And that’s one of the reasons we can sleep when the wind blows. We train hard and do the right things to the best of our ability and things will work out.”
“We’re a blessed program. We follow the rules. There’s not a lot of that going on right now, and that’s one of the reasons we can sleep when the wind blows.”
Penn State’s Cael Sanderson after winning his 13th NCAA Wrestling title. pic.twitter.com/LRet5BGyYB— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) March 22, 2026
Penn State broke the scoring record at the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the third consecutive season, finishing with 181.5 team points. Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds), … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/wrestling/penn-state-wrestling-is-having-a-remarkable-offseason-so-far
Iowa State Adds Women’s Wrestling As 18th Varsity Program
AMES, Iowa – Women’s wrestling will debut as Iowa State University’s 18th intercollegiate athletics program during the 2027-28 academic year, Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.
“Iowa State enjoys a rich wrestling tradition, and we believe the addition of women’s wrestling will afford tremendous opportunities for young women not only in Iowa, but around the country, to compete at the highest level in the sport,” Pollard said. “This is a great day for wrestling in the state of Iowa and at Iowa State University, and we look forward to growing a program under Coach Alli St. John that will build off the historic success of our men’s team.
“As we considered future opportunities for female athletes, it became clear that women’s wrestling offered Iowa State University the best combination of strategic fit, start-up efficiency and growth potential,” he added. “Women’s wrestling is recognized as one of the nation’s fastest growing sports at both the high school and collegiate level, and we are excited to help grow the sport for future generations of young women.”
Identified as an emerging sport in 2020 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all three divisions, the NCAA held its first national championship in the sport last month in Coralville, Iowa. Currently, there are 113 NCAA members that sponsor wrestling as a varsity sport, including six at the Division I level—Iowa, Lehigh, Delaware State, Lindenwood, Presbyterian and Sacred Heart with Kent State having announced plans to begin a program in 2027-28. Within the state of Iowa, there are 15 universities and colleges that currently sponsor the sport. “Women’s wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004 and is the fastest-growing sport for young women in our nation,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director upon the announcement that the sport would become the NCAA’s 91st championship in 2026.
At the high school level, 218 Iowa high schools sponsor women’s wrestling and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union held its fourth state championship … more at … https://cyclones.com/news/2026/4/16/athletics-iowa-state-adds-womens-wrestling-as-18th-varsity-program
Penn State sets NCAA scoring record with four champs; Record four freshmen stand atop podium
by Brian Reinhardt
2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships individual champions.
Penn State and Oklahoma State came into the 2026 NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships with high expectations, and both the Nittany Lions and Cowboys are leaving Cleveland with the hardware to prove they are the top two programs in college wrestling.
For the third straight year, Penn State set the team scoring record. In 2024, the Nittany Lions surpassed the long-standing mark of 170 points by Iowa in 1997 when they finished with 172.5 points. Last year, it was 177 points. It was even higher this year, as the Nittany Lions finished with 181.5 points. The other team trophies went to Oklahoma State in second with 131 points, followed by Nebraska in third (100.5) and Iowa in fourth (92.5).
Penn State (four) and Oklahoma State (three) combined for seven of the 10 individual titles. Minnesota also had a national title for the Big Ten Conference. The ACC had two individual champions to round out the top wrestlers at each weight class. The finals started with fireworks as a trio of freshmen took out higher seeds. At 141 pounds, Sergio Vega (Oklahoma State) took out two-time defending national champion Jesse Mendez, and at 149 pounds, Aden Valencia (Stanford) got the extra time takedown against top-seed Shayne Van Ness. Landon Robideau (Oklahoma State) used a two-point near fall in the second to take out returning national champion Antrell Taylor. Mitchell Mesenbrink defended his title at 165 pounds with a 20-4 tech fall. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/21/penn-state-sets-ncaa-scoring-record-with-four-champs-record-four-freshmen-stand-atop-podium
And …
Penn State Re-Establishes Team Scoring Record During 5th Straight Title; Freshmen Shine
Saturday night marked the end of the 2025-26 NCAA DI wrestling season. The championship finals closed the book on what was another excellent national tournament. The tournament had everything you’d hope for in an event of this magnitude. Stars dominating, some unforeseen upsets, and young stars emerging, among other things.
The evening started with some fireworks and unexpected results as Oklahoma State Sergio Vega completed his remarkable true freshman campaign undefeated. The 141-pounder finished the year without having surrendered a takedown. Vega’s opponent, two-time NCAA champion Jesse Mendez, had multiple opportunities to score but was typically stymied on each occasion by Vega. In the sudden victory overtime period, Mendez got to Vega’s legs again. This time, Mendez was met with a cradle. After a few seconds, Vega lost the hold, but broke Mendez down to his hips for the winning takedown.
The upset in the first match proved to be a sign of things to come just a match later at 149 lbs. Within the first minute of their clash, #10 Aden Valencia took down top-seeded Shayne Van Ness to take an early 3-1 lead. Van Ness bounced back to tie the bout amidst a handful of stoppages due to bloodtime. Undeterred, the redshirt freshman Valencia was able to get his offense in the sudden victory overtime and took the match (and title), 8-5. Valencia became only the third Stanford wrestler to win a national title. There was a high level of familiarity among the next four weight classes as they featured rematches of recent results.
True freshman Landon Robideau was able to reverse the result from the last time that he and 2025 national champion, Antrell Taylor met. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/penn-state-re-establishes-team-scoring-record-during-5th-straight-title-freshmen-shine-r100909/
OSU First Team in NCAA History with Three Freshman Champs
CLEVELAND – Oklahoma State wrestlers Sergio Vega, Landon Robideau and Jax Forrest won individual titles at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships Saturday, making OSU the first team in history to record three freshman champions in one year at the national tournament.
All true freshmen, they claimed titles at 141, 157 and 133 pounds, respectively. It was just the third time a team has recorded multiple freshman champions, as Cornell College had two true freshmen win in 1947 and Penn State had a true freshman and redshirt freshman win in 2017.
OSU’s title winners were the biggest contributors to OSU’s team total of 131 points, which marked the third-highest score at the event in program history, the second-highest runner-up score in NCAA tournament history and a higher score than 12 of the 25 team champions since the NCAA began using the current placement point values in 2001.
“We had an awesome tournament,” coach David Taylor said. “It’s not something you’re typically proud of (getting second place), but it’s a stepping stone. You think about the progress we’ve made with a lot of young guys in the lineup, so it’s a pretty awesome season. I’m super proud of the guys, our organization, fans and supporters. All that to say, we’re going to keep getting better.”
No Cowboy contributed more than Forrest’s 26 team points, which broke Pat Smith’s 1990 program freshman record of 25 points (applying the current scoring model).
Vega and Forrest, who finished the season at 24-0 and 18-0, respectively, became the first true freshmen since 1947 to complete undefeated championship seasons.
Only four others in history have accomplished the feat, and all of them occurred in 1947 when many true freshmen who were already into their twenties competed after returning from World War II. None of that group, consisting of then-Oklahoma A&M’s Dick Hutton, Iowa’s Joe Scarpello, and Dick Hauser and Lowell Lange of Cornell College, won more than 15 matches.
Vega was the first Cowboy to claim his title, facing two-time defending NCAA champion, top-seeded and undefeated Jesse Mendez of Ohio State in the opening bout of the night.
Each wrestler scored an escape in regulation, and they took a 1-1 tie into sudden victory. Mendez got to a leg with less than thirty seconds remaining in the extra time, but Vega countered as he’s done all season to score a takedown with 22 seconds left and secure his national title. The win cemented a 24-0 season for the true freshman, who did not allow a single takedown all season. “That was awesome,” Vega said. “It hit me right away. It took them a while to call the takedown. It was awesome. I’ve never had a moment like that in my life.”
Fifth-seeded Robideau was the next Cowboy on the mat, facing defending NCAA champion and three-time All-American Antrell Taylor of Nebraska. Robideau opened the scoring with a two-point nearfall 25 seconds into the second period, then added an escape and stalling point in the third. He then held off several late shots from Taylor to secure a 4-2 decision and became OSU’s second true freshman national champion of the night.
Robideau, who has now avenged both of his season losses in this tournament, wraps up his season with a 21-2 overall record. “I was just super thankful,” Robideau said. “First, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After that, I saw my teammates there supporting me. I saw my mom and my brother, and I thought of all the hard work I’d put in to get to that point. Having them there matside, supporting me, means a lot.”
Forrest, who was still in high school for the first semester of this season, wrestled in the main event to close out the tournament. He faced No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State in what many considered the final match of the most challenging weight class in the country.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the final period, Forrest used an escape, takedown and more than two minutes of riding time to secure a 5-2 win and cap his historic run. … more at … https://okstate.com/news/2026/3/21/cowboy-wrestling-osu-first-team-in-ncaa-history-with-three-freshman-champs
Penn State wins Big Ten title with seven champs; Ohio State sweeps postseason awards
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State crowned seven champions and set a school record with 184 team points on its way to earning the Nittany Lions’ 10th Big Ten title in their own Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday evening.
Ohio State, after crowning two champions, finished second with 148.5 team points, while Nebraska earned third place with 116.5. Iowa and Michigan rounded out the top five with 87 and 86.5 team points, respectively. Penn State and Ohio State became two of just four programs nationwide to earn automatic bids for all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, joining Oklahoma State (Big 12) and Virginia Tech (ACC). Eight of the 10 No. 1 seeds claimed individual titles, while No. 2 seeds Ben Davino (Ohio State) and PJ Duke (Penn State) won titles as 133 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Duke, a true freshman from Slate Hill, N.Y. who was WIN’s Junior Dan Hodge Trophy recipient in 2025, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after he earned a major decision over returning NCAA champion Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 12-4. Meanwhile, Ohio State swept all three season-long awards including Coach of the Year, Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, with Tom Ryan, Jesse Mendez and Ben Davino claiming each, respectively.
Penn State senior Levi Haines became PSU’s fourth four-time Big Ten champion after the 174-pounder outlasted Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, 2-1, in the title bout. Haines was awarded a point for an illegal figure-four to the head in the opening frame, which proved to be the difference in the match. When the smoke settled, a total of 87 wrestlers from the Big Ten conference earned automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships, set for March 19-21 in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson briefly reflected on his team’s performance after claiming another conference title, saying, “Overall, this is a very tough conference tournament with a lot of great wrestlers. We’re excited to move into the Nationals and are happy with this weekend. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/03/10/penn-state-wins-big-ten-title-with-seven-champs-ohio-state-sweeps-postseason-awards/
Women’s College Notebook: As championship season continues, a look back on the historic NCAA’s, and a preview of NAIA’s to come
Amidst back-to-back championship weekends for women’s college wrestling, it could be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of it all – walking away at its conclusion with nothing but vivid, emotional remnants of the experience that was.
And who’s to say that’s a bad thing?
Perhaps the very purest form of consumption is to simply allow oneself to become swept up in the wave of sensations – never stopping to overanalyze one moment lest the next one pass you by.
I’m certainly not going to argue if that’s your approach.
But as I sit here at my desk during the brief hiatus between last weekend’s inaugural NCAA Championships and this weekend’s forthcoming NAIA national tournament, I find myself wanting to pause – at least briefly – and reflect upon this ongoing moment for the sport.
There’s never been a better, more competitive/appreciated time to be a women’s college wrestler – or women’s wrestler of any age, for that matter. This, after decades spent by trailblazers and advocates to open up the deserved opportunities now being seized by today’s athletes. And just as those pioneers before them offered hope and inspiration to the current generation, so too will this group of young women to those following in their footsteps.
With that in mind, allow me to begin this latest women’s wrestling notebook by highlighting just some of the names to remember from a historic NCAA Championships in Coralville, Iowa. After that, we’ll wrap with some names to look forward to at what will be an equally compelling NAIA Championships this weekend in Park City, Kansas.
Etched in history
180.
That’s how many women – representing 54 different schools – will forever hold the distinction as the first participants at an NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships. Among them, Sloane Kruger (Presbyterian) registered the first-ever win (and pin) at NCAAs just 1:03 into her preliminary bout at 103 pounds.
80.
That’s how many All-Americans – representing 27 different schools – stood on the podium. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/12/women-s-college-notebook-as-championship-season-continues-a-look-back-on-the-historic-ncaa-s-and-a-preview-of-naia-s-to-come
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
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