Wartburg College is adding women’s wrestling to its athletic roster, becoming the first American Rivers Conference school to offer women the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level in the growing sport.
With the addition of this new team, Head Wrestling Coach Eric Keller will be promoted to director of wrestling, allowing him to oversee both programs while retaining his coaching duties with the men’s team. The search for the head women’s wrestling coach will begin immediately. Wartburg is the only NCAA Division III school in Iowa that now offers a women’s wrestling program.
Competition will begin in the 2022-23 season.
Women’s wrestling was recognized as an emerging sport by the NCAA in 2020, and though Iowa is not one of the 32 states that have sanctioned high school girls wrestling, the state championship, hosted by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association, attracted more than 450 athletes in 2021, up from only 87 in 2019. That State Tournament began in Waverly before moving to the Xtreme Arena in Coralville.
