Women’s wrestling has been on up recently, in both Wisconsin and the world. The NCAA announced the addition of a women’s wrestling national championship in July, fueled by public support and the rising level of talent in girls youth wrestling.
One of Wisconsin’s many club sports is wrestling. While it is a smaller club, a few of their members are women.
The club has been practicing this fall, with more opportunities for competitions coming up in the spring. The men wrestle under very similar rules to high school, wrestling in folkstyle with one added weight class. The women wrestle under rules more similar to the olympic level, in freestyle.
Graduate student Madi Horn wrestled for Augsburg College as an undergrad, which is the only school in her home state of Minnesota with an official women’s wrestling program, and has experienced first-hand the state of collegiate women’s wrestling before the investment by the NCAA.
“I did compete at the NWCA [National Wrestling Coaches Association] championship, and obviously that was a very big tournament … and it’s really amazing to be able to experience that,” Horn said. “But now that the NCAA is backing women’s wrestling, it’s a huge thing because everybody knows the NCAA.”
Coming to Wisconsin, Horn thought her time on the mat was over. But, when she discovered Club Wrestling, she was excited to find this community here and meet the other girls in the club.
Horn said she found a sense of family, community, friends and motivation through wrestling.
Horn said wrestling has made her more determined and stronger — both mentally and physically. It has also increased her time management skills, aggressiveness, self confidence, made her a leader in the community and allowed her to evade stereotypes. These are some of the many reasons why wrestling has meant so much to her and her journey, especially as a woman, she said.
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In St. Paul, Minnesota, Horn has started and worked on youth wrestling programs, coaching girls to give them opportunities she didn’t get. She has seen many more women entering the sport at every level, and they have been sticking around.
In Wisconsin, youth women’s wrestling is at new heights, with the level of competition being raised every year. As a result, Horn thinks the university will soon have an official team. The University of Iowa recently added a team, and a Big Ten conference for women’s wrestling in the near future seems feasible from her perspective.
Freshman Kate Jacobs echoed Horn, saying that working towards a team in the future could be exciting. A Wisconsin native, Jacobs has been wrestling since she was a sophomore in high school.
“I went to high school in Wisconsin and women’s wrestling is the fastest growing women’s sport in the WIAA (Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association),” Jacobs said. “It is amazing to see younger girls getting involved in wrestling and I am so excited to see how much more it will grow.”
While Jacobs’ journey to wrestling in college was a bit different than Horn’s, she has found a similar community and seen similar benefits. Despite starting wrestling later in life, she has found an irreplaceable community and is excited to continue in college.
“Before I started wrestling, I thought wrestling was the only sport that I wouldn’t be able to do,” Jacobs said. “Wrestling is a way to show myself that I can do things that I put my mind to.”
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Both Horn and Jacobs have not reached this point in their careers without struggle. Opponents, teammates, coaches, and spectators often had things to say about women wrestling, which, during vulnerable times in high school, created a lot of difficulty and adversity.
But, the adversity has only made them stronger. And, heading to college, the atmosphere has gotten much better, with more support from teammates and coaches.
A big part of the empowering and inclusive atmosphere of the wrestling club is the support of the male members.
Club officer Ethan Hartman has been wrestling on-and-off for 20 years, and has witnessed the growth of women’s wrestling. He has watched more talented undergraduates come into the sport and the club, and believes there is definitely a demand for more opportunities for female wrestlers, especially those coming out of high school.
For people, especially women, who may be interested in the club, all three club members had encouraging words. It is a great opportunity for people with experience to stay on the mat and compete if interested, but is also open to any level of experience.
While a lot of women may consider it weird or uncomfortable, or think they are too old to start a new sport, they encourage them to have an open mind and try it out. While it is a physical test, it is also beneficial for the mind and the soul.
As a graduate athletic training student, Horn hopes to stay involved with wrestling well after her career comes to an end.
With her past experience coaching youth programs in undergrad, and her training on the medical side, she hopes to be on the sidelines helping the next generation of wrestlers, and hopes to get to watch and be a part of the NCAA women’s wrestling championship in the future.