By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

Hello to one and all, and happy holidays as I kick off this Christmas Eve edition of the women’s college wrestling notebook. 

Even with the first semester now complete for schools around the country – scattering athletes to the wind while their coaches hope desperately they won’t overdo it with Christmas cookies during the break – there’s still plenty of wrestling to talk about from the past week. 

And we’ll begin out in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Desert Duals Delivers 

Anytime you can bring together a quintet of highly ranked teams in one setting, it’s good for the fans. 

And when each of those five teams wrestles between 2-4 duals against the others – all in one day – it makes it even better. 

Well, that’s exactly what you had last Wednesday in Sin City, as the following NCAA programs headlined the Desert Duals: 

-              #4 Grand Valley State (MI)

-              #6 Presbyterian (SC)

-              #7 Colorado Mesa

-              #10 Simon Fraser (CAN)

-              #13 Wartburg (IA) 

At day’s end, it was the fourth-ranked Lakers of Grand Valley State (3-0) who emerged with the best record against their ranked NCAA peers – followed closely by #6 Presbyterian (2-0). 

Next up was event host – #13 Wartburg (2-1) – which accounted for itself quite well in victories over #10 Simon Fraser and #7 Colorado Mesa, respectively. 

And while Simon Fraser (1-3) and Colorado Mesa (0-4) may have left with a sour taste in their mouths, both were part of multiple high-level duals in which a single different outcome could’ve swung the result in their favor. 

I’d highly encourage folks to go back through the brackets and check out some of the individual dual details. 

There was simply too much to properly encapsulate in this brief summary, but if you can lend it some more of your attention, I don’t think you’ll regret that you did. 

Delaware State Makes History 

Barely 13 months after announcing the launch of its historic women’s program, Delaware State has now won its first varsity dual. 

In an event hosted roughly 40 miles from their campus in Dover, the Hornets defeated Greensboro College (NC), 34-4 – doing so amidst the festivities of the high-profile Beast of the East high school tournament taking place at the same location. 

Delaware State head coach Kenya Sloan spoke with FloWrestling’s Kyle Klingman after the win, lending her thoughts on the current state and continued progress of her first-year program, which became just the sixth NCAA Division I program upon its inception last year, and the first at an HBCU (historically black college or university). 

#6 Presbyterian also earned a win as part of the event, besting #18 Frostburg State (MD), 34-6, in a ranked-versus-ranked matchup. 

Midlands Awaits 

As for the next major competition on the horizon, the upcoming Midlands Championships (Dec. 30) in Evanston (IL) reigns supreme. 

Among teams currently listed as entries, there are no fewer than eight that hold national rankings in either the latest NCAA or NAIA poll. 

On the NCAA side, #3 North Central (IL) will be competing just up the road from its home campus. The Cardinals will be seeking a fourth-consecutive team title to boot, after running away with things a year ago. 

Joining them will be a pair of teams tied for tenth in the country at present, Lehigh and Northern Michigan. 

The Mountain Hawks, in particular, bear watching, as they’ve yet to face some of the sport’s heaviest hitters while running out to a 13-0 (dual) start in their inaugural season. 

Meanwhile, top-ranked Life University (GA) will provide its own major threat from the NAIA ranks, along with #7 Indiana Tech. 

Also, keep an eye out for the potential season debut of returning NCWWC national champion Alexis Janiak (Aurora). 

An Early Christmas Gift 

One final thing that needs to be mentioned is the news that broke late last week regarding Kent State University. 

That’s right, come fall of 2027, the Golden Flashes will officially begin varsity competition as the seventh NCAA Division I program in women’s college wrestling. 

And just like so many programs before it (including Delaware State before it in this very notebook), Kent State is set to make a major impact on the sport and the future generations of young women involved in it. 

“This is an exciting day for Kent State University and for the continued advancement of women’s sports,” said Kent State Vice President and Direct of Intercollegiate Athletics Randale L. Richmond in a University press release. 

“Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and establishing this program allows Kent State to support the growth while creating new opportunities for female student-athletes in Ohio and beyond. We are proud to lead the way as the first Division I program in the state to sponsor the sport.” 

The Golden Flashes not only become the seventh DI varsity program nationwide, but hail from the seventh different state now home to one – showcasing the widespread growth of the sport. 

As far as early Christmas presents go, I’m not sure we could’ve asked for something much better than this.