Heart to Sponsor Women’s Wrestling
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen women’s wrestling team will have a league title to contend for in its inaugural season as the Heart of America Athletic Conference will begin sponsoring the sport in the 2020-2021 academic year.
With the addition, the list of sponsored Heart sports is now up to 22. There are five conference member institutions that compete in women’s wrestling, including Baker, Central Methodist, Grand View, Missouri Valley, and WPU.
Women’s wrestling is currently in Invitational status within the NAIA as 28 institutions sponsored the sport in 2019-2020. Invitational status means that not enough schools support the sport and administrative rules are being developed. Once 40 institutions sponsor the sport and it has completed two years in invitational status, the sport can be considered for full championship status.
“Women’s wrestling has really been gaining momentum at the collegiate level,” Heart Commissioner Lori Thomas said. “We have a great core group in our conference and we’re looking forward to providing them with the support and recognition at the conference level.”
The Heart joins the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Mid-South Conference, and Sooner Athletic Conference as NAIA leagues that sponsor women’s wrestling.
