The women's division has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years; however, the division remains top heavy with four teams at the top and then the rest. Look for Ottawa-Arizona to attempt to get back to the top of the podium (1st in 2023, 2nd in 2024) and Washington State, Utah Tech, and UNLV to battle it out for the top spot. Click on READ MORE for a top-25 team preview!

Now that the 2x Defending National Champions, Bellarmine University, have moved on to full NCAA-D1 status, the battle for the 2025 NCWA Men's National Championship seems to be a dog-fight between around 5 programs. Liberty graduated some top talent including National Champions but also brought in a stellar recruiting class. Thomas More and Apprentice re-loaded their rosters with several key returners. Menlo College will be in a NCAA-transition year along with Vanguard University. Tarleton State will be in their first year with a NCAA-recruited team. Then there are the upstart programs that have made a recent mark such as Washington State, Utah Tech, and Springfield Tech. For the top-25 Men's team (NCWA-D1 and D2 ranked together, click READ MORE).

DANVILLE, Va. - The Apprentice School men's wrestling program wrapped up their second event of the year Sunday at the Cougar Open with Matthew Henson and David McElravy, Jr. each earning second place finishes to lead the way for the Builders.

Henson started his road to the podium at 184 with a 4-1 decision win over Allen's Jerrel Baskings before a 4-2 win over Bluefield State's Aiden Santos in the quarterfinals. Henson then got a medical forfeit in the semifinals to earn his second place finish. More

Tarleton State University made a strong statement at this weekend's Viking Open, hosted by Carl Albert College in Poteau, Oklahoma. Competing against a talented field in their first season under coaches Grant Leeth and Dalton Brady, Tarleton’s wrestlers claimed impressive individual victories and clinched second place overall with 112.5 points. They finished just behind North Eastern Oklahoma, who led the team scores with 124 points.

Navy transfer Zach Espalin dominated the 133-pound bracket with an undefeated 4-0 record, taking home the title in his weight class. True freshman Finn Shephard turned in an outstanding performance, winning five matches against 0 losses in a tough 32-man bracket at 165 pounds, securing another championship for Tarleton.

Other notable performances came from 184 lb Laird Borbon 5-1 with a solid second place finish ,141 pound

The National Collegiate Wrestling Association is seeing unprecedented growth in its women’s wrestling division. Since introducing a national championship for women in 2007 with just seven teams, the NCWA has expanded to 86 schools now sponsoring women’s wrestling programs. This season alone, 27 new programs joined, adding to last year's total of 59 teams.

The surge highlights a rising demand for women’s wrestling opportunities in collegiate athletics. The NCWA’s steady commitment to supporting and promoting women’s wrestling is paying off as the sport continues to grow nationwide. This years Nationals will be expanded from a two day event to three days with competition beginning Thursday March 13th 2025. With a vibrant community of 86 schools, NCWA women’s wrestling is primed for an exciting year.

Teams to watch this season include Washington State, Ottawa University Arizona, Utah Tech, Tarleton State in Texas, and Liberty University in Virginia—all strong contenders likely to vie for the national championship title. With these powerhouse programs, the race for this year’s championship promises some of the most intense competition in women's wrestling nationwide.

Utah Tech University has been awarded the 2025 NCWA Women's National Duals and the Men's Western Regional Duals. Teams expected to compete for the Women's title include the host Utah Tech Trailblazers, Ottawa University - Arizona, Grand Canyon University, and UNLV. The application / contract for the 2025 NCWA Women's National Duals can be found at 2025 NCWA WOMEN'S NATIONAL DUALS APPLICATION / CONTRACT. The contract for the 2025 Men's West Regional Duals can be found at 2025 NCWA MEN'S REGIONAL DUALS CONTRACT.

The Apprentice School (NCWA-D1, Newport News, Virginia) has been officially awarded the 2025 NCWA Men's National Duals and Women's East Regional Duals. After 2 years of joining forces with the NWCA in Iowa and Kentucky, the NCWA Board of Directors made the decision to break the tournament back out in order to provide a date more accommodating to NCWA institutions and to allow for more teams to participate (increasing from 8 to 16). The National Duals returns to Virginia where it had been hosted for several years by Liberty University. The new host looks to build an annual event in the Virginia Beach area akin to the Virginia Duals. Official Men's National Duals contracts are now posted at 2025 MEN'S NATIONAL DUALS APPLICATION / CONTRACT . Teams expected to compete for a Men's Dual title include The Apprentice School, Liberty, Thomas More, Tarleton State, Springfield Tech, and Washington State among others. Official Women's East Regional Duals contracts are now posted at 2025 WOMEN'S EAST REGIONAL DUALS CONTRACT.

Assistant Coach Josh McIlhenny led a group of four junior wrestlers for a 10-day trip to the nation located between Eastern Europe and West Asia on the border of Russia.