This July, the NCWA Conference leadership, Coaches, and Officials from across the nation will gather in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2023 Vision Forum to discuss and promote their visions for enhancing and expanding wrestling at the college level. Since its inception in 1999, the Vision Forum and its involved coaches have been the driving force behind the remarkable success and growth of the NCWA.

This year, we will join hands with the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to champion our sport and offer our leaders a chance to collaborate, network and establish meaningful connections. We urge all NCWA Coaches, Officials, and Leaders to participate and make their voices heard. As the most coach-centered governing body in the wrestling community, the NCWA values the input of coaches and considers the annual Vision Forum as one of the most effective platforms to develop comprehensive, wrestling-friendly rules, best practices, scheduling and a long-term direction for our sport. We are committed to engaging all coaches and administrators in shaping the future of the NCWA and the NWCA. Seize this opportunity to create a lasting impact. Register Here

WSU’s wrestling team made history this past week by moving up to Varsity Club status. The only other team to have done that at WSU has been the rowing team.

“The men’s rowing team has been the example of the model sports club team. For us to be mentioned at that level of varsity club status, it’s just an honor,” wrestling head coach Phil Burnett said.

This title has been long-running as the team has made significant triumphs regarding their growth in numbers, wins at competitions and All-American titles they have earned.

Board lauds Avian Martinez as TVCC’s ‘first ever All-American wrestler

ONTARIO — One of only two wrestlers on the team according to the National Collegiate Wrestling Association website, Martinez maintained a record of 12-7 (63% winning average) on the mat this season, with seven of his wins being pins.

College wrestling is on the verge of monumental change.

If NCAA rules committee proposals pass, three-point takedowns will be in, three-point near-falls will be back and a riding-time point without a turn will be a thing of the past.

Those were three of the headline-grabbers from a groundbreaking rules committee meeting this week at the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis.

The committee also recommended eliminating the hand-touch takedown, adjusting video review to allow for sequences to be reviewed rather than just singular moves, and counting the first medical forfeit of a tournament as a loss on a wrestler’s record, except in instances where a medical forfeit immediately follows an injury default.

“We needed to add excitement back to the sport without compromising the integrity of the sport — and I think we did that,” Rider coach and NCAA rules committee chair

WSU’s men’s and women’s wrestling teams traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico over spring break to compete in the National Collegiate Wrestling Championships where they brought back to the Palouse two women All-Americans.

The women’s team finished fourth overall, behind Big Bend by only five points. The most exciting win for the women’s team, however, was freshman Petra Bernsten and sophomore Julie Wilson becoming All-Americans.

Bernsten took third place and Wilson took second place. Wilson is now WSU’s very first National Tournament Finalist.

“What kept me going is thinking about all the effort and time that my coaches have put into me. It’s a huge accomplishment to be able to give it back to them,” Wilson said.

Being able to place at Nationals was a redemption for Bernsten’s high school years. “My high school coach recently passed and he was a big mentor to me so placing at nationals was really cool,” Bernsten said.

Head coach Phil Burnett said he has never had his wrestlers make it to the blood rounds which was another long list of firsts for the team.

Five men and four women became academic All-Americans and the women’s team won the National Championship for the academic award. Burnett said. It is safe to say the future looks very bright for the team.

“We have our entire female team back and the recruiting process is going extremely well. We have some really top-tier wrestlers coming into our program that have been accepted to WSU and have committed to come and further their education and their wrestling careers.”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Bellarmine’s four national champions along with a runner-up and three third-place finishers secured its first team title at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. Devan Hendricks, the Knights’ senior 174-pounder who won his bracket with a third-period pin over Grand Valley State’s Josh Kenny, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Jeff Allen of Liberty became the most decorated men's wrestler in association history Saturday when he won the 235-pound bracket at the NCWA Championships. Allen defeated Zeke Alleman of Utah Tech, 5-4, for his fourth consecutive national title – he is the first male wrestler in NCWA history to win four.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Ottawa Arizona already had command of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships heading into Saturday’s finals matches. The Spirit then cemented their first NCWA title with individual titles in the first three weight classes to pace a 120-point effort.