McMINNVILLE, ORE. – The Associated Students of Linfield University have approved the creation of a new men’s and women’s wrestling program starting this fall. Linfield will join the Northwest Conference of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association, and begin competition once it is safe to do so.

Linfield is an NCAA Division III university in other sports, and has a long history of athletic success. It had an NAIA wrestling program until the early 1980s, and can lay claim to many conference champions and All-Americans. Russ Thurman ’59 is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, located in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

“We’re proud of the Wildcat wrestling history, and hope to rebuild and reconnect with that past,” said Abram Nelson ’24, president of the Linfield Wrestling Club. “We hope to promote physical fitness and good nutrition for all students, and we also hope to be competitive very soon within the NCWA regionally and nationally.”

Wrestling is an Olympic sport for both men and women, and the NCAA recently declared women’s wrestling one of its “emerging sports.” No experience is required to participate at Linfield.

Linfield will be the 16^th team to join the NCWA’s Northwest Conference, which had 11 men’s All-Americans and 27 women’s All-Americans at the 2020 National Championships in Allen, Texas.

Linfield is an independent, non-profit university with campuses in McMinnville and Portland, Oregon. Anyone with questions (or interest) should contact the club at [email protected].

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