CASTINE--This week, Maine Maritime Academy Athletics is pleased to commemorate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, a national celebration inspiring girls and women to pursue athletic activities.

As part of that celebration, Maine Maritime embraces the news that the NCAA last month announced during its annual convention in Nashville, Tenn., that the national organization has approved women's wrestling as its 91st championship sport after Divisions I, II and III. The first official NCAA Championship will be held in 2026. Women's wrestling now advances from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to become a national collegiate championship, featuring female athletes from all three divisions competing against one another.

"As a proud women's wrestling coach here at Maine Maritime Academy, but more importantly as a 'girl dad,' I am thrilled for the growth of our sport and the opportunity our young ladies will have to show their talents on the big stage that is NCAA championship athletics;" said Coach Lamar Reed, who is in his first season at the helm of the Mariners. "The future is bright, and it is an honor to be a part of the amazing journey to empower female athletes."

Maine Maritime associate athletics director and Senior Woman's Administrator Tricia Carver added: "The explosion in popularity and nationwide attention on women's sports at this moment in history is just the best movement to be part of! While my knowledge of women's wrestling is still growing, what I know for sure is this: There is a special type of resilience, determination, power, and confidence that comes from competing and growing in this sport. I couldn't be more proud of our coach and team, of MMA for being part of growing this sport, and of the NCAA for adding this championship. Empowered women really do empower women, and the future is so bright for women in sports! Let's go!!!!

After competing as a club program last season, MMA has been gaining experience as a first-year varsity squad that has scheduled duals and invitationals throughout the nation in 2024-25. Sophomore Isa Thesing leads the team in victories, points and pins, plus she has two eighth-place finishes in nationally-ranked fields at the Ursinus College/Will Abele (Jan. 18) and Frostburg State Bobcat (Feb. 1) opens to her credit, at 160 pounds.

Reed will lead Thesing and Co. into the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships Northeast Region 1 Tournament hosted by Elmira (N.Y.) College on Sunday-Tuesday, Feb. 23-25. The NCWWCs has served as the national championships event for collegiate women's wrestling since 2020, and this year's tournament will be held in Iowa.

There were 76 women's wrestling programs at NCAA schools in 2023-24, with projections pointing to an additional 17 programs in 2024-25. More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools today. The sport is also diverse as at least 45 percent of the student-athletes competing are of diverse or international backgrounds.

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program and worked with wrestling organizations throughout the process. "The NCAA's approval of women's wrestling as its 91st championship is a groundbreaking achievement that reflects the continued rise and strength of women's sports," said Ragean Hill, chair of the committee and executive associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Charlotte.

Women's wrestling is the sixth emerging sport to earn NCAA championship status. Since the emerging sports program was established in 1994, based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force, five women's sports have earned NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015). In the 2023-24 academic year, these sports collectively included nearly 14,000 student-athletes, about 6% of the total student-athletes competing in NCAA women's championship sports, according to the most recent NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates data. Women's wrestling accounted for an additional 1,226 student-athletes in 2023-24.

Maine Maritime Academy is now in its second year overall with wrestling as one of its seven sports for women to compete in at the NCAA level. The current 2024-25 season is the first in which MMA is competing in events as a team, Maine Maritime is currently the only NCAA school in the state to sponsor women's wrestling.

"We are thrilled that women's wrestling will be an NCAA sport, making it the 91st championship that we host," NCAA President Charlie Baker said. "We extend a big thank you to everyone who supported this effort and the athletes, coaches and fans for their passion for a fast-growing and exciting sport that brings even more opportunities for women to participate in athletics."

"This means so much to women's wrestling and to women's sports in general," said University of Iowa student-athlete wrestler and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades. "It gives women's wrestling recognition and shows that it is important, not just around the world, but also in our country. College sports are huge in the United States. This shows how much women's wrestling is growing. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed about being an NCAA national wrestling champion. It will fulfill so many little girls' dreams, including mine." 

USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport, and organizations such as Wrestle Like a Girl have steadily supported efforts for an NCAA championship in the sport.

"USA Wrestling salutes the NCAA leadership for its historic decision to make women's wrestling its 91st NCAA championships," said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling. 

"Women's wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004 and is the fastest-growing sport for young women in our nation. We thank each of the NCAA institutions which have already added women's wrestling for their leadership and vision and invite others to consider providing this opportunity. We celebrate today with all of those within wrestling and college athletics who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality," Bender said. 

Sally Roberts, chief executive officer and founder of Wrestle Like a Girl, also shared her excitement. 

"I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as we celebrate the landmark decision to recognize women's wrestling as the 91st NCAA championship sport," Roberts said. "This moment is a testament to the relentless determination, passion and perseverance of countless athletes, coaches and advocates who believed in the transformative power of wrestling for women — our next generation of leaders."

Hill added: "This milestone opens the door to new opportunities for female student-athletes across Divisions I, II and III, showcasing the NCAA's commitment to fostering equity and growth in collegiate athletics. The success of this effort is a testament to the incredible collaboration between the wrestling community, institutional leaders and advocates who share a vision of expanding pathways for women to compete and excel. The Committee on Women's Athletics is thrilled to celebrate this historic moment and look forward to the future impact of women's wrestling on campuses nationwide."

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics made a recommendation in February that NCAA Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to move women's wrestling to championship status. In addition, the NCAA Board of Governors approved $1.7 million in Association-wide funding at its meeting in April to establish the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships.  

Before the Committee on Women's Athletics made its recommendation to move women's wrestling to championship status, 40 schools had to sponsor the sport at varsity level and meet other competition and participant requirements. Women's wrestling, which became an emerging sport in 2020, eclipsed the sponsorship minimum in the 2022-23 academic year.  A women's wrestling committee will now be established to work with NCAA staff on the development of the first championship for winter 2026.  

The emerging sports program continues to thrive. Currently five sports are working to reach championship status: acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon. Additionally, the NCAA received an application this summer requesting that women's flag football join the emerging sports program. 

Women's sports and female athletes continue to generate fan and media attention. Hill commented on the rise of women's sports, equity, and the value to intercollegiate athletics. 

"This milestone for women's wrestling is a declaration that women deserve equitable opportunities to compete, to lead and to thrive," Hill said. "It's a step toward gender parity in sports and a powerful reminder that when women are given the platform to rise, they inspire generations to come. Women's wrestling is not just a sport; it's a movement that empowers women to see their strength, their value and their limitless potential."

(Editor's note: Portions of this story came via a NCAA news release.)