February 3, 2021

Breaking Barriers and History in Centerville, IA

Charlotte, NC - In November 2020, Indian Hills (IA) held its first-ever women's wrestling meet in school history. This came shortly after the Warriors added men's and women's wrestling to its 11 different sports offerings. As a result, the Warriors' 16-person team became the first community college in Iowa to add a women's wrestling program and one of the first in the country. "We wanted to be able to provide opportunities to young women in Iowa and across the country to use wrestling as a vehicle to get their education," stated Brett Monaghan, Indian Hills Athletic Director. "Having now seen our girls compete a handful of times has added to that excitement in recent weeks. As more community colleges make the decision to add women's wrestling, being at the forefront of that and helping with the growth nationally is very exciting for our coaching staff and myself."

Following the NJCAA Board of Regents meeting in December 2020, the association announced that it will formally recognize women's wrestling, competitive cheer (coed), clay target shooting (coed), and men's volleyball as emerging sports. In just a short amount of time, Indian Hills is undoubtedly transforming the notoriety of women's wrestling across the NJCAA. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and competition cancellation, Head Coach Cole Spree applauds his team for their unrelenting attitudes in remaining positive, no matter the circumstance or distance traveled.

With COVID-19 presenting unique challenges daily, the team has also been faced with being the only community college in the Midwest with the sport. Competition can be hard to come by and the student-athletes are pushed physically and mentally as they take on various four-year institutions and upperclassmen. One thing that remains though, is the team's passion to succeed together and inspire others in the process. "I have never heard them complain," Spree said. "They embrace the challenge each time and are fearless about it. I have always wanted to help grow wrestling and there is no better platform to do this than right now with women's wrestling. It is not a matter of if it will be big, but when. I hope others are encouraged by what we are doing and hope to see it happen sooner than later."

This year marks the 35th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a day-long celebration that inspires girls and women to play, be active, and realize their full potential. The NJCAA advocates for opportunities for girls and women in sports at all costs, celebrating them and their accomplishments year-round. In honor of the day, the NJCAA spoke with freshmen Kari German and Heaven-Leigh Jackson, Indian Hills Women's Wrestling student-athletes, to discuss their take on National Girls & Women in Sports Day.

Below are questions and answers from the discussion:

How has the opportunity to wrestle at Indian Hills helped you in life and what has it taught you?

It has allowed me the opportunity to grow. I have been able to not only get an education but continue doing something I love with wrestling. -Kari German

What advice do you have for other girls, women, and individuals who want to pursue a similar sports path like yourself?

Do it. Don't hesitate or you will regret it later on. -Kari German

When you're given an opportunity, take it. You never know if there will be another one like it. -Heaven-Leigh Jackson

How can women lead and impact others through sports?

The opportunity to show others that anything can be done. Taking a leap of faith can lead to a great reward, especially in a sport like women's wrestling where we are the foundation for the future. -Kari German

Dominating. Wrestling is generally viewed as a male-only sport. For women, it is an opportunity to show that we can go out there and compete as well. -Heaven-Leigh Jackson

What do you look forward to in the future at Indian Hills?

Obtaining a degree and creating a path for future women wrestlers. -Kari German

Personally, continuing to push myself to become an even better student-athlete. As a team, watching our women's wrestling program and others grow. -Heaven-Leigh Jackson

For more on the program, visit: Indian Hills Women's Wrestling

For more on the NJCAA emerging sports, visit: NJCAA Announces Four Emerging Sports