There are 50,000 participants at the high school level and that number is increasing every year, yet there are only 160 collegiate women’s wrestling teams in the U.S. Now there is an exciting new option, as Otterbein has started recruiting athletes for its women’s wrestling team — the first collegiate program in central Ohio. The program will begin varsity competition during the 2024-25 academic year.
Since announcing the new program in June, Director of Wrestling Operations Brent Rastetter has received a steady flow of calls from prospective student-athletes.
Get to know women’s wrestling:
- The Ohio High School Athletic Association sponsored its first state championship in March 2023. Three of the state’s top four high school teams are in central Ohio.
- Otterbein is the 51st school in Division III, sixth in the state of Ohio, and third in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) to sponsor women’s wrestling.
- Across all three NCAA Divisions, wrestling has the highest percentage of first generation college students of any sport.
Any current or future Cardinal students or families who are interested in the women’s wrestling program should reach out to Coach Rastetter at brastetter@otterbein.edu.
