Lindenwood University has named Toccara Montgomery as the new head coach of its women’s wrestling program. Montgomery is a former Olympic wrestler and comes to St. Charles after wrestling and coaching at the University of the Cumberlands since 2001.

Editor's note: She becomes the third woman named as head coach of a women's college varsity wrestling team in the last few weeks, joining Alaina Berube at the Univ. of the Cumberlands and Marcie Van Dusen at Menlo College
 
“I have high hopes and ambitions for the Lindenwood program,” said Montgomery. “My first goal is to get the numbers up and get bodies in the wrestling room to create competition. My ultimate goal is win nationals and build a dynasty here.”
 
Montgomery was a member of the 2004 United States Olympic team and she placed seventh in her weight class at the Athens Games. She a member of the national team from 2001-06 and won two United States Senior National Championships. Montgomery was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. In 2001, she was named the FILA International Female Wrestler of the Year, just the third American and first female from the United States to win that honor.
 
At Cumberlands, Montgomery helped build the program into one of the top women’s wrestling programs in the nation. While wrestling, she had a perfect 29-0 dual record and won the 2004 Women’s Collegiate National Championship. For the past three years, she has served as a graduate assistant coach for the Patriots. During her time at Cumberlands, the program was ranked first or second in the nation from 2004-09, including being No. 1 from 2004-06.
 
Montgomery received her undergraduate degree from Cumberlands in 2006 in Education, and received her master’s in 2009 in Instructional Leadership.