ATCHISON, Kan. – Benedictine College Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer has announced the hiring of Cy Wainwright to lead the new Benedictine wrestling program.

Wainwright comes to Benedictine from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., where he served as an assistant coach.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to become the first head wrestling coach at Benedictine College," he said. "Benedictine College is a great place for students to achieve academic and athletic greatness. 

"Building a great wrestling program requires a campus and community wide commitment of excellence. Benedictine College has exactly that. I am up to the challenge of continuing that excellence with the Benedictine College wrestling program."

Wainwright’s duties at St. Cloud included aiding the head coach in the daily operations of the program along with monitoring student-athlete academic progress and eligibility criteria.

While at St. Cloud, he helped coach 16 NCAA Div. II national qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, two national semifinalists and one NCAA Div. II National Champion.

As an athlete, Wainwright wrestled at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. During his senior season at Newberry, he went undefeated as a heavyweight to win the NCAA Div. II National Championship. He is also a two-time NCAA Div. II All-American.

Wainwright earned a B.S. in secondary education from Newberry and will graduate in May with a M.S. in Sports Management from St. Cloud State.
He will begin his duties as head coach in July and the inaugural season for Benedictine wrestling will be during the 2012-13 school year.

Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, liberal arts, residential college nestled on the bluffs of the Missouri River in Atchison, Kan. The Raven and Lady Ravens are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete as members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).