Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo College was the first to win three U.S. women's college national titles. Larry Slater photo

The 2013 WCWA Women’s College Nationals, set for King College in Bristol, Conn., Jan. 25-26, marks the 10th year that national tournaments have been held for U.S. women’s college wrestling. When this year’s competition is completed, there will be a full decade of women’s college champions and All-Americans in freestyle wrestling in our nation.

The Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) was formed by the college coaches in the 2007-2008 season, with its first official national tournament held in 2008 in Oklahoma City, Okla. This organization developed a set of bylaws, elected officers, set competition and eligibility rules for the sport, and has been instrumental in the impressive growth of women’s college wrestling. There could be as many as 20 teams represented at King College this weekend, with the most competitive field of athletes in history.

However, prior to the formation of the WCWA, there were four years of women’s college national tournaments held, also organized by the coaches in the sport. The first Women’s College Nationals was held at Missouri Valley College in 2004, and the team title was won by host Missouri Valley, led by four individual champions.

Historians will note that women’s college wrestling history goes back even farther, to the late 1990s when the University of Minnesota – Morris, under head coach Doug Reese, started the first women’s college varsity wrestling program.

Other U.S. colleges developed women’s varsity teams shortly after, including Missouri Valley College, the University of the Cumberlands, Menlo College, Neosho County CC and Pacific University among the trailblazers. Cal-State Bakersfield added women to their men’s varsity program and also competed nationally. In the early years, these colleges competed mostly in USA Wrestling national and international women’s events, and also entered events with Canadian women’s college teams. 

Missouri Valley College was the early power on the women’s college scene, with many athletes who went on to major success on the Senior level, including World champion and Olympic medalist Clarissa Chun and two-time World team member Leigh Jaynes. Some of the early teams at Pacific had great talent, including Olympian Tela O’Donnell and World medalist Sally Roberts.  The Cumberlands produced one of the nation’s top stars in Olympian and World medalist Toccara Montgomery. UM-Morris produced World medalist Katie Downing. Neosho County CC developed Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller and World Team member Mary Kelly, both who later transferred to McMurray College, which started a women’s team. All of these athletes competed as varsity athletes at their universities on women’s-only wrestling teams.

At the time, there were a few talented women wrestlers who competed on their men’s varsity teams and wrestled on the USA Wrestling Senior national circuit. Among them were 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann (Lock Haven), 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Patricia Miranda (Stanford), 2003 World bronze medalist Jenny Wong (Lock Haven) and World Team member Erin Tomeo (Lock Haven).

Women’s college rankings were developed by USA Wrestling for both the U.S. women’s college athletes and teams, as well as a different ranking of North American women’s college athletes and teams which included the Canadian programs. Included were both women on all-women’s varsity and club teams, and women who were on men’s varsity teams.

It was in this environment that the coaches of the women’s college teams decided that they wanted their own college national championship in 2004. Missouri Valley volunteered to host it, and the first true women’s college national wrestling champions were crowned. Among the stars of that first women’s college tournament was Toccara Montgomery of the Cumberlands, who later made the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, and Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo, who was a U.S. Senior Open champion and made the Senior National Team many times.

This women’s college tournament was held for three more years, hosted at Menlo College (2005), the University of the Cumberlands (2006) and Pacific University (2007).

The first three-time women’s college national champions came from these four events, when Sara Fulp-Allen of Menlo College and Alaina Berube of the Univ. of Cumberlands won titles, although not consecutively. Fulp-Allen won hers in 2004, 2005, 2007, while Berube’s came in 2004, 2006 and 2007. 

Two of these athletes from this era are now head coaches of women’s college programs, Montgomery at Lindenwood Univ. and Berube at the Univ. of the Cumberlands.

By 2008, new colleges were getting involved in women’s wrestling, including Oklahoma City University, which was coached by USA Wrestling leader Archie Randall. Working with the other coaches, Randall helped organize the structure of the WCWA, and agreed to host its first national championship. 

In one of the closest team races of women’s college history, Kip Flanik’s Cumberlands team edged Randall’s OCU squad by just one point to claim the first WCWA national title. Among the stars on that WCWA champion Patriot team was Jessica Medina, who became a two-time U.S. World Team member.

Another champion at that first WCWA Nationals in 2008 was Kelsey Campbell, who competed with the men’s team at Arizona State. It was her second college national title, after winning the previous year when the women’s nationals were hosted at Pacific. Campbell went on to earn a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.

This year’s WCWA Nationals will be the sixth since the formation of the organization. Colleges which have hosted the event include Oklahoma City, Missouri Valley, Menlo College and King College. After just missing the title in its first year, Oklahoma City has run off four straight WCWA National team titles, raising the bar for the rest of the programs on the college scene.

In 2009, one of the colleges joining the WCWA was Canadian college power Simon Fraser. The Clan has become one of the strongest teams in the WCWA, with a number of individual national champions and a high placement in the team standings. Since then, Simon Fraser’s entire athletic department has joined the NCAA, and will be competing against American teams in all sports. 

Two more three-time college national champions have emerged in the WCWA era, both from the Oklahoma City Stars. Michaela Hutchison won her national titles in 2009, 2010 and 2012, and was second in 2011. Brittany Delgado won her three titles in a row (2010, 2011, 2012), after placing third as a freshman.

Three current members of Simon Fraser’s team have a chance to become three-time WCWA national champions this year with victories at the nationals at King College: Victoria Anthony, Helen Maroulis, and Danielle Lappage. All three have outstanding international achievements outside of the college ranks.

Anthony and Maroulis are U.S. citizens who went north of the border for college. Maroulis, who won her first college title for Missouri Baptist before transferring to Simon Fraser, was a 2012 World silver medalist for the USA. Anthony won two Junior World titles for the United States.  Lappage, a Canadian citizen, is a past Junior World champion.

When all of the champions are crowned on Saturday night, there will be a full decade of women’s college wrestling in the history books. 

Looking forward, many questions remain to be answered. Will there be a four-time WCWA national champion and who will it be? What other teams will join the elite list of national champion programs? How many more teams will add women’s college wrestling? Who will be the next athlete to make an Olympic team who competed in U.S. women’s college programs? We will just have to wait and see what the answers are.

U.S. WOMEN’S COLLEGE WRESTLING HISTORY
with individual and team champions

2012 WCWA Women’s College Nationals
Held at King College, Bristol, Tenn.
101 - Emily Webster (Oklahoma City)
109 - Emily Martin (King College)
116 - Joey Miller (Oklahoma City)
123 - Michaela Hutchison (Oklahoma City)
130 - Shauna Isbell (Lindenwood) 
136 - Krista Revelle (King College) 
143 - Jennifer Page (Oklahoma City) 
155 - Kristie Davis (Oklahoma City) 
170 - Justina Distasio (Simon Fraser) 
191 - Brittany Delgado (Oklahoma City)
Team Champions - Oklahoma City 

2011 WCWA Women’s College Nationals
Held At Menlo College, Atherton, Calif.
44 kg/97 lbs. - Nicole Woody (Oklahoma City)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony (Simon Fraser)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Gabrielle Henry (Univ. of Cumberlands)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (Simon Fraser)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Ashley Hudson (Oklahoma City)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Danielle Lappage (Simon Fraser)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Kristie Davis (Oklahoma City)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Mei Ling Keiki (Missouri Baptist)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Brittany Delgado (Oklahoma City)
90 kg/198 lbs. - Marina Lambert (King College)
Team Champions – Oklahoma City University

2010 WCWA Women’s College Nationals
Held at Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Mo.
44 kg/97 lbs. - Stephanie Waters (Oklahoma City)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Victoria Anthony (Simon Fraser)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Katherine Fulp-Allen (Menlo College)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Michaela Hutchinson (Oklahoma City)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Helen Maroulis (Missouri Baptist)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Danielle Lappage (Simon Fraser)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Amberlee Montgomery (Oklahoma City)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Lauren Knight (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
82 kg/180.25 lbs.  - Hillary Greening (Simon Fraser)
95 kg/209 lbs. - Brittany Delgado (Oklahoma City)
Team Champions - Oklahoma City

2009 WCWA Women’s College Nationals
Held at Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Mo. 
44 kg/97 lbs. - Ashley Shannon (Cumberlands) 
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Ashley McKilligan (Simon Fraser)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Katherine Fulp-Allen (Menlo) 
55 kg/121 lbs. - Michaela Hutchison (Oklahoma City)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Tani Ader (Jamestown) 
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Tessa Plana (Oklahoma City)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.- Stefenie Shaw (Oklahoma City) 
72 kg/158.5 lbs.- Taylor Dick (Simon Fraser) 
82 kg/180.25 lbs. - Hillary Greening (Simon Fraser)
95 kg/209 lbs. - Lakia Henderson (Cumberlands)
Team Champions – Oklahoma City University

2008 WCWA Women’s College Nationals
Held at Oklahoma City Univ., Oklahoma City, Okla.
44 kg/97 lbs. - Melissa Girard (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Sadie Kaneda (USOEC/Northern Michigan)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jessica Medina (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sandy Do  (Univ. of Cumberlands)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell (Arizona State)
63 kg/138.75 lbs.- Briana Conway  (Oklahoma City)
67 kg/147.5 lbs.- Amberlee Ebert (Missouri Valley College)
72 kg/158.5 lbs.- Melissa Simmons (Oklahoma City)
82 kg/180.5 lbs. - Carrie Clark (Oklahoma City)
95 kg/209 lbs. - Theresa Fennell (Univ. of Cumberlands)
Team Champions –Univ. of the Cumberlands

2007 Women’s College Nationals
Held at Pacific Univ., Forest Grove, Ore.
48 kg/105.5 lbs - Jackie Stiles (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo College)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sarah Peasley (Cabrillo JC)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Othella Lucas (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
63 kg/138.5 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell (Arizona State)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Alaina Berube (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Bethany Harris (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
82 kg/181 lbs. - Elizabeth Hernandez (Missouri Valley)
Team Champions – The University of the Cumberlands 

2006 Women’s College Nationals
Held at the Univ. of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg, Ky.
48 kg/105.5 lbs - Tabitha Ramsey (Missouri Valley)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Jessica Medina (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Sharlee Solis (Missouri Valley College)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Othella Lucas (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Alaina Berube (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Heather Martin (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Stephany Lee (Missouri Valley College)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (Univ. of the Cumberlands)
Team Champions – The University of the Cumberlands

2005 Women’s College Nationals
Held at Menlo College, Atherton, Calif.
48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. – Kapua Torres (Pacific)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Erica Chew (Missouri Valley)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Brooke Bogren (Missouri Valley)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. – Rachel Billerbeck (Missouri Valley)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. – Kelly Branham (Missouri Valley)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. – Brittany Jones (Missouri Valley)
80 kg/176 lbs. – Selina Perez (Missouri Valley)
Team Champions - Missouri Valley College 

2004 Women’s College Nationals
Held at Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Sara Fulp-Allen (Menlo College)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Debbi Sakai (Missouri Valley)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Desiree Lockhart (Pacific)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Brooke Bogren (Missouri Valley)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Mollie Keith (Missouri Valley)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Alaina Berube (Cumberland College)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Kelly Branham (Missouri Valley)
80 kg/176 lbs. - Toccara Montgomery (Cumberland College)
Team Champions – Missouri Valley College

Three-time women’s college national champions
Sara Fulp-Allen, Menlo College (2004, 2005, 2007)
Alaina Berube, Univ. of the Cumberlands (2004, 2006, 2007)
Michaela Hutchison, Oklahoma City Univ. (2009, 2010, 2012)
Brittany Delgado, Oklahoma City Univ. (2010, 2011, 2012)

Two-time women’s college national champions
Brooke Bogren , Missouri Valley College (2004, 2005)
Kelly Branham, Missouri Valley College (2004, 2005)
Toccara Montgomery, Univ. of the Cumberlands (2004, 2006)
Othella Lucas, Univ. of the Cumberlands (2006, 2007)
Jessica Medina, Univ. of the Cumberlands (2006, 2008)
Kelsey Campbell, Arizona State (2007, 2008)
Katherine Fulp-Allen, Menlo College (2009, 2010)
Hillary Greening, Simon Fraser (2009, 2010)
Helen Maroulis, Missouri Baptist/Simon Fraser (2010, 2011)
Danielle Lappage, Simon Fraser (2010, 2011)
Victoria Anthony, Simon Fraser (2010, 2011)
Kristie Davis, Oklahoma City Univ. (2011, 2012)

National Team Champions
Oklahoma City, 4 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
Univ. of the Cumberlands, 3 (2006, 2007, 2008)
Missouri Valley College 2 (2004, 2005)