The wrestling community received some very troubling news this week. Doug Reese, the wrestling coach at the Univ. of Minnesota-Morris, notified the wrestling community that his college had decided to drop the sport of wrestling at the end of the 2003-04 season.    This disturbing news has happened way too many times before in our sport. However, this time, it was brand new. The university is not just dropping men's wrestling. It is also dropping its women's wrestling team.    The administrators in this college are making a statement about wrestling. According to coach Doug Reese's message on TheMat.com bulletin boards, the bigwigs up at Morris have decided that wrestling, both for men and for women, "are no longer viable sports for UMM."    No longer viable? In Minnesota? Both the men and the women? This is so wrong for so many reasons that it is truly mind-boggling.     There are times in life that people need to take a stand for principle. This is one of them. As a sport, wrestling needs to draw the line right now. We can't let them step over that line. We need to save wrestling at UM-Morris.    In recent years, the UM-Morris program has received the most attention because of its women's college wrestling team. In fact, UM-Morris invented women's college wrestling. It was the first college to provide a varsity wrestling experience in the sport for women. We still do not have very many opportunities for women to wrestle in college. There are only six college teams in women's wrestling (and only two in the NCAA). Women's wrestling in America can not afford to lose the UM-Morris team.    How can this university not understand what it is doing by dropping women's wrestling? This is the first school with the courage to create an opportunity for women to wrestle, and that was even before it was an Olympic sport. What other program at UM-Morris has the kind of recognition that women's wrestling has brought to the campus? (The answer is none). How can they reject this team and turn back the clock on progress and change? How can we let them?    If you are involved in women's wrestling in the United States, you need to act NOW!!! College wrestling in America is new. If we lose the college that created the first team, it sends a terrible message to college administrators.     When dealing with this issue, we also need to stand up strong for the men's team. Wrestling has been on this campus for 42 years, and it has created OLYMPIC medalist Dennis Koslowski and Olympian Duane Koslowski. Thousands of young men have competed in wrestling for UM-Morris, receiving a quality education and making a difference in society.    Minnesota is a great wrestling state. It has one of the most successful state high school championships, and has been producing national-caliber wrestlers for many years. Minnesota/USA Wrestling is one of the most active and successful state association, making a difference in the lives of thousands of youth. The Div. I program in the state, the Univ. of Minnesota-Twin Cities, has won two NCAA wrestling titles and was a close second this year. Wrestling is thriving in the state, and for good reason. Wrestling has a great tradition in Minnesota, something that can not be denied.    UM-M gives the same lame reasons for dropping these programs that other schools have used in the past. It is true that the economy has affected every single state, and cutbacks in state support for universities are real. However, eliminating programs for "budget" reasons is truly a copout, because there are more creative ways to save opportunity by making everybody share in the sacrifice than by slashing programs.    The fact that the new conference that UM-M is entering does not sponsor wrestling anymore is also a baloney excuse. According to Reese, UM-M wrestling has been accepted into another conference that has college wrestling in the state, a truly viable alternative that would provide the wrestling team good local competition.    I don't care if you like women's wrestling or not. I don't care what your viewpoint is on Title IX. I don't care about your opinion about the current UM-Morris program or coach Reese personally. None of that really matters here.    The leadership at UM-Morris has rejected the great sport of wrestling. They have made a value judgement about wrestling, period. Every wrestling person in the state of Minnesota needs to stand up and fight for both programs. And the wrestling people in Minnesota need support from the rest of the nation.    They expect wrestling to go away quietly. We can't let that happen. We have to be loud. We have to let them know that this is a grave mistake that can not be tolerated. We can't wait. We need to act NOW.    Coach Reese has asked us to contact a few folks up at UM-Morris who would rather not hear from us. Don't wait another day to contact these people and let them know how important wrestling is to you. Let them know that wrestling is an important educational activity that should be provided for future generations of young people at their institution.    Make sure these people learn more about wrestling:    Sam Schumann, Chancellor      309 Behmler Hall      University of Minnesota-Morris     Morris, MN 56267      schumans@mrs.umn.edu  Office 320-589-6020  Fax  320-589-6399  Home 320-589-9034    Sandy Olson-Loy, Vice Chancellor Athletics    309 Behmler Hall      University of Minnesota-Morris     Morris, MN 56267      olsonloy@mrs.umn.edu  Office 320-589-6013  Fax 320-589-6399  Home 320-239-4782    Mark Fohl, Athletic Director     P.E. Center       East Second Street      University of Minnesota-Morris     Morris, MN 56267  folhmv@mrs.umn.edu  Office 320-589-6421  Fax 320-589-6428  Home 320-589-3748