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Jan 18, 2025 By Jonathan Guth 3 min read

The NCAA’s addition of women’s wrestling as a championship sport at the Division I, III and III levels will impact all corners of the United States, and Southwestern Pennsylvania is no exception, as the sport has grown immensely the past decade.

The organization released a statement on its website Friday that women’s wrestling will be contested as the NCAA’s 91st championship sport. The first women’s wrestling championship will be in 2026.

Women’s wrestling programs have and are currently competing at NCAA schools, but the national championship was not recognized officially. There were 76 women’s teams last season, and an additional 17 were projected to be added this year.

More than 1,200 women compete in wrestling at NCAA schools, including 45 percent of diverse or international backgrounds.

“We are thrilled that women’s wrestling will be an NCAA sport, making it the 91st championship that we host,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said in the press release that was on the organization’s website. “We extend a big thank you to everyone who supported this effort and the athletes, coaches and fans for their passion for a fast-growing and exciting sport that brings even more opportunities for women to participate in athletics.”

Valarie Solorio, who graduated from Canon-McMillan last year but not before winning the first sanctioned state championship in Pennsylvania, is currently wrestling at 110 pounds for the University of Iowa. Solorio also won the first sanctioned state title in Florida and was ecstatic to hear the news.

“To hear that the NCAA added women’s wrestling as a championship sport was the best thing to come this year so far,” Solorio said. “It has been amazing here at Iowa, and I love being around other female wrestlers that have the same goals as me.”

Solorio has been a trailblazer in being the first state champion in two states, and she hopes that continues next year at the NCAA championships.

“I was fortunate to be able to win the first state title for girls in Florida and Pennsylvania, and now I want to be the first woman to win an NCAA title and bring it back to Canon-McMillan,” Solorio said.

The Hawkeyes discussed the announcement after their practice Friday, which was very emotional.

“You can’t script something like this,” Solorio said. “It must have been God’s work. I think about someone like Tricia Saunders, who was the first United States female to win a world title, and for her to come full-circle with this. It’s been a roller coaster of emotion.”

Solorio’s high school head coach, Brian Krenzelak, was named the inaugural head coach for the women’s wrestling program at Washington & Jefferson College. The Presidents are scheduled to begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year.

Waynesburg University is competing for the first time this season, and Yellow Jackets head coach Karli Thomas looks forward to working with her wrestlers to achieve an NCAA title.

“I am very excited about the NCAA adding women’s wrestling as an official championship sport,” said Thomas, an Albert Gallatin graduate who also competes in mixed martial arts. “We have seen so much growth in women’s wrestling these last few years, so this new layer is just incredible. These ladies are going to have a chance to have a NCAA title.”