With the addition of men’s volleyball and women’s bowling in the past two years, North Central is adding another sport to the list. After much discussion and planning since the fall, women’s wrestling will begin its inaugural season in 2019.
Head men’s wrestling coach Joseph Norton has had this in mind for almost two years, and already has high hopes for the future now that it has finally become a reality. Norton will add the women’s team to his coaching roster come fall.
“I think we can be good right away,” Norton said. “There are girls in this area that are very good… there’s a girl from Joliet West that’s a national champ and I don’t see any reason she would go anywhere else.”
Wrestling may be uncommon for women, but it turns out the community is substantial.
There are 45 colleges that will be competing next fall in the Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) and by 2019, North Central will be added to that list. When it comes to high school, there are very few states that include women’s wrestling as a varsity sport but many join clubs as an alternative.
Norton is excited to see what girls he can seek out for the inaugural season.
“We’re primarily recruiting out of clubs which I have very good connections within this state,” Norton said. “We’re mainly looking at girls that are finishing up their junior year, so they can come in as freshmen. We want to have a squad of 10 to 12 girls.”
Coach Norton has spent most of his career coaching men, but he’s excited about the new challenge of leading a women’s team.
“The techniques and strategy may be different, but I don’t think the coaching style will change. The program is built on accountability and learning to battle adversity. We will treat it the same as our men’s team.”
