Joe Norton was busy leading his alma mater's men's wrestling team to success, but a conversation with his boss in the weight room changed everything. Athletic Director Jim Miller said the school plans to add women's bowling. Norton's response: Why not wrestle?
“It was like a half-joke,” Norton said. “But I thought, why would you add women's bowling? And he said, 'Because the roster numbers could be like 10 to 12.' And I said, . . I would like to get 40 female wrestlers. ”
Norton currently serves as the women's wrestling coach at North Central College, a Division III school in Naperville, overseeing one of the nation's most successful programs in the growing sport as it strives for NCAA Championship recognition.
In five years, the program has grown from nine to 51 wrestlers from 23 states from the East Coast to Alaska.
The four North Central students have won a total of six national titles since the program's inception, and six will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Pennsylvania next month. The Cardinals finished second to Iowa State in last year's National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship.
With programs from all divisions competing against each other, North Central is one of the best programs of all time, not just in Division III. With increased participation and possible championship recognition by the NCAA, things could change in the coming years.
The number of NCAA and NAIA schools and junior colleges with programs has jumped from 62 to 144 over the past five years, and individual participants have increased from 935 to 2,641, according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The NCAA has nearly tripled in growth over this period, going from 27 to 78 teams in all divisions, and participation from 398 to 1,261.
It's clear what's causing the boom. Girls' wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport in the country.
When women's college wrestling began in the 1990s, there were only a handful of programs.
“We go to tournaments, we see a lot of young wrestlers there, and it's so great and I think the whole sport is growing,” said Madi Avila, who won the national championship at 101 pounds in 2023. Just looking at it increases my motivation,” he said.
There is still room for growth.
Opportunities in Division I remain scarce, with only four programs and one from a power conference. In other words, it's Iowa, where the competition started this season. His other three are Lindenwood (Missouri), Presbyterian College and Sacred Heart.
With few hiring options, North Central is able to attract top talent. However, that could change as more DI and D-II schools offer scholarships and start programs, and women's wrestling becomes an NCAA championship sport.
In February, the NCAA Women's Track and Field Committee recommended sponsored legislation to create women's championships in Divisions I, II, and III.
Members will vote at the NCAA Convention in January. If passed, the first championship could be in 2026. Wrestling is an emerging sports program for women, following rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), and beach volleyball (2015).
“We're trying to enjoy this moment because we know it won't last forever,” said Miller, who played wrestling and football at North Central in the 1980s and coached both sports at his alma mater. I'm just there,” he said.
If the NCAA adds enough teams to split into divisions, Norton is poised to establish his program as a D-III powerhouse. But for now?
“2019 was a dream come true,” said Norton, who also assists on the men's team. “Right now, I'm selling this experience. Come join the number one team in the country.”
Within a short time, a long line of All-American players made their way through the stuffy gymnasium on the second floor of the 1930 fieldhouse.
The Cardinals warm up by breaking into teams and sometimes engaging in Olympic-style handball games that are similar to soccer. Players drag each other to the mat, trying to stop each other from throwing the ball into the goal bins at each end of the gymnasium.
On a recent afternoon, they sweated it out as Corey Hart's 1980s hit “Sunglasses at Night” blared on an endless loop. Some days, more current music is played.
Norton, who wrestled at North Central nearly a decade ago, cast a wide net in starting the girls program, especially since the Illinois High School Association did not sponsor girls wrestling until the 2021-22 school year. That meant recruiting recruits from all over the country.
Elena Macoed was hanging out with friends at church the night she got the call from Norton. She didn't recognize the number, but she answered anyway.
“Joe didn't have much to brag about,” said McCoed, a three-time 170-pound national champion from the Sacramento area. “He was just starting the program. But, well, I think it was just the energy, and he grabbed me at just the right time. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. ”
Amanda Martinez received similar sentiments from Norton and assistant Zach Cook when she transferred to North Central. She is currently an assistant coach with the Cardinals, and she plans to compete in the Olympic Trials.
“They started the program because they wanted to, as opposed to a lot of schools that had to introduce women's programs,” she said.
