BY PHILLIP LEE

LIBERAL, Kan. – Seward County Community College will add women’s wrestling as its 10th NJCAA sport, beginning competition in the 2025-26 academic year. The SCCC Board of Trustees voted to approve the addition at its monthly meeting on Monday.

Cody Cole, SCCC associate vice president of athletics, who will also coach the team, expressed excitement and enthusiasm for the upcoming season.

“Women’s wrestling is young, and one of the fastest-growing high school sport in the country,” Cole said. “We wanted to provide another opportunity to student-athletes to continue to compete in Kansas. As a community college, we feel like it’s a need, not only in our area, but in Kansas as a whole.”

SCCC President Brad Bennett agreed, noting that women’s wrestling “has a bright future.”

Cole coached wrestling for seven years, four at Cloud County Community College and three at New Mexico Highlands University.

“We’ve started the process and getting things rolling,” Cole said. “It’s going to be fun to get back on the mat, especially being part of a growing program and sport.”

The college has been looking at adding additional sports with soccer – men’s and women’s teams – and eSports being the most recent additions in 2023.

“This is a great opportunity that lines up with the momentum we have created over the past two years,” Bennett said. “This will strengthen our enrollment and add to the competitiveness of our athletic programs.”

Women’s wrestling joins the SCCC athletic program along with baseball, cheer, Esports, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, softball and volleyball.