Lehigh women’s wrestling makes history with first ever official dual

The Lehigh women’s wrestling team achieved a significant milestone in front of a full crowd at Grace Hall amid its efforts to become a Division I program — hosting its first ever official dual. 

The Jan. 31 dual was against Columbia University, during which the Mountain Hawks came out on top, securing their win with a dominant score of 45-3.

The NCAA officially named women’s wrestling an official sport last month, making history across the nation. There are currently four schools that have NCAA-recognized Division I Varsity teams — Presbyterian College, Sacred Heart University, the University of Iowa and Lindenwood University. 

However, the Mountain Hawks won’t have the chance to compete in a NCAA Championship until 2026, when the NCAA will host its inaugural Women’s Wrestling National Championship according to an official sanction posted on their website.

The Lehigh women’s wrestling team was established in 2021 by Tess McGinley, ‘24, Giselle Kimball, ‘24, and Irene Macri, ‘24, and has been quickly gaining momentum. 

Last year, the team landed the No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s wrestler in the country, first-year Audrey Jimenez. This year, the team has recruited six high school athletes for its next season.

In fall 2024, the team competed in exhibition meets. They placed at the East Stroudsburg University Open Tournament and clinched the title at the Alfred State Open.

First-year wrestler Genevieve An said now that the team has held its first official dual and the sport has been officially recognized by the NCAA, she’s thrilled the next generation of young athletes won’t have to struggle as much as she did to build a wrestling career.

“It is really inspiring to see the younger generation get into wrestling,” An said. “I would have loved to be able to do this when I was younger. Seeing more and more women doing what I have always dreamed of means so much to me.”

An was one of 10 wrestlers who competed in the Jan. 31 dual. She won her match by pinning her opponent, and she said she believes the team’s consistent training and hard work prepared them physically and mentally for moments like this.  

First-years Cece Ravenelle, Sydney Thompson, Morgan Edwards, Skyler Gassel, Isabella Crandall, Olivia Adams, Shannon Govern and sophomore transfer Leila Sidhu and graduate student Irene Sanchez, also took to the mat.

Ravenelle said the team has a great dynamic, which has helped their training come together this season. She also said becoming a Division I program gives the team the opportunity to face bigger opponents and show off their strength.

“This is a really big deal for us,” Ravenelle said. “There’s never been an official women’s varsity team. We are making history, and hopefully we will carry on a legacy here at Lehigh.” 

Coach ​​Brazel Marquez said after the Jan. 31 match, many of the athletes got the chance to meet with younger girls who are already involved with the sport. 

Marquez said the girls in attendance saw the team as role models, as many told the team members they hoped to be like them when they’re older. 

With women’s wrestling becoming one of the fastest-growing sports in America, Marquez said she was thrilled to be able to host one of the first official matches right at home.

“Grace Hall is so historic and has a story, so to bring women’s wrestling there is amazing,” Marquez said. “I’m so happy with the way everything went, and it is exciting to see our fan base, along with our team, grow.”

Marquez said she’s most excited about being able to grow the sport and have the opportunity to see her team compete, as the team has several matches planned for the remainder of the spring season. 

They will travel to Columbia on Saturday to compete against the Lions once more in exhibition matches and later make their way to face Gannon University on Feb. 14.