WAYNESBURG, Pa. (November 1) – The Waynesburg University women's wrestling team begins its inaugural season on Sunday at the East Stroudsburg Women's Open on Sunday.

The Waynesburg University women's wrestling team is under the leadership of first year head coach Karli Thomas. The squad features seven student-athletes, five of them freshmen, for the 2024-25 season.

"The team has been putting in lots of work so far this season," said first-year head coach Karli Thomas. "They are putting the time in and giving their best every day, it is really starting to pay off. I am very proud of the progress this group is making so far."

The inaugural Yellow Jacket women's wrestling team includes former Waynesburg student-athletes in graduate student Mickayla Baniaga (Kalihi, Hawaii. / Kamehameha Schools Kapalama) and senior Linsey Dami (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan). The freshmen class of Faryn Dewitt (Scottdale, Pa. / Southmoreland), Denielle Malone (Canonsburg / Canon-McMillan), Melanie Matherson (Fort Cherry, Pa. / Fort Cherry), Ja'Khia Matthews (Charlottesville, Va. / Albemarle), Abigail Riggen (Uniontown, Pa. / Uniontown) and Isabella Spotti complete the roster.

"The roster consists of both experienced and brand-new wrestlers," said Thomas. "Mickayla, Abigail, Denielle, and Linsey are new to the sport. Their courage to start wrestling as a college level is admirable. It has been great working with them and seeing them growing in such a short amount of time. The other four ladies, Melanine, Ja'Khia, Faryn, and Isabella have wrestled before. These girls are making big strides and really putting the time in. I am impressed by their dedication and drive to get better each day."

Waynesburg will host its first home women's wrestling event on Jan. 16 when the Jackets welcome Buffalo State and Bethany for a tri-match.

The Jackets will compete at the Pennsylvania Collegiate State Championship at East Stroudsburg on Jan. 26 and the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) Region IV Regional at Tiffin on Feb. 22. The NCWWC National Championships are slated for March 7-8.

Women's wrestling has been designated as an Emerging Sport for Women by the NCAA and is on track to become the association's 91st NCAA championship based on the latest sports sponsorship data. In the 2022-23 academic year, 51 women's wrestling teams competed across the NCAA and a projected 75 teams were fielded in the 2023-24 season.