Wilkes Women’s Wrestling Pins Their Mark in History

Though the demand for women’s wrestling teams has exploded, the practice of women’s wrestling is not new. In fact, it’s been about 50 years since Title IX was passed, a law guaranteeing more equitable spaces for women, including in the world of sports.

According to the Wrestling Hall of Fame, the first varsity women’s college wrestling team was established by the University of Minnesota Morris during the 1993-94 academic year and the sport was officially added to the Olympic programs in 2002. However, these milestones did not result in widespread popularity, as women’s and girls’ wrestling programs remained nonexistent or underdeveloped until recent years.

Wilkes now joins the legion of over 146 schools holding space for women to hone their takedowns, pins, cradles and more while competing without barriers. Our newest Colonels begin their season in fall 2025, just 30 years after the first collegiate women’s wrestling program was introduced and 50 years since it was even a possibility.

Wilkes wrestling has a longstanding history and reputation for excellence, including winning the first NCAA Division III National Title. The newly established women’s team will be able to compete at next year’s championship.

Jon Laudenslager ’99, an alumnus of the wrestling program and newly appointed director of wrestling, is proud of the program’s expansion. “News is spreading fast. There’s a lot of interest, campus visits, connections and outlets.”

Even with this progress, many women who wish to compete have faced challenges up until recently, when the demand for women’s wrestling programs surged. Associated Press cites girls’ wrestling as the fastest-growing high school sport in the country in 2024. However, the lack of opportunity for the sport in K-12 settings in previous years has proven to be a barrier for girls who wished to develop an interest when boys could begin wrestling, and stay with the sport, from as early as age four. If there was space for girls on a boys’ team, they often had to hope for a girl on an opposing team or the rare occasion a boys’ team could match weight class and interest to compete.

This, too, was the case for Allie Gundlah PharmD ’23, who competed on the men’s wrestling team at Wilkes. “In my seven years of wrestling, I only competed against two girls, both of which were in high school, not college,” said Gundlah, noting specific challenges with meeting weight requirements and competing against wrestlers who had much more experience on the mat. Her teammates, practice partners and coach all supported her through these challenges. “It was very difficult, but I wanted to be on the team even if it meant I was the only woman.”

While not having girls to compete with took its toll, Gundlah recalled a highlight. At the Wilkes Open, she wrestled and lost a match. “As I walked off the mat, there was a young girl, maybe seven or eight, who came up to me to tell me that my match was cool,” she said. In that moment, Gundlah realized other girls would have opportunities she didn’t.