NCAA DIII Coe College of Iowa adds women's varsity wrestling program

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Coe College President David T. Hayes and Director of Athletics & Recreation Steve Cook are excited to announce the addition of women's wrestling as a varsity sport, set to launch in the 2025-26 academic year. The Kohawks will be led by three-time NCAA All-American Kaleb Reeves, who brings a highly accomplished background in collegiate, junior and senior-level wrestling to the program. Reeves will spearhead the program's efforts with a year to build and recruit the program in 2025-26 before competition begins in 2026-27.

"Women's wrestling has so much momentum at the state and national level," said Cook. "We see how much this sport has grown in our own home state and we look forward to joining the expanding ranks of collegiate programs. The college and athletic department are fully committed to supporting this program as our newest sport. Our rich history and long-standing success in men's wrestling will provide a platform for our Kohawk women to build their own tradition and success. Coach Reeves is an exciting addition to our staff. He will utilize his experiences on and off the mat to establish the Kohawk Women's Wrestling program as a national contender. A Coe wrestling champion in his own right, Kaleb's vision made him the obvious choice for us as we look forward to an exciting new chapter in Kohawk Athletics. His legacy and leadership will undoubtedly inspire our athletes as we strive for excellence together."

Women's Wrestling is the 27th varsity sport at Coe College and looks to capitalize on the momentum of the sport which is sponsored at the high school level in 46 states. Announced as an emerging sport by the NCAA in 2020, the organization will sponsor its first official championship in 2026 before exploring further championship options for the future as the participation continues to grow.

Collegiate programs compete in Freestyle Wrestling, which is also the Olympic style competition that began in the 2004 Olympics. The weight classes for colleges are: 103, 110, 117, 124, 131, 138, 145, 160, 180 and 207 pounds.

Reeves, a dominant wrestler in his time at Coe, looks forward to establishing the Kohawk program as a national contender.

"My goal is to create a women's program that's top notch," said Reeves. "I want to create a winning culture here at Coe, similar to the past success of the men's program led by an outstanding head coach in Coach Oostendorp. Coe offers student athletes the opportunity to wrestle at the highest level and also have an education at the highest level. I think the Coe College Women's Wrestling program is ready to build a legacy not only on the national stage but hopefully in the future on the world level."

A three-time NCAA All-American, Reeves graduated from Coe with an overall record of 103-22 in his five-year career. The Sigourney, Iowa native is the career falls leader for the Kohawk men with a whopping 87 career falls while setting the single-season record with 27 in 2021-22. Aside from his collegiate accomplishments, Reeves has racked up countless accolades from the high school to world level. A four-time state qualifier and three-time state place-winner, Reeves was a five-time All-American at the Fargo Junior Nationals. He went on to qualify for the Senior World Team Trials and was a member of the Greco World team, rounding out his broad wrestling experience. Kaleb was also an outstanding student while at Coe, earning two NWCA Scholar All-America honors in his career.

Women's Wrestling prospects interested in learning more about attending Coe College and the opportunity to be part of the Kohawk Women's Wrestling team should contact the Office of Admission at o-admissions@coe.edu or 319-399-8500.

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