Recruiting is at a premium in women’s college wrestling, especially since Division III programs will host a separate championship during the 2028 season. Another season remains for D3 wrestlers to face their D2 and D1 counterparts at the NCAA Championships.
North Central coach Joe Norton hates the split, and for good reason. The Cardinals have placed 1st, 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd at the national championships, and 2nd, 2nd, 2nd, 1st at the NWCA National Duals the past four seasons.
Norton will attempt to compete against athletic scholarship schools at the national tournament if he can, but if not, his team will still recruit the best wrestlers in the country to attend North Central.
A common rally cry for D3 coaches is “this only changes how we approach things for two weekends out of the year,” meaning regionals and nationals. Still, the allure of competing at the D1/D2 NCAA Championships is real, especially with the addition of Iowa State.
The NWCA National Duals featured an all-divisions women’s tournament and a D3-only tournament. North Central was the only team that participated at a higher level, and they defeated Iowa (D1) and McKendree (D2) along the way.
It remains uncertain whether the NWCA will continue the all-divisions format, but if they do, it would benefit North Central and serve as a valuable recruiting tool to attract top talent.
Division III coaches should consider the U23 National Championships as part of their pitch. The tournament includes high school and post-college wrestlers, of course, but it’s an enticing way to add another meaningful national tournament against everyone.
U23 Nationals includes schools from all divisions, giving it a WCWA vibe, when every women’s program competed at the same national championship before NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA schools split. We also get to see college clubs against their sanctioned counterparts.
Sure, not every program will send every wrestler to the tournament, and the influx of foreign college wrestlers makes this a USA-only event, but why not leverage this into a team race?
North Central had eight wrestlers finish in the top eight — three more than Grand Valley State (D2) and Iowa, with five each.
Among the 20 U23 finalists, eight were from D3 programs, and 14 out of 80 placers showcased the strength of this division. Meaningful national tournaments are at a premium, and the U23 Nationals keep getting better.
D3 Placers At 2026 U23 Nationals
50: Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central) — 6th
53: Sydney Petzinger (North Central) — 2nd
53: Taylin Long (Aurora) — 7th
55: Savannah Witt (Eastern) — 8th
57: Sara Sterner (North Central) — 2nd
59: Lexi Janiak (Aurora) — 2nd
59: Grace Stem (North Central) — 4th
62: Claire DiCugno (North Central) — 2nd
65: Nina Makem (Augsburg) — 1st
65: London Houston (North Central) — 3rd
68: Annie Obermark (Simpson) — 1st
72: Taylor Graveman (North Central) — 1st
76: Shenita Lawson (North Central) — 2nd
76: Keeley Kehrli (Simpson) — 3rd
2026 U23 Placers By D3 Schools
North Central — 8
Aurora — 2
Simpson — 2
Augsburg — 1
Eastern — 1
Placers By College Division
NCAA, Division I: 13
NCAA, Division II: 19
NCAA, Division III: 14
NAIA: 8
College Club: 3
NCWA: 1
Programs By Division
NCAA D1: 9
NCAA D2: 41
NCAA D3: 80
NAIA: 52
NJCAA: 36
CCCAA: 20