The WSU Wrestling Club begins its season Oct. 27 with the Crimson vs. Gray duel to determine varsity spots. President Hunter Haney spoke about the team’s goals, and how they plan to achieve them.

They hope to increase the number of All-Americans to five or six, he said. Last year, they only had one — Haney.  The club has multiple state champions and placers, though.

WSU wrestling finished as national champions in division two of NCWA three years ago. The club took 11th as a team last season in its second year in division one for the NCWA. This year, the team wants to break into the top three of division one, Haney said.

To reach that goal, the club is making some changes to its practice routine. In the past, they have only practiced three nights per week and two times in the morning, but this year they are aiming for five nights per week, Haney said. This is an effort to stay competitive in such a high-intensity sport.

“It’s hard to be at the physical ability you want to be at with practice only three nights a week,” he said. “So we’re trying to ramp it up and try to get practices at a decent time throughout the week.”

Haney also noted that WSU wrestling is open to men and women.

“We just want people to be in there for the love of the sport,” he said. “You walk in there, and we instantly accept you, and wrestling is for anyone that wants to try it.”

Prospective wrestlers interested in joining can contact DJ Mackie, coordinator of competitive sports and youth programs at University Recreation. Students can also reach out to the Sports Club Federation Council or Haney himself.

Matches and practices at UREC have an open-door policy for WSU students interested in watching this year, Haney said. The team also plans to hold two separate duels against other teams to raise awareness for the club.

“I enjoy wrestling because it’s a mental and a physical challenge … Life is always going to throw something your way, and wrestling has taught me a lot of humbling things,” Haney said. “With wrestling, it’s been able to show me that if you put in the work, you’re going to get to the results.”

The club’s full schedule, roster and contact information can be found on their OrgSync page.