Dominick Ingram, Staff Writer

The new Augsburg women’s wrestling team opened their inaugural season last Saturday at the Waldorf University Open. Augsburg has now become the only collegiate institution in Minnesota to have a varsity women’s wrestling program, which it makes it the school’s 12th women’s sport and 22nd overall. Augsburg has been known to be progressive when integrating more women sports into their varsity programs, becoming the first college in the Midwest to create a varsity women’s ice hockey team in the mid-1990s as well as the first college in Minnesota to have a varsity women’s lacrosse team in 2014.  Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow supported the addition, stating that “[w]omen’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and it is especially fitting that Augsburg — with its nationally recognized men’s wrestling program — will join this movement. I look forward to our women’s wrestling program recruiting top-notch student-athletes from across the country and competing at the highest level”. 

Five Augsburg wrestlers competed in the season-opening meet at Waldorf University, with all of them performing in their season debuts. Gabby Skidmore and Vayle-Rae Baker both won the title at 123 pounds, each winning two bouts to reach the final. Skidmore won 5-4 and had a 3:00 minute pin in her two matches. Baker scored two 10-0 technical-fall victories to reach the final. Bel Snyder scored a 2:36 minute pin and a 11-0 technical-fall victory, going 2-2 on the day at 123 pounds. Marlynne Deede, at 155 pounds, went 2-2 with a 14-4 technical fall and a 1:38 minute pin, and Melissa Jacobs went 1-2 with a 10-0 technical-fall victory.

The Auggie Women will travel to Missouri Valley College Open in Marshall, Mo.  on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. for their next match.