McKendree made history this month, winning the first-ever women's NCAA wrestling championship in Coralville, Iowa.
The Bearcats edged second-place Iowa 171-166 for the inaugural title under coach Alexio Garcia. North Central (Illinois) finished third with 123.5 points, while Grand Valley State placed fourth with 110.5 points.
Ten individual champions emerged across the weight classes. Iowa's Kennedy Blades won the 160-pound title, with the 2024 Olympic silver medalist preparing for LA28 alongside several other NCAA wrestling athletes.
"College wrestling was everything in my development as an Olympian, and I really think it will serve women's wrestling in general and become this really natural pipeline from high school to collegiate level to the Olympic level," said TV commentator Sarah Hildebrandt. "It's really, really important."
DII and DIII schools dominate women's NCAA wrestling, with DIII programs making up 59% of the sport while DII accounts for 35%. DI programs, however, represent just 5% of the total.
The growth stems from high return on investment and campuswide benefits, with McKendree athletics director Anthony Francis noting the sport's growth at youth and high school levels.
"Girls wrestling continues to grow at a rapid rate," Francis said. "Our administration saw this as a tremendous opportunity to be leaders in the growth of the sport at the collegiate level."
DIII schools are set to launch their own women's wrestling championships in 2028, following January's vote.
The inaugural women's NCAA wrestling championships featured freestyle wrestling, the same style used in the Olympics. Blades confirmed that half of the US national team members are current college athletes.
