Ames, Iowa - April 16, 2026 Womens Wrestling Announcement Press Conference | Iowa State Athletics/Jeff SpaurIowa State announced Thursday the addition of womens wrestling as its 18th varsity sport, with the program scheduled to begin competition during the 2027-28 academic year. The team is the first varsity sport added at the university since soccer in 1996. Iowa State will be the 12th school in the state of Iowa to have an NCAA womens wrestling program.The Cyclones will be only the second Power Four institution to feature a varsity womens wrestling program, joining the University of Iowa.The university appointed Alli St. John, a two-time World Wrestling Championships silver medalist, as the programs first head coach. St. John, who has spent the last three years with the Cyclone Regional Training Center, was a two-time womens college national champion at King University.I am incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to be the first head coach of womens wrestling at Iowa State University, St. John said. This is a historic moment not only for Iowa State University, but for the sport of wrestling, too. Iowa State has a rich wrestling tradition, and Im excited to expand that legacy on the womens side as we work to build a premier program in Ames that produces not only NCAA champions, but World and Olympic champions as well.The program will support a roster of 30 student-athletes with 10 scholarship equivalents, matching the scholarship limit of the mens team. Official competitions will be held in Hilton Coliseum, with practice facilities in Beyer Hall.The university also announced a major restructuring of its wrestling leadership, naming long-time mens head coach Kevin Dresser as the Director of Wrestling. In this new capacity, Dresser will oversee both programs, assisting with fundraising and mentoring the coaching staff, which includes newly promoted mens head coach Brent Metcalf. The addition of womens wrestling is an exciting opportunity for Iowa State Athletics, Dresser said. The fact that it is one of the fastest growing sports at the high school level coupled with the overall love of wrestling in the state of Iowa makes this a very good decision. I can envision the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk dual already and the excitement it will bring to the sport. I am excited to roll up my sleeves and help start another wrestling program.