New England College adds wrestling
New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, has announced plans to start a wrestling program. The release from the school says they will begin competition this season, even though they do not currently have a coach or, presumably, a recruiting class. Wrestling will be the 15th varsity sport at New England College. Read on for the press release.
NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF WRESTLING AS A VARSITY SPORT
9/9/2016 1:46pmHenniker, N.H. – New England College Athletic Director, Lou Izzi, is pleased to announce the addition of wrestling as a varsity sport for the 2016-17 season.
“This is an exciting time for New England College and our athletic department,” states Izzi. “We have been evaluating the addition of men’s wrestling for the past year as part of our strategic plan to increase enrollment and continue to expand the geographic diversity of our student population. We now have the opportunity to launch this program as our sixteenth NCAA-sponsored sport and compete as a full member of the NEWA.”
NEC will be a member of the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and will begin varsity competition this November. Members of the NEWA include, in-state opponent Plymouth State University, neighboring University of Southern Maine and Norwich University, plus 11 other institutions.
NEC is in the process of a hiring a full-time head coach. With the addition of wrestling, NEC will boast 15 varsity sports in competition in 2016-17 and move to 16 in 2017-18 when women’s volleyball begins varsity competition.
“On behalf of the executive board of the NEWA and all the members of the league, we are excited to welcome New England College as a full-fledged member of the conference,” stated NEWA president Scott Honecker. “It is fantastic to add another collegiate wrestling opportunity in New Hampshire where the wrestling culture is growing rapidly. We are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the administration and the future coaching staff as they embark on this new challenge.”