TAMPA, Fla. — The National Collegiate Wrestling Association is pleased to welcome the University of South Florida women's wrestling program to NCWA competition, as the Bulls begin building a program centered on opportunity, community involvement and long-term competitive success.
The women's program has grown from the efforts of Coach James Lawless and USF wrestler Michelle Rimel, who recognized that female wrestlers at the university needed a sustainable opportunity to continue competing. Last season, USF did not have enough women to field a complete team, leaving several athletes without the competitive schedule they wanted. Rather than accept that situation, Lawless and Rimel went to work building a program specifically designed to attract, develop and retain women wrestlers at USF. The university's official wrestling club page now lists Rimel as club president and reflects a growing wrestling community on the Tampa campus.
Lawless brings 20 years of coaching experience to the effort, including coaching state championship teams, developing numerous state champions and helping athletes advance to NCAA Division I programs. But he considers his work in the community among his most important accomplishments. Lawless has been actively involved with Beat the Streets Tampa Bay, an organization that uses wrestling, mentoring and academic support to create opportunities for young people in underserved communities. His involvement with the organization was recently highlighted by Tampa-area media.
Building the USF women's program has not come without challenges. According to Lawless, the team currently receives very limited funding from the university, making fundraising and community support essential to its development. Despite that obstacle, the Bulls are establishing relationships with high school programs throughout the Tampa Bay area and working to make female wrestlers aware that they now have an opportunity to continue the sport while attending USF. The program's immediate goals are straightforward: build strength in numbers, establish a strong team culture and develop competitive collegiate wrestlers. Its long-term goal is considerably bigger — to compete for an NCWA National Championship.
One wrestler expected to help establish that culture is Emma Bauknight, whom Lawless describes as having a "lead from the front" mentality. Bauknight brings an impressive competitive résumé to Tampa. She was a multiple-time Florida state placer during her high-school career and previously competed collegiately at 110 pounds for Lindsey Wilson University. Lawless expects Bauknight to help set the tone as USF begins testing itself at open tournaments that include wrestlers from NCAA programs. Those competitions will give the Bulls an opportunity not only to measure their progress but also to develop the confidence that comes from competing against established collegiate athletes.
For Lawless, however, the program is about considerably more than wins and losses. USF's women wrestlers are being encouraged to serve the Tampa Bay wrestling community through volunteering, helping local high school girls programs and supporting local wrestling organizations. That philosophy closely mirrors the stated mission of USF's Wrestling Program, which emphasizes developing strong values both on and off the mat and using wrestling to strengthen the surrounding community.
"They are not only developing into competitive wrestlers, but they are developing into respectable women who lead by example," Lawless said.
With a committed coaching staff, student leadership, an expanding regional wrestling network and ambitious competitive goals, USF Women's Wrestling enters the NCWA prepared to build something lasting in Tampa — and ultimately to build a program capable of competing on the national stage.
