Official Release - NCATA | Official Release - USA Wrestling

EAST STROUDSBURG – Saturday, NCAA members in Division II and III voted to approve Acrobatics and Tumbling along with Women's Wrestling as emerging sports. The vote took place during the annual NCAA Convention at Saturday afternoon's governance meetings in Anaheim, California.
 
The votes for both sports passed with overwhelming support during both governance sessions. ESU added acrobatics and tumbling along with women's wrestling during the 2018-19 academic year.
 
"Today is a historic day for Acrobatics & Tumbling," said Dr. Renee Baumgartner, President of NCATA. "We're thrilled the membership believes as we do in the opportunities that Acrobatics & Tumbling provides for female student-athletes, and demonstrated their confidence we will continue our growth nationally.  We are so thankful to our member administrators, coaches and student-athletes, and for all at the NCAA who have shared their support and encouragement during the process.
 
Janell Cook, Executive Director of NCATA, also praised NCAA membership for sharing the vision of the association and helping it provide opportunities for women in collegiate athletics.
 
"Today's votes were extremely validating for our association and members, and we are celebrating this important milestone with all in the Acrobatics & Tumbling community, as well as with our friends in the wrestling community," said Cook. "It's an emotional day when we stop to think about the opportunities for women that have been created over the past 10 years, and all those we hope to add in the future."
 
The vote marks a ten-year journey for the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling, which was created at the collegiate level specifically to meet the interests and abilities of young women across the country. NCATA staff and members, as well as current and former student-athletes, celebrate this important step forward for the development of the sport.
 
The sport is an evolution of the various disciplines of gymnastics, combining the technique and power of tumbling with the grace and balance of acrobatic gymnastics.  Millions of young women across the country train in gymnastics, but many opt for other sports or activities as they reach high school age and opportunities to excel competitively in gymnastics disciplines narrow.  Some use the body positions and technique they have learned to become divers or as a pole-vaulter, and some join cheerleading teams.
 
During the past ten years, the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) and its members have propelled the sport forward: becoming a discipline within USA Gymnastics; growing from six to thirty-two varsity programs on college campuses; and with a positive vote in April, as a NCAA emerging sport for women in all divisions. This spring, over 680 women will participate in NCATA competition.
 
Miles Avery was announced on May 7, 2019, as the Warriors' first acrobatics and tumbling head coach. Avery, a two-time USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year, brings over 25 years of experience to ESU from the collegiate and international levels. Interested recruits are encouraged to contact Coach Avery at 570-422-3225 or kavery2@esu.edu.
 
Wrestle Like A Girl, on-site at the NCAA Convention, reported this great news on its Twitter feed.
 
"This is another exciting and monumental step forward for women's wrestling in America. This will indeed change the lives of many young people across the nation, and also impact the lives of generations of female wrestlers to come. We thank the tireless efforts of the vast coalition of organizations and leaders that have worked together to reach this great achievement. We look forward to continued growth and expanded opportunity for women in college wrestling," said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling.
 
The next milestone for the wrestling community will be reaching at least 40 NCAA-affiliated varsity women's wrestling teams, which is required to achieve an official NCAA Championships in the sport.
 
Anibal Nieves was announced on Dec. 10, 2018, as the women's wrestling interim head coach. Nieves, who earned All-America honors for the Warriors in 1989, recently completed his first year as the men's wrestling head coach. Interested recruits are encouraged to contact Coach Nieves at 570-422-3313 or anieves2@esu.edu.
 
NCAA Division I did not address the issue of Emerging Sport Status for acrobatics and tumbling or women's wrestling this week, and will vote on that proposal in a meeting later in the year.
 
To date, five women's sports have moved from NCAA Emerging Sports Status to Championship Status: rowing, ice hockey, water polo, bowling and beach volleyball. The most recent sport which had been added to the list of NCAA emerging sports was Beach Volleyball in 2010.