For years, there have been rumors and whispers about the desire to start a wrestling program and Clarke, but this year Freshman Dianna Ekchan is shooting to make that a reality. The program will be established as a club first but can be expanded to an actual program in the following years if the initiative is successful.
Dianna is originally from California but moved to Iowa 6 years ago where she attended Storm Lake High School. Throughout her years there she struggled to find an outlet to release her stress and found herself getting in fights. Her school gave her a choice to either attend detention or join the wrestling team. Dianna’s sophomore year she joined the wrestling team and realized it was a great space for her to unload and not worry about any troubles she may have been facing at the time. As she learned how to wrestle, she fell in love with the sport and credits it for helping her become a better person.
When Dianna came to Clarke in the fall, she realized how much she missed wrestling, and knew that the sport was not offered here. She spoke with the Director of Intercultural Programs, Will Hudson, who helped her get back on the mat by assisting him in coaching the women’s wrestling team at Senior High School. Although Dianna is grateful for the opportunity and enjoys helping coach, she wants to continue to compete. She recently decided to wrestle in a tournament at Grand View where she was able to compete in two matches. Since she is not part of a team she wrested “unattached” meaning she did not have a coach in her corner during her match and she had to find her own place to have her skin check and weigh-in spot, all duties that would normally be taken care of by a coach. Her determination and dedication to compete drove her to want to be a part of a team that would help her continue her wrestling career.
She loves Clarke so much that instead of transferring in search of another university that does have a program for her, she decided to start one herself. After speaking with Dean of Student Engagement, Callie Clark, about starting a possible club she set up a meeting with Coordinator of Campus Activities and Leadership, Anthony King, Director of Athletics, Curt Long, and Will Hudson. In this meeting, Dianna laid out her plan for spearheading this program. Although Clarke Athletics does not have the budget to properly fund the sport, the program will start as a club with a monthly budget. Her mission is “to engage female athletes in a more positive environment focusing on making connections, building a community, self-growth, and commitment to both.” Experienced and first-time wrestlers are welcome and encouraged to attend socials that will be hosted later in the semester. Dianna also hopes to host wrestling clinics on the weekends that will include both freestyle and Greco-style wrestling.
There will be an Information table set up in the Atrium on February 18th, 20th, 25th, 27th, and March 4th and 6th, to help publicize the club. Here, students will have the opportunity to learn more about Dianna and her wrestling club.
*Corrections: The previous version of this article had a misspelling of the Athletic Director Curt Long. We also acknowledge that the athletic department is not involved in Diannas initiative at this point in time. She has their full support, but as of now there is no timeline for the club to become a full program at Clarke.
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