When Albion students are looking for some entertainment, watching the women’s wrestling team pin down the competition is always an option.
On March 8, the team ended their 2024-2025 season at the National Tournament in Iowa.
The tournament marked the end of wrestling’s fourth season as an official sports program at Albion College. The team was put together by head coach Adam Wilson, who was hired in 2020 to bring back men’s wrestling – which had been disbanded for over 40 years – and establish Albion’s first-ever women’s wrestling program.
Jackson senior Jayla Oberst was a member of the women’s wrestling team during its first season in 2021. As she finishes up her last semester at Albion, Oberst said her journey has been “really special,” adding that “all of the firsts” she’s had with the program “are really meaningful.”
This year, Oberst made history as Albion’s only wrestler – man or woman – to qualify for Nationals three times.
“To have that under my belt feels really nice,” Oberst said. “It makes me feel like I’ve proven myself.”
Even though Albion didn’t have an established wrestling program, that didn’t dissuade Oberst. Wilson’s passion for wrestling helped her realize that Albion was the right place for her.
“He was basically the reason I came here,” Oberst said. “You could tell what his vision was and how much love he had for the sport.”
Grand Haven junior and fellow wrestler Lynsey Light chose Albion because of Wilson’s “mission statement” for what he wanted the team to be.
“He’s building something,” Light said. “I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”
The Pleiad reached out via email to Wilson on March 17, 18 and 19. He did not respond in time for publication.
The women’s wrestling program was “still so new” in 2021, Oberst said. Due to only having three female athletes on the roster their first year, the team was forced to forfeit at many weight classes throughout the season.
Despite the challenges of having so few members, Oberst said she was incredibly close with the other two women on the team.
“All three of us lived together in the same dorm,” Oberst said. “We were kind of like a little trio.”
Fowlerville junior Hannah Arledge, who joined the roster in 2022, said that she and her teammates are encouraged to “come together,” which strengthens their bonds.
“All of them are going to be at my wedding,” Arledge said. “I don’t know if it would have been like that somewhere else.”
She added that the wrestling program helps its athletes achieve individual goals while encouraging the team to work as a collective.
“I think that’s what really separates our program,” Arledge said. “It’s so individual, but we always come together.”
The program’s growth over the last four years has been very impressive, Oberst said. Not only has the roster grown to include 12 women, but Albion has gone from “underdogs” to “the school that people want to beat” in a short time.
“We came from nothing, and now we make it to national tournaments,” Oberst said.
The recent inclusion of women’s wrestling as an official NCAA sport has given female wrestlers across the country more opportunities to compete. According to Oberst, the possibility of an NCAA championship has played a role in shaping the wrestling program’s goals.
Wrestling at Albion has been “life-changing,” for Light, she said. The support and coaching she has received have helped prepare her for “future success.”
“Everything I’ve done for wrestling has just made me into a better person,” Light said.
For Arledge, staying true to herself while “leaving a mark” on Albion is the goal.
“You could be the best wrestler in the world, but if you’re not a good person, none of it matters,” Arledge said. “You can’t lose sight of who you are just because of the things you’ve done.”
In just four years, the women’s wrestling program at Albion has grown into a full team, and Oberst said they’re just getting started. Though her time as an athlete at Albion is over, she is proud to have helped lay the foundation for future wrestlers.
“A whole new generation of (first-years) are going to come in,” Oberst said. “I’m excited to be a proud alumna and watch the program continue to grow.”
Understanding the changes Albion’s women’s wrestling team is making is very important, Arledge said. Her main focus is on creating “better circumstances” for the next generation of female athletes.
“Doing anything we can now to give them the best opportunities possible is the ultimate goal,” Arledge said.
Light said she plans to leave Albion next year with a legacy worth remembering.
“I’ll know it the moment I step off the mat,” Light said. “I’m leaving behind something I can be proud of.”
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