Minnesota's only college women's wrestling team pushing for more local competition

Augsburg University in Minneapolis is home to the only women's college wrestling team in Minnesota.

The distinction can lead to some interesting conversations.

"It'll always be like, 'oh, my gosh, you don't look like a wrestler.' But it's, like, what is that supposed to look like?" Katherine Escalante, an Augsburg University wrestler, said.

Shaylee Olson, one of Escalante's teammates, said, "Every time I tell people I wrestle, they're just like, 'Wait, you're a wrestler?' It's like a shock because I guess not many women do it, but it is super cool and I hope that more colleges in Minnesota do get a program."

The team typically has to travel to Iowa to compete. They want more local teams since more young women are interested.

"I get a lot of emails about young women interested in wrestling. It's wild to me to see the growth," Ali Bernard Sprenger, head coach of Augsburg Women's Wrestling, said. "And seeing what's possible for these young women, like, it gives me goosebumps; it's so exciting for them. I'm an advocate, not only, you know, for the school, I coach here, but like, I just, I want the growth. I want more opportunities for them."

And she understands the potential of opportunity. Sprenger got into wrestling while growing up in New Ulm, Minnesota. WCCO asked her about her first memory of wrestling.

"Big, crowded gym. Watching my brother wrestle. I was in grade six, and I remember asking my parents, it's like, my brother's got a lot of medals, I'd sure like some medals," Sprenger said.

She went on to earn medals of her own. Sprenger is a five-time collegiate national champion and two-time Olympian. She now passes on her knowledge as Augsburg's head coach.

"I want to help build women leaders on and off the wrestling mat. I think it's kind of a catchy tagline, but it's the truth. I just think there's such a big need for it, and women's wrestling is one of the only physical sports that women have the opportunity to play," Sprenger said.

She went on to say, "We're an individual sport, but we also act as a team. So, how can you lift yourself up and put the work in to be great at what you do?"

Now, she spends her days lifting women up as they pull each other down.

"Like, she doesn't go easy on me. So I think that's one thing, and, like, in practices, too. Just, like, for the whole team, it's very encouraging," Olson said.

"Ali is, she's like a friend, but also, like, a coach at the same time, and I appreciate it so much because she pushes me to get better every day. But we're also able to have like meaningful conversations, like, laugh together and stuff," Escalante said.

And the beloved coach has even more to tackle. WCCO asked Sprenger what she hopes people see from the outside when they look at the program. 

"Yeah, I think just to keep pushing for more opportunities for women, honestly. That's kind of my hope that I leave with my athletes is [to] speak up. We don't get anywhere if we don't speak up, and we teach that in the wrestling room. If something doesn't feel right, let's have a conversation about it. So, I'm super excited to see what happens in the next 20 years for women's sports if we continue with the path that we're on," she said.

The women's wrestling season kicks off with a match at home against Luther College on Nov. 4.