St. Ambrose University is expanding its athletics program with the launch of a new women’s
wrestling team, allowing student-athletes to compete while helping build a program from the
ground up.
Head Coach Carly Bross, a St. Ambrose alumni, says one of the program’s main goals is to
establish a strong team culture centered around hard work, teamwork, and support.
“Our biggest goal right now is just to establish a culture of hard work,” says Bross. “Making sure that we
understand the basics, understand the little things, and most importantly, helping each other out
and making sure that we’re a team.”
For Junior Gia Ritter, joining the new program is about more than competing. Ritter, who has
wrestled at the collegiate level for the past two years, says she is excited to help establish a
strong foundation for the team.
“It actually means a lot to me,” says Ritter. “It’s really important to set a really good standard of a program.”
The new program also provides an opportunity for students who are new to wrestling to try the
sport. Ritter says several St. Ambrose students are participating in wrestling for the first time.
Bross says she is excited to help create the same type of lasting experiences for her athletes
that she had as a St. Ambrose student.
“It’s really cool to be a part of building this program,” Bross says. “I went to St. Ambrose
myself, and to be able to recreate that with these girls and hopefully teach them the same life
lessons that I learned while I was here was a really cool feeling.”
The growth of women’s wrestling across the country has also helped create new opportunities
for collegiate athletes. Bross says she is excited to see more colleges adding women’s wrestling
programs and to be part of that growth.
Student-athlete Celia Esquivel, a junior who has wrestled since high school, said she joined the
team after being inspired by Bross’ excitement about starting the program.
Esquivel hopes the team will continue to grow and become a strong presence within St.
Ambrose athletics.
