SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College now offers women’s wrestling for the first time ever. The program was announced alongside the introduction of the men’s program in January 2024. 

OCC is part of the growing trend of women’s wrestling across the nation. The addition of the program sets it apart from nearby Syracuse University and Le Moyne, which do not offer women’s or men’s wrestling. 

“There’s not really many schools around here that do have wrestling, so Onondaga is really taking a step forward into making a women’s program here,” freshman wrestler River Freer said.

Freer is one of two women’s wrestlers at OCC alongside her teammate Deanna Williamson. It was hard to find a women’s wrestling program, Williamson, who transferred from Trinidad State College in Colorado, said.

“As soon as I heard it, I dropped at the opportunity and came here,” Williamson said.

The Lazers are led by head coach Zach Gifford and assistant Angel Gonzalez. Gifford brings Division III wrestling experience while Gonzalez is a former track and field athlete at OCC.

The first season has come up with challenges. Onondaga Community College, which competes in the NJCAA, was eligible to start practicing Oct. 1, but its mats didn’t arrive until mid-October, Gifford said. In response, the Lazers held practices at other facilities such as Mohawk Valley Wrestling Club.

“They were able to find ways to just adapt to all different conditions,” Gonzalez said. “We got a lot of different types of workouts and they didn’t let having one not come yet stop them from chasing their dreams.”

Williamson said having to find car rides to train off campus brought her closer to her teammates.

In early November, the Lazers competed in their first ever meet at the Pioneer Open at SUNY Alfred. Freer finished in third place in the 180 lbs pound weight class while Williamson competed unattached at 131 lbs, placing third.

Afterward, Gifford said they were both eager to return to work.

“They were like, ‘I can’t wait to get back on the mats on Monday,’” Gifford said. “They were saying that like Saturday night after they had just wrestled matches.”

Freer and Williamson often wrestle against each other in practice, but they also look to wrestle men on the team that are closer to their weight class. This helps Williamson with her quickness and Freer learn how to deal with heavier pressure.

As women’s wrestling grows, Williamson has seen it develop in other places too. Her high school, Fountain-Fort Carson High School (CO), has grown from just five girl wrestlers when she was there to now 20.

“We’ve got other colleges following [Onondaga)]” Freer said. “So its really been getting bigger and I think it’s only going to get better from here.”

The Lazers will be competing across New York state and Pennsylvania into March. Two months into their season, they are looking to reach high goals. 

“At the end of the day, we’re here to be the best of the best and these girls show that they’re chasing that,” Gonzalez said. “And I feel like there are a lot of women who are going to come here with the same dream and same goal in mind, and we’re going to build a really dominant team.”