GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's wrestling team will compete in a dual tournament with a full lineup for the first time in program history at the National Duals this weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.
The National Duals present the Argos with a chance to compete against top-notch NAIA squads. The Argos, who have has competed in duals before but had never fielded a full line up, will bring 11 players to the tournament and will be guaranteed at least three duals. They will start off against Missouri Valley College at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. If they win, they'll face off against Life at 6 p.m., and if they lose they'll play at 7:30 p.m.
"We haven't competed in a dual tournament before," head coach
Carlene Sluberski said. "This will be new for us. We've never competed as a team against other teams with full lineups. We're going to get a lot of matchups against teams that we will see later. It's a good experience for the girls. They've never competed as a team so I'm excited for them to root for each other and help one another out."
Sluberski has spent the last week preparing the team for the differences of preparing for a dual meet rather than an open.
"It's kind of a challenge for me as a coach," she said. "There's a little more emphasis on team points. Everybody makes a difference on the team. If you score a point in the dual and don't get pinned, you won us a team point. You don't have to be the best person on the team in order to contribute to the team. We've talked a lot about that this week."
Sluberski will look to seniors
Yurie Yoneoka and
Tatum Sparks and junior
Ivory Ayers to lead the team both on and off the mats through the physicality of a dual tournament. While the team as a whole doesn't necessarily have the experience, Sluberski is excited to see the progression that a lot of her team has made in the practice gym.
"I want them to get out there and compete as a team," she said. "I want them to execute some of the things that we've been working on. It's a new experience for them and there's a lot to be learned from it."
"I really want to have the team support to be there," Sluberski said. "Win, lose or draw, we're there supporting our teammates. This weekend will be good in the sense of overcoming challenges. How are we staying focused, how are we not making excuses, what kind of effort are we putting forward. They've done a good job of pushing through this past week and a half. I can't wait to see how we put it all together."
