CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference is proud to officially announce Westcliff University will be competing in the sport of Men’s Wrestling starting in the 2024-25 season. This was announced after Westcliff joined the CCC as the 11th associate institution, in the sport of
Women’s Wrestling, in August.
"We are excited to welcome Westcliff as its Men’s Wrestling program begins," stated Commissioner Robert Cashell. "As one of the leading conferences nationwide providing opportunities for student-athletes to compete In the West, we are honored to continue support.”
Located in Irvine, Calif., Westcliff currently offers 28 sports, competing in the California Pacific and Golden State Athletic Conferences.
Shawn Harris, Dean of Athletics at Westcliff announced; "Men's Wrestling will be added as a new sport beginning in 2024, strengthening our dedication to athletic achievement and giving our gifted 5Cs student-athletes another venue to demonstrate their abilities. I excitedly look forward to the amazing accomplishments and priceless experiences that lie ahead of us on the wrestling mats underneath Coach D'Rell Gist's leadership."
When Coach Gist was asked about the addition he said, “It’s awesome that we added Men’s Wrestling, it provides another opportunity for California wrestlers to get an education and compete. The CCC is arguably the toughest conference for Men’s and Women’s Wrestling. As a result, Westcliff will compete with the toughest competition in the country. There is not a lot of opportunity to start a program from the ground up, I feel incredibly grateful.”
There are currently eleven CCC teams in the sport of Men’s Wrestling, three others from California. All participating schools compete in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, which will be hosted this season by Eastern Oregon University on February 16-17. When Westcliff joins in 2025, it will be hosted by Simpson University in Redding, California.