Benton wrestler Tatum Levendahl signs her letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career for the University of Dubuque on May 10 at Benton High School.
Benton wrestler Tatum Levendahl signs her letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career for the University of Dubuque on May 10 at Benton High School.
The sport of women’s wrestling has picked up steam across the United States, with numerous high schools and colleges adding the program to their catalogs. In fact, the NCAA announced women’s wrestling as an emerging sport in 2020.
Benton wrestler Tatum Levendahl will join a newly established women’s wrestling program up north in Iowa, hoping to kick-start the future of women’s wrestling at the University of Dubuque.
“As a freshman, you know, I’ve learned a lot about myself through wrestling,” Levendahl said. “I have a lot more drive and motivation than I thought I did, and I think that’s mainly what got me to where I am today. I never would have imagined the possibilities that it opened up for me.”
The sport led Levendahl to sign her letter of intent to become a Spartan on Wednesday. She’ll become the first generation of women Spartan wrestlers, with the addition of women’s wrestling becoming a varsity sport for the 2023-24 season.
There’ll be plenty of competition, as UD joins Buena Vista University, Central College, Simpson College and Wartburg College as schools who have all announced the addition of women’s wrestling in the American Rivers Conference.
The team will be coached by three-time Olympian and former World Champion Dennis Hall. Having such an experienced coach is something Levendahl is excited for.
“At the University of Dubuque, it’s going to be their first year with a women’s program, so I feel like I’m excited to be a part of something big and to have a very, very well-known athlete as my coach,” Levendahl said. “You know, he did a lot of amazing things. I know his head’s just full of things for me to learn.”
The soon to be Cardinal alum left her impact on the Benton wrestling program. During her tenure, she was a three time state qualifier, which included a second place finish this year.
Lessons learned through wrestling will last a lifetime. These lessons, mixed with her work ethic, has her believing she’ll be a huge asset when she steps on campus.
“I feel like I’ve always been a hard worker and I’ve always felt like I’ve had something to prove. I want to be the hardest worker in the room, and I feel like that can also motivate other people,” Levendahl said. “I feel like for the most part, I’m a positive person to be around in the practice room, so I think that’s probably like one of my main attributes as a teammate.”
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.