CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference is proud to officially announce a conference expansion. Westcliff University will be joining the CCC as the 11th associate institution, competing in the sport of Women’s Wrestling beginning this 2023-24 season, the conference announced Tuesday.
"We are thrilled to welcome the Westcliff University Women's Wrestling program as an associate member," stated Commissioner Robert Cashell. "The growth of the sport in the West is truly exciting and we are proud to be one of the leading conferences nationwide providing opportunities for student-athletes to compete.”
Located in Irvine, Calif., Westcliff currently offers 28 sports, competing in the California Pacific and Golden State Athletic Conferences.
“We are incredibly excited to join the Cascade Collegiate Conference under the esteemed leadership of Commissioner, Robert Cashell. As the Dean of Athletics at Westcliff University, my only desire is to be a game-changer in the story of all my student-athletes. Being an associate member of CCC makes this possible for our Women’s Wrestling team,” Stated Shawn Harris.
The program was recently announced this year in an effort to continue the University’s growth and to solidify its position as a top school for athletes. The Warriors will join the short list of three other NAIA schools in California that currently have this program, all of which compete in the CCC; Menlo College, Simpson University, and Vanguard University.
D'Rell Gist was named the head coach in June and is excited to lead the new team. "Being able to join the CCC is a huge step and shows that we are headed in the right direction. The Cascade Conference has some very established teams, and we are excited to be a part of one of the best conferences in the NAIA. I would also like to thank the Cascade Conference for allowing us to join the CCC. We look forward to putting Westcliff on the map as we compete in this amazing conference!”
Women’s Wrestling teams will begin competition in the winter with all eight CCC teams competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, which will be hosted this year by Menlo College in Atherton, Calif., on February 25th.