Big Blue wrestling will return in the fall of 2015! To help aid the program’s quick restart, an anonymous Millikin wrestling alumnus has issued a challenge to alumni and friends of Millikin, offering to match dollar for dollar all donations to Big Blue wrestling up to $100,000. The team will practice at the DISC and hold competitions at Griswold Physical Education Center. Millikin will become the fifth CCIW institution to compete in wrestling. Millikin wrestlers have earned 48 CCIW individual championships over the years and have also earned All-Conference honors 170 different times. Millikin had eight second place conference team finishes as well in the program’s final seven years.

The best wrestler Millikin has ever had was Kip Crandall. Crandall finished second in the nation and was also the CCIW champ four times. He won the heavyweight class in 1985-1988. In addition to Crandall, Richard Harvey (1992) and Nate Carden (2003) were both three time CCIW champs. Harvey won the 167 pound weight class from 1991-93. Carden won the 285 pound weight class in 2000, 2002, and 2003.

The new program’s coach will be Ryan Birt. Look for an interview with Mr. Birt in an upcoming edition of The Decaturian in the sports section!