NEWPORT NEWS -- The Apprentice School Department of Athletics has announced the addition of women's wrestling as the newest sport offering Thursday. The addition brings the total sport offerings at The Apprentice School to seven.

"This is an exciting day to be a Builder!" said Jeff Egnot, Director of Athletics. "The decision to add a second women's program expands our commitment to providing diverse opportunities for future female student-athletes. By adding women's wrestling, The Apprentice School is helping create more opportunities for female athletes to compete at the collegiate level in an emerging sport they love. My department and coaching staff are proud to be a part of this monumental moment that will assist in attracting more diversity to our program and will help draw future leaders to the company."

Kris Smith will serve as the Associate Head Coach for the program, while Micah Amrozowicz will be promoted to Director of Wrestling, overseeing all aspects of both the men's and women's programs. Colton Messick will become the Associate Head Coach for the men's program as part of the transition. Messick will also assist in the recruiting process as the program begins to grow into its own entity.

"This has been in the works since 2018 when Erin Aragon (now Mosley) stepped into our room in 2018," said Amrozowicz. "She got the ball rolling and we have been in pursuit of this ever since. The timing could not be better. Women's wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the nation, and we will have the only college wrestling program in the Hampton Roads area for both men and women. I believe this is not only a great step forward for The Apprentice School, but also a great opportunity for female wrestlers who are interested in learning a trade and growing as a leader. Wrestling is the greatest sport on earth for preparing young adults for the future, and I am excited to see what opportunities we are able to provide female wrestlers through being a student-athlete at The Apprentice School."

"This program has been a dream in the making for the last six years," said Mosley, who will serve as an assistant coach for the program. "I couldn't be more excited to see it come to fruition. This is an amazing time in the history of women's wrestling, and I'm thrilled that we are able to contribute to the growth of the sport. I look forward to growing our team and working toward being competitive at the national level."

The women's wrestling program will have a full schedule of events that will include events separate from the men's team as well as some crossover events. This past season, there were five events for the women's wrestlers that are currently part of the program.

"I'm excited to be a part of the opportunities granted to the future shipbuilders and student-athletes by the introduction of a fully-fledged women's program," said Smith. "The growth in women's wrestling at every level has been extraordinary and I'm glad that we can help become a catalyst for the sport that I've dedicated and continue to dedicate so much of my time to. We are not only bringing in student-athletes, but we will be bringing up future craftswomen into the world of shipbuilding."

Student-athletes that are interested in joining the program should reach out via email to any of the staff members on the wrestling section of the staff directory.