The Auburn University Club Wrestling Team is getting ready for the 2009-2010 season with practice just around the corner.
The club is part of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association with the season beginning in November and carrying through until spring.
The team was a Division I sport at Auburn before it was cut by Title IX, which states that no one shall be denied to partake in any activity receiving Federal financial assistance based purely on sex.
Audra Creech, a senior in psychology who joined the team last year, said there aren't many female wrestlers in her weight class.
"It's uncommon but not unheard of," Creech said. "They started Title IX to help women, but it actually ended up hurting me. I can't wrestle guys."
Although there is no set schedule as of yet, team President Will Griffin, a junior in chemical engineering, said the team was trying to arrange a dual match with the University of Alabama sometime in November.
Aaron Plitt, a senior in psychology, said he is most looking forward to the match against Tennessee Temple because of an illegal head-butt which caused controversy last year.
"He did an illegal move, and then he head-butted me in the back of the head," Plitt said. "That's two illegal moves and that almost started a brawl."
The team placed 13th last year at National Duals and was excited to even be invited.
"Every year only 16 teams get invited to go to National Duals and the fact that we as a small team made it, is an honor," Griffin said.
On top of that, six members qualified to wrestle at individual nationals.
"I want to see the club continue to grow," Griffin said. "We've been doing well for the past couple of years and I wanted to keep it going."
It is harder for a team such as Auburn to qualify because of the size of the squad.
The Wrestling Club is able to bring only one full squad to tournaments where as bigger schools often manage to bring three.
"Before tournaments, everyone cuts weight, which means we lose a lot of weight very quick," Plitt said.
This is done to try and get into the right weight class which is the maximum weight a wrestler can weigh of the day of the match.
After each team wrestles, points are awarded to or deducted from the team as a whole based on maneuvers or infractions performed along with victory conditions.
The team with the most points after all of the weight classes have competed wins the dual match.
The Mat Cats, a University organization which acts as hostess for the wrestling team, offers support for the team since they are not funded by the University.
"We tape them and do fundraisers," said Michelle Gropper, a senior in accounting and finance and Mat Cat president.
The Tigers will start practice Sept. 8 in the Student Activities Center Room 207.
Practices include games for warm-ups, stretching, drills, technique and "wrestling live," in which two team members wrestle in full.
Practices are from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and are open to the public.
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