Historic firsts: DSU announces women's wrestling head coach and first athlete
Jan. 11—DICKINSON — The anticipation is palpable as Dickinson State University takes its first steps towards a promising future and the beginning of a new era — one where women athletes will have the opportunity to shine and compete on the same level as male counterparts.
As the mats are rolled out and the equipment prepared, the wrestling room comes to life, ready for the arrival of its first team of female wrestlers.
This month, Dickinson State University (DSU) announced the hiring of Tyson Springer as the head coach for its new women's wrestling program, and on Tuesday the program announced its first signee in Jacey Gorder.
The program is tentatively scheduled to begin competition in the 2023 fall season.
Approximately a month after publicly announcing the launch of the university's women's wrestling program, Dickinson State confirmed that they have reached an agreement and hired a former Blue Hawk athlete and two time All-American to lead the women's inaugural season.
Tyson Springer, the 2005 national champion at 165 pounds, previously led the restart of the Doane University wrestling program. Following his successful tenure at DU, Springer served as an assistant coach for North Idaho College and as head coach at Hastings College from 2017 to 2020. Most recently, the DSU alum coached at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa.
Springer will be spearheading a recruiting process that aims to attract a core team of wrestlers who will embody the spirit of physical attributes, technical skill and mental fortitude.
Strength, endurance, flexibility and quickness are hallmarks of DSU wrestling and the same will be expected of the new program. Springer looks to get the program through its early growing pains and has already made a promising signing in Jacey Gorder.
Gorder, a senior at Baker High School, is a legacy in the sport, as her father Darick Gorder was a three-time All-American for DSU. She holds a 54-14 record, won a bronze medal in state her sophomore year and has won consecutive Montana Amateur State titles. She is also a member of the Team Montana Junior Nationals team and has made history as the first varsity women's wrestler at her high school, as well as being the first female wrestler from BHS to make a state tournament appearance.
A schedule has not yet been established for the 2023 season, but is expected to provide wrestlers and the program with a host of opportunities to achieve success and be tested against superior programs.
For more information about Dickinson State University's women's wrestling program, visit dsubluehawks.com/sports/wwrest/index
