With a groundbreaking first season in the books, the Minot State women’s wrestling program is preparing for its next season on the mats with the addition of 12 new grapplers who will join the Beavers for the 2023-24 season.

Minot State head coach Brittney Mitchem is pleased to introduce 11 recent high school graduates who will join the Beavers as freshmen in the classroom and on the mat this fall, and the addition of transfer Haleigh Lematta from Concordia College, a Fessenden High School graduate who returns to her home state.

“Overall, I think this recruiting class is a great one to keep the momentum going of building this program,” Coach Mitchem said. “We have athlete after athlete, this class is overall just athletic. I am excited to work with that athleticism and create some national contenders out of it. I am here to chase down All-American titles; we were able to qualify three true freshmen to the national tournament last year but I am hungry for an All-American this upcoming season.

“With the athletes that we already have and their experiences, this year will be a fun one,” Minot State’s coach said. “All of the learning curves are hopefully out of the way and with the wisdom of our now “upperclassman” we will start to create a legacy here at Minot State.

“My first recruiting class (2022-23) will always be special, they are forever the foundation of this program,” Mitchem added.

Here is a look at the newest additions to the Minot State women’s wrestling team:

Trinity Boivin from Kalispell, Montana and Flathead High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 123 pounds, Boivin qualified for the Montana state tournament at 120 pounds.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “I don’t think you will find a harder worker than Trinity. I am impressed with how far she has come already; we are going to keep that momentum going and keep building.”

Krystal Corona from Las Vegas, Nevada and Palo Verde High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 109 pounds, Corona finished 5th at Western Regionals tournament and was 4-2 at the 2022 Freak Show tournament.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Krystal is a great person, strong and athletic. I believe she will make some noise this year.”

Bella Hernandez from West Jordan, Utah and Copper Hills High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 123 pounds, Hernandez was an Academic All-State Selection at Copper Hills HS.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Bella will bring maturity to the team; she will work hard and her determination is unmatched. I am excited to see her grow with us.”

Emily Hill from Phil Campbell, Alabama and Deshler High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 116 pounds, Hill was 5th in the state of Alabama and a member of the Alabama National Team.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Another athlete that is under the radar, she will accomplish great things at this next level.”

Michelle Klein from Escondido, California and Escondido High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 170 pounds, Klein is a top-5 wrestler out of the state of California who finished 3rd at the Masters tournament.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “I am excited for Michelle, she is a great athlete and will work hard. She was a great find for the 170 weight class.”

Reina Kohler from Kalispell Montana and Flathead High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 101 pounds, Kohler was ranked in the state of Montana and finished her senior season with a 17-6 record.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “This one will be a fun one to watch, she is not afraid to try new things. Her fearlessness is what will make her successful.”

Ari Korish from Bend, Oregon and Mountain View High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 123 pounds, Korish was 3rd in the state of Oregon, named Outstanding Wrestler of the Year, and Athlete of the Month at Mountain View HS.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Ari may seem sweet and innocent but on the mat she is a monster. With a little bit of fine-tuning Ari will be winning college matches in no time.”

Kerrington Lee from Stanley, North Dakota and Stanley High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 130 pounds, Lee was a Team North Dakota National team member.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Kerri is just an athlete; she will be a force to be reckoned with. I am excited to see her in action.”

Haleigh Lematta is a transfer from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota and graduate of Fessenden-Bowdon High School

A transfer from Concordia College who played softball for the Cobblers, but who did not wrestle, Lematta will compete at 136 pounds. She played in 19 games for the Cobblers this past spring as a true freshman, hitting .281, and pitched in 5 games.

On the mats at Fessenden-Bowdon HS, the Fessenden, North Dakota product was a North Dakota State Champion.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “I’m excited to see what Haleigh is going to accomplish, she is very athletic and will create some havoc in her weight class this year. I tried to get her to commit last year but couldn’t get her; I am excited she chose us this year.”

Emily Light from Fargo, North Dakota and North High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 136 pounds, Light also played softball at North HS.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “I know Emily will work very hard and will be a great asset to our program both athletically and academically.”

Julia Petryna from Regina, Saskatchewan and Archbishop O’Neill High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 109 pounds, Petryna was a Canadian Cadet National Team wrestler.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “Julia will bring a lot of international experience to the team. She already knows freestyle very well and I’m excited to keep developing her and maybe help her qualify for a world team.”

Skye Shelmerdine from Kalispell, Montana and Flathead High School

An incoming freshman who will compete at 116 pounds, Shelmerdine finished 5th at the Montana State Tournament in 2023 in the 114 weight class.

Coach Mitchem’s comments: “I am excited for Skye, she will be the first in her family to attend a University and I want to help her succeed to do great things; she has the passion and desire.”