(Estherville, Iowa) The Iowa Lakes Community College Athletics Department added a women's wrestling program and selected the team's first head coach. Pending Board approval, Corey Muniz will lead the new program as the search begins for qualified female wrestlers, with the program slated to start in July 2023.

"We're excited to add women's wrestling as a sport and Corey Muniz as our Head Women's Wrestling Coach. Corey has done a great job as our men's wrestling graduate assistant over the past two years. His excellent knowledge of the sport of wrestling and his ability to recruit and coach will make him a tremendous asset for the sport of women's wrestling both locally and throughout the state of Iowa," said Iowa Lakes' Athletics Director Troy Larson. "We are anxious to get our wrestling program up and running and to welcome student-athletes to campus. This is an exciting time for Iowa Lakes and the sport of women's wrestling."

In two years as an assistant for the Iowa Lakes Men's Wrestling Team, Muniz has found success with four wrestlers obtaining All-American status, two National Finalists, and one National Champion. Muniz also focused on the academic side of the sport with his student-athletes, with one athlete achieving Scholar All-American honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

Before coaching at Iowa Lakes, Muniz had a prolific wrestling career earning a spot on the Team Illinois Junior national team for Freestyle and Greco in 2014 and 2015, and wrestled at the collegiate level under Head Coach LeRoy Gardner for the University of The Ozarks' Eagles in Clarksville, Arkansas.

Muniz's collegiate-level wrestling record included winning 70 matches with 11 falls, 11 tech falls, seven major decisions, and five decisions. Muniz won the Central College Under Armour Invitational, the Ouachita Baptist University Hatcher Invite, and the Luther College Gator "Boots" Dual. In addition, he placed second in the Oklahoma City Open, third at the Cornell College Mike Duroe Invitational, fourth at the Southeast Wrestling Conference, fourth at the Central Baptist College Wrestling Invitational, eighth in the Citrus Invitational, and a finalist at the Buena Vista University's Beaver Open.

As an Eagle, Muniz was named an All-American at the Greco-Roman U23 World Team Trials, Southeast Conference Wrestler of the Week, Breakthrough Athlete of the Year, and is a record holder of technical fall victories.

Muniz graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of the Ozarks with minors in Accounting, Economics, Philosophy, and Quantitative Reasoning. He is finishing his master's degree in Corporate Finance Management from Upper Iowa University.

"I am beyond excited to be the first to lead this new program. Women's wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation and for Iowa Lakes to create another opportunity for growth is amazing. I cannot wait to get back on campus and start building the team!" exclaimed Muniz.

The Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) will have intense competition with five other community colleges, including Iowa Central Community College, Indian Hills Community College, Iowa Western Community College, North Iowa Area Community College, and Ellsworth Community College.

Iowa Lakes will begin competing in the 2023-24 academic year in the sanctioned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II events.

To learn more about Iowa Lakes Athletics, please visit iowalakesathletics.com.

MEDIA: For more information, please contact Corey Muniz, Head Women's Wrestling Coach, at 712.362.7968 or cmuniz@iowalakes.edu or Ashley Martin, Head Women's Basketball Coach and Sports Information Marketing, at 712-362-7928 or amartin@iowalakes.edu.

PHOTO CAPTION: Corey Muniz promoted to Head Women's Wrestling Coach at Iowa Lakes Community College.