For the first time in three years, LSU will have a wrestling club.
And no, there will be no body slams or folding chairs involved.
Kinesiology freshman Roy Fontenelle and civil engineering freshman Phillip Romig spearheaded a movement to re-establish the Wrestling Club at LSU. Both were standout high school wrestlers — Fontenelle at nearby Catholic High and Romig at Archbishop Rummel in Metairie.
“We wanted to give back to Louisiana wrestling after what we got out of it in high school,” Romig said.
Once a prominent NCAA Division I program, LSU dropped folkstyle wrestling, the style used in collegiate wrestling, in 1985 to comply with Title IX, just a year removed from an eighth place finish at the NCAA Tournament.
All wrestlers on scholarship, including 1992 Olympic gold medalist and current Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson, were forced to find other schools if they wished to continue wrestling.
Wrestling reappeared back on campus again in the fall of 2004 as a club sport headed by Mark Englehardt and Kyle Harris, two former high school wrestlers.
Fontenelle, the current club’s founder and president, said the club disbanded in 2009 after all members had either transferred schools or graduated. He feels certain the problem will not reoccur.
“As a freshman I’m starting it, building it for four years, seeing that it gets where it needs to be,” Fontenelle said. “I’m going to ensure there is someone to take my place when I’m gone.”
Fontenelle said the process to activate the club took a little more than a semester to complete, including writing and revising a constitution for the club. He said the endless paperwork and background checks were worth ensuring those who were passionate for the sport had an opportunity to participate.
“It provides an option for those who loved wrestling in high school to come to a school they have been around their entire life and continue the sport they’ve done for five, six or seven years,” Fontenelle said.
The club became active on Feb. 17, and both Romig and Fontenelle have been recruiting high school wrestlers, former teammates and current high school seniors. Fontenelle, a wrestling referee, has also talked to local high school coaches about the club.
The pair also created a Facebook group, which has 39 members, and Fontenelle said an additional 10 to 15 people have expressed interest. Romig said the local wrestling community has also helped to promote the club.
“Everyone has been really supportive of it,” Romig said. “Now guys can just come to LSU, and not have to go to northern or eastern schools [where wrestling is more popular].”
While practices or competitions have not yet been finalized, Fontenelle said he started membership sign-up Feb. 22 and hopes to further increase membership before practices begin.
Romig said his ultimate goal for the organization is to get elevated to a UREC sport and eventually form an entire Southeastern Conference of wrestling clubs. He wants to see the sport to which he dedicated his entire high school career become more prominent in the South.
“I’m going to try to give as much effort to the club as I can,” Romig said. “If I do something, I have to do it 100 percent.”
 
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Contact Chandler Rome at [email protected]