(Tabor) -- Fremont-Mills senior and Southwest Iowa wrestling standout Emily Kesterson is the third Warriors wrestler to sign to compete at the next level.
The multi-time state qualifier, Kesterson recently signed with Iowa Western.
“It came down to two things,” Kesterson told KMA Sports. “Iowa Western had the dental hygiene program I was really interested in and the facility (is great). I’ve already spent a bunch of time there, so I was confident in the decision.”
While Kesterson’s future is set and on the mat, she didn’t know for sure if that was something she would eventually decide to do.
“Wrestling in college has definitely been on my mind, but I was really just focused on academics,” Kesterson said. “I had a bunch of people asking if I was thinking about wrestling in college, and the more people kept asking, the more I thought maybe I should.”
From that point, Kesterson reached out to Iowa Western associate head coach Monica Mendoza.
“She was very welcoming,” Kesterson said. “She told me to bring the family up there and gave me a tour of the facility. By the time I got home, I was like, ‘Yep, I’m doing this.’”
Kesterson has some experience wrestling alongside the IWCC program, and she feels it’s a place she can continue to grow as a wrestler.
“I went up a few times last year to wrestle for SWIFT freestyle, and it’s held at the Iowa Western facility,” she said. “I got the chance to see the coaches and the teammates. Seeing the change between high school and college (style) is completely different. I was excited to be practicing with the college girls then, and they made me better.”
Listen to much more with Kesterson on her college decision in the audio file below.
