To show you how far Women’s Wrestling has come, here are a couple of fun facts for wrestling fans that I’m guessing you probably didn’t know. Coach Carlene Sluberksi and I (Sam Recco) were in the same New York State wrestling bracket: the 96 lbs state championships in 2009. Crazy, right? What’s even more wild is that Carlene was a finalist in that bracket! I missed the podium by one match (which was only top-six placements then), and she made a very difficult run to the finals—upsetting the first seed in the semis. I think she would’ve whooped my butt that season. Carlene ended up finishing her high school wrestling career with a record of 116-36 against boys. Beyond impressive, and I don’t know if that could be done today.
Coach Sluberski’s first season of competition at D’Youville began in 2023. In that inaugural season, she led the Saints to a 9-8 dual-meet record and sent five wrestlers to the NCWWC tournament (now, respectfully, the NCAA Championships). Before D’Youville, Carlene coached at Eastern Oregon, Providence in Montana, and the University of the Cumberlands. Sluberski was also a U.S. Senior National Team member multiple times. Her resume throughout women’s wrestling speaks for itself—and the Buffalo region is extremely fortunate to have her back, leading the Division II D’Youville Saints.
Coach Sluberski had a lot to say when I asked her about the D’Youville women’s wrestling program.
NYWN: D’Youville is still a relatively young women’s wrestling program. Where do you feel the program is right now compared to where you envisioned it when you took over?
Coach Sluberski: “My husband and I moved back to NY when our firstborn, Miles, was 3 months old. Looking back on that time, I was so overwhelmed with the newness of motherhood on top of recruiting for and building a new program. If you don’t get the program off the ground in year one, it’s really hard to make it. So, as you could imagine, I was very stressed, and there was a lot of surviving happening that first year. Every year has we get closer to where we want to be as a program, adding more layers and evolving to become a well-rounded program. The biggest piece of that is having the right fit individual—we certainly have a great group of people right now.”
NYWN: What has been the biggest challenge (and biggest reward) of building a program essentially from the ground up?
Coach Sluberski: “It’s hard to sell something that isn’t actually in existence. I do think the first couple of years were very challenging. We had a handful of wrestlers embrace what we have to offer and stuck with us through the difficult foundational years. They truly helped establish our program and grew it into something that others want to be part of.”
NYWN: What are you trying to establish as the identity of D’Youville women’s wrestling?
Coach Sluberski: “High-level wrestling and academics. We have some very rigorous healthcare programs that probably aren’t a traditional route for student-athletes, but that is also a tremendous opportunity for them. We have a high standard and expect a lot from our wrestlers. We want them to excel past the mat and set themselves up for life.”
NYWN: What do you tell a recruit who is considering D’Youville but may not know much about the program yet? What’s the pitch?
Coach Sluberski: “Our athletic department is continuing to expand. Our program, along with many others, was established to offer more opportunities to young women—athletically and academically. We are very intentional with how we have set up our training and competition schedules to support success as a student-athlete. So, the pitch… It’s the same thing that brought my husband and me here. We were coaching together at Eastern Oregon University prior to moving to Buffalo. I really loved EOU and didn’t want to leave. We had gotten the program to a good spot, finishing our season with 4 All-Americans and a top 10 team finish nationally. D’Youville is unique in that the University offers academic programs that virtually no other college with women’s wrestling offers. There are very few places, if any, that can allow you to pursue a nursing degree while also wrestling at a high level. You could insert any of our health care-specific programs into that statement (Nutrition and dietetics, PT, Pharmacy, among many others). We currently have athletes in all of those programs mentioned.
On top of the academic opportunity, our athletic opportunities are just as great. Our student-athletes have access to an exceptional support staff of strength and conditioning coaches, a sports nutritionist, a sports psychologist, academic success coaches, etc. We have produced several National Qualifiers in these first three seasons. We will continue to expand our competitive opportunities within the conference and adjust our competitive schedule to meet the needs of our group.
You can have it all here if you’re willing to be disciplined and put in the work.”
NYWN: You had five wrestlers qualify for the NCWWC Championships during the program’s first season. What did that early success tell you about the potential of this group?
Coach Sluberski: “We had a very small, but talented group. We only have three wrestlers still in the program from that first group. So, there are a couple of things I take away from that. The first was that we have the makings to be a high-level program. The second is that we were not immune to the typical challenges that every new program faces—retention and turnover. It took time for us to really fill out our roster and find the people that want all that we offer—as a wrestling program and University.”
NYWN: What are some of the biggest areas where you’ve seen your wrestlers grow since that first season?
Coach Sluberski: “I generally look at wrestling through a ‘whole person’ lens—I try to, anyway. It’s been really cool to see how they have grown more confident and sure of themselves. The older group knows what they want, and they are pursuing their goals. They know the expectations, and they are stepping into those leadership roles within our team and across campus. One thing I love seeing is our wrestlers involved across the campus. They’re taking part in the entire experience, gaining valuable lessons and putting themselves in positions to make connections and build relationships. I’m really proud of the way they represent themselves and our program.”
NYWN: Is there a particular wrestler or story from the first few years that really captures what D’Youville wrestling is about?
Coach Sluberski: “We have a few wrestlers that remain from that first class that I believe embody our program and what we’re about. They have achieved a lot of success on the mat and in the classroom. They are all national qualifiers (some multiple-time qualifiers), and all three will graduate with their BSN. They have become leaders in our program and have set themselves up for success beyond wrestling. They have set an impressive standard for our program.”
NYWN: Women’s wrestling continues to grow rapidly at the collegiate level. What do you think programs like D’Youville can contribute to that growth here in Western New York?
Coach Sluberski: “When their time comes to a close at D’Youville, I hope that our student-athletes look back on this as a positive and impactful time in their lives. We need more women coaching. Our high school girls need more women leading. We need more women officiating. When we provide positive experiences in wrestling for our women, they are a heck of a lot more likely to stick around and want to share that with others. If our program can provide those positive experiences, we can help foster that growth within the WNY community at its roots.”
NYWN: How important is it for young women in Western New York to see college wrestling opportunities developing closer to home?
Coach Sluberski: “The most important outcome of programs developing close to home is this idea of visibility. When you see someone that you can identify with, doing what you want to do, it’s not so hard to see the pathway to it. If you see more women leading, coaching, and officiating, you’re going to get more women doing those things too. We want our college athletes to have a great experience so they want to stay involved and give back to the next generation- in whatever capacity they can.”
NYWN: You’ve coached at several different levels and have been involved with USA Wrestling internationally. How have those experiences shaped the way you coach today?
Coach Sluberski: “I used to be very unsure when I first got into coaching. I didn’t really have an idea of what it looked like to be a female coach- which sounds silly. One of my few female coaches was a 3x Olympic medalist, so in my head that was the standard that every female had to hold. Which I’m very aware is an exceptionally crazy thought. What I’ve concluded (so far) is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for coaching. You have to coach in a way that is authentic and in line with you and your values. Everyone brings a unique set of life experiences, beliefs, values, and skills to the table. Every coach contributes and offers something different.”
NYWN: What are you most excited about heading into this season?
Coach Sluberski: “This year we joined the PSAC and will compete in a series of duals. This gives us an additional 7 duals throughout the season and the opportunity to compete for a conference championship title. It is an exciting time for our program, and there are a lot of “firsts” that have yet to be named.”
When it comes to women’s wrestling (similar to what Coach said), we need more people on board and supporting their programs and those young ladies’ dreams. I mean, wrestling is such a niche community, and I believe that something as simple as advocacy (and even just word-of-mouth) goes a long way within the sport. When people start believing in the cause, they become part of something bigger than themselves, and I think that’s cool—especially in this case.
I am strongly convinced that the Sluberki’s D’Youville Saints wrestling program will be a destination that many young women seek for many wrestling seasons to come.
