DeWeese is a women's wrestling pioneer who happens to be from the area that Umpqua serves. She wrestled at Sutherlin High School in the mid-to-late 1980s and was a pioneering member of USA Wrestling's first women's team that competed in the 1989 World Championships in Switzerland. DeWeese earned a silver medal at the event. According to UCC, DeWeese was also the only woman in the University of Oregon's now-defunct collegiate wrestling program.
DeWeese brings impressive coaching experience with local roots. Since 2011, DeWeese has worked with the Roseburg Mat Club in UCC's hometown of Roseburg, Ore., coaching both collegiate and freestyle. She has also coached with the Oregon Women's Wrestling Program Fargo team and coaches and mentors girls in the local junior high wrestling programs.
"A huge promotor of women's wresting and women's sports, Asia believes that wrestling can be a transformational experience for young women," according to UCC's hiring announcement. "Wrestling profoundly influenced her life, and she wants to share that experience with others. She is excited to help athletes develop their wrestling skills and prepare them to move on to a four-year program as well as national and international competition."
"Asia is well known and very well respected in the wrestling community," UCC Director of Athletics Craig Jackson said. "We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to add such an accomplished coach and athlete to lead our new program. She has a passion for what she does and provides immediate value to our entire athletic department and campus."
The UCC women's program will begin competition in the 2017-18 academic year. The Riverhawks will compete as members of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association.
In early January, InterMat reported that men's and women's wrestling -- along with men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's obstacle course racing -- would be joining the roster of sports offered by Umpqua Community College starting this fall. The women's program is a completely new sport for UCC, while men's wrestling was offered by the school until the early 1980s.
Located in Roseburg in southwest Oregon, Umpqua Community College was founded in 1964. The two-year public school has an enrollment of 3,300 full-time and approximately 16,000 part-time students.
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