MIDWAY, Ky. - A new era of Midway athletics begins this weekend, as the Eagles will open their first ever women's wrestling season on Saturday.

The 28th varsity program hosted by the athletic department, Midway is led by Cole Smith, who is also serving as the head coach of the Eagle men's program on an interim basis.

And while he's likely to be a few weight classes short of a full roster, Smith aspires to do far more than just compete during this first campaign. After saying his men's team is "trying to be national champs right off the bat," he isn't letting off the gas pedal with this new program.

"With (the women), it's the same set of expectations," he said. "Not saying they will or won't be national champs right away, but it's the same type of process. With our duals, I think we have a chance at a winning record, for sure."

He has one great building block in the 160-pound weight class in Trinity Gottler, an athlete once said to be "on the Mount Rushmore of girl's wrestling for Kentucky" high schoolers.

Gottler began her amateur career competing against boys, where she put up a 22-6 record before wrestling became a sanctioned sport by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.

Once it was, her dominance only expanded, as she ended her time at Tates Creek High School as a five-time state champion.

Already enrolled at Midway, Gottler, who is also a six-time record holder, conference champion and national qualifying javelin thrower with the Eagle track and field program, has been a major asset both in an out of the wrestling room.

"She's been such a help for both recruiting and wrestling," Smith said of Gottler. "Everyone knows her. And we got really lucky with her. She's just super solid. I can show super advanced technique (to her) and she's able to just pick it up and apply it right away."

Smith is also going to lean heavily on experience from the transfer ranks. He specifically praised the efforts of Jillian Ellis, a 117-pound junior who came over from St. Andrews (N.C.) after the university closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

Ellis is one of three transfers to come from St. Andrews, as she's joined by junior Teresa Dawn (138) and sophomore Logan Flood (145). Sophomore Catherine Head will also look to compete for time in the lower weight classes after spending her freshman season at Lindsey Wilson.

This new team will be done no favors by the schedule makes, as Midway joins a Mid-South Conference that is home to a quarter of the NAIA's top-20 ranked teams.

Included in that group in the No. 1 team in the country in Life (Ga.). Indiana Tech (No. 5), Cumberlands (No. 6), Lindsey Wilson (No. 8) and Campbellsville (No. 20) are also in the league, as are Montreat (N.C.), Lourdes (Mich.) and Rochester Christian (Mich), who all received votes in the most recent national poll.

That challenge seems to be just fine for Smith, who is ready to lay a strong foundation this year and see major rewards down the line.

"Four or five years (from now), they're going to be something really special," he said.

Competition begins at the Trojan Women's Open in Mount Olive, N.C. on Saturday, before the Eagles travel to Rio Grande (Ohio) for their first ever dual on Monday.