Tarkyia Mensah

Tarkyia Mensah, head women’s wrestling coach at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas, will travel to Azerbaijan as one of Wrestle Like a Girl’s (WLAG) exchange participants. The U.S. State Department exchange will occur in May and have the theme of Empowering Girls and Women through Sport.

The purpose of the trip is to address gender equality issues by showcasing women’s leadership roles. Participant will share the insights gained from the trip through coaching, workshops and community initiatives aimed at fostering acceptance and understanding of women’s sports.

As a native of Katy, Texas, Mensah was a UIL State Championship in 2011 and three-time All-American wrestler. Mensah wrestled collegiately at Wayland Baptist University where she won a National Championship in 2015 and 2016, as well as being named the Missouri Valley Open’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. She has coached Schreiner University Women’s Wrestling since 2022.

Other participants include Kristi Mann, the Arkansas state chair of USA Wrestling, Chloe Ivanoff, assistant wrestling coach at Kodiak High School, Cadence Dare, founder of the Oklahoma State Cowgirl Wrestling Club Team, Krista Graff, Oklahoma’s state chapter director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Robyn Chaney, federal programs coordinator, athletic director and wrestling administration at Dillingham City School District in Alaska, Nicole Tyson, head women’s wrestling coach at Oklahoma City University, Ed Lester, principal and head coach at Newhalen School in Alaska, and Poorna Babu, captain of the wrestling team at Texas Woman’s University.