Sport sponsorship: Pacific University (Oregon) has announced that its women's wrestling team will be elevated to varsity status for the 2002-03 season. Women's wrestling was a club sport at the school last year. The addition of women's wrestling brings the number of varsity sports at the school to 17. It's believed that the program at Pacific is the first varsity women's wrestling program in Division III and only the fifth nationwide in all three divisions ... State University College at Old Westbury has added men's and women's swimming, bringing the school's intercollegiate sports offerings to 12. The Panthers' first meet will be November 2, and Sigitas Rudokas will coach both teams. Rudokas, who joined the Panthers as aquatics director and strength coach in 2001, has served as head coach of the National Swim Team of Lithuania and as assistant coach of the National Swim Team of the Soviet Union ... Salve Regina University has announced the addition of women's volleyball, beginning in November. Erin McGlone, a former student-athlete at Wheaton College (Massachusetts), will coach the squad. With the addition of volleyball, Salve Regina will offer 18 varsity sports.

Conferences: The New Jersey Athletic Conference has approved the addition of Western Connecticut State University as an affiliate member in football, effective with the 2004 season. The school currently is a member of the Freedom Football Conference, which will be dissolving after the fall 2003 season since a majority of its members are leaving to form a new conference. The addition of Western Connecticut State will bring the number of football-playing institutions in the conference to eight.

Milestones: Jerry Angle, women's volleyball coach at Benedictine University (Illinois), earned his 600th career victory recently when the Eagles defeated Lake Forest College, 30-22, 30-26, 30-27. Last year Angle guided his squad to a 37-7 record, a conference championship and the school's first NCAA tournament berth since 1993. Angle came to Benedictine (Illinois) in 2000. He also coached 15 years at the Division I level at Northwestern University.

-- Compiled by Kay Hawes