McKendree’s top-seed Yu Sakamoto downed Iowa’s fifth-seeded Brianna Gonzalez 17-10 in the semis for a Saturday-night shot at a title 117 pounds vs. North Central’s Riley Rayome. Photo by Justin Hoch.
McKendree and Iowa have made it a two-team race at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships in Coralville, putting nine wrestlers in the finals between the two teams. McKendree leads by 8.5 points going into the final 10 bouts, 157.5-149.
The Bearcats are favored in three of their five finals matches, at 117, 131 and 207, with top seeds Yu Sakamoto, Cameron Guerin and Tristan Kelly, respectively. McKendree also sends out Shelby Moore (124) and Destiny Rodriguez (180) onto the raised championship mat. The finals will start at 138, giving Guerin the final match of the night as the four-time champ seeks her historic fifth national title
Iowa has four finalists and is favored in all four weights, two of them against Bearcat opponents. Iowa’s finalists are Valarie Solorio (103), Reese Larramendy (145), Kennedy Blades (160) and Kylie Welker (180).
McKendree will take All-American honors away from the tourney at all 10 weights, finishing with two thirds, a fourth, and two sixth-place finishes. The host Hawkeyes have nine All-Americans, with one third, three fourths, and a seventh-place finisher in addition to their finalists.
North Central sits in third place with 117.5 points with three in the finals and Grand Valley State, which has four finalists, is in fourth with 106 points.
Attendance is at 6,204 for the three sessions, with 2,166 for the morning’s semifinal session. The finals are on ESPN Plus tonight at 7 p.m.
Semifinals results
103 pounds
Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley St.) dec. Heather Crull (McKendree), 7-7
Valarie Solorio (Iowa) fall Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy), 0:40
110 pounds
Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh) tech fall Nyla Valencia (Iowa), 13-2, 4:45
Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley St.) medical forfeit Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian)
117 pounds
Yu Sakamoto (McKendree) dec. Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa), 17-10
Riley Rayome (North Central, IL) tech fall Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel, GA), 12-2, 5:57
124 pounds
Shelby Moore (McKendree) dec. Sara Sterner (North Central, IL), 7-4
Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Quincy) tech fall Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa), 10-0, 1:29
131 pounds
Cameron Guerin (McKendree) tech fall Abigail Mozden (Mount Union), 14-4, 3:28
Alexis Janiak (Aurora) dec. Aubre Krazer (Lehigh), 4-0
138 pounds
Katerina Lange (Grand Valley St.) dec. Lilly Luft (Iowa), 4-3
Claire DiCugno (North Central, IL) tech. fall Haylie Jaffe (McKendree) 23-5 (TF-1.5 2:31 (11-0))
145 pounds
Reese Larramendy (Iowa) tech. fall Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree), 13-1, 4:50
Bella Mir (North Central, IL) tech fall Annelise Obermark (Simpson), 10-0, 2:11
160 pounds
Kennedy Blades (Iowa) dec. Stella Steigler (King, TN), 9-1
Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg) dec. Savannah Gomez (McKendree), 2-1
180 pounds
Kylie Welker (Iowa) fall Shenita Lawson (North Central, IL), 1:53
Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree) fall Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays St.), 2:53
207 pounds
Tristan Kelly (McKendree) tech. fall Rewa Chababo (Wartburg), 11-0, 1:14
Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley St.) fall Caroline Ward (North Central, IL), 1:54
Placement matches
103 pounds
3rd – Genesis Ramirez (Aurora) 36-9 won by decision over Madison Avila (North Central (IL)) 29-12 (Dec 6-5)
5th – Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy) 24-13 won by decision over Heather Crull (McKendree) 32-6 (Dec 11-10)
7th – Alexis Winecke (Wis.-Stevens Point) 42-12 won by decision over Mia Zuniga (Colorado Mesa) 23-9 (Dec 11-9)
110 pounds
3rd – Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree) medical forfeit Nyla Valencia (Iowa)
5th – Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg) inj dft. Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian), 0:00
7th – Avery Kibelbek (King, TN) tech fall Adriana Gomez (Colorado Mesa), 10-0, 3:38
117 pounds
3rd – Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) dec. Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel, GA), 4-2
5th – Carleigh Czerneski (Adrian) dec. Jenna Anderson (Presbyterian), 7-4
7th – Abigail Cooper (Lehigh) dec. Gable Hemann (Wartburg), 7-1
124 pounds
3rd – Sara Sterner (North Central, IL) dec. Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa), 10-5
5th – Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley St.) tech fall Virginia Foard (King, TN), 10-0, 2:29
7th – Savannah Witt (Eastern) dec. Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian), 11-4
131 pounds
3rd – Aubre Krazer (Lehigh) fall Cassia Zammit (West Liberty), 2:48
5th – Abigail Mozden (Mount Union) tech fall Janida Garcia (Emmanuel, GA), 0:19
7th – Karlee Brooks (Iowa) tech fall Makayla Paclib (Pitt.-Johnstown), 10-0, 3:28
138 pounds
3rd – Haylie Jaffe (McKendree) dec. Lilly Luft (Iowa), 5-3
5th – Kylie Rule (Wartburg) dec. Jacinda Espinosa (Lindenwood), 7-2
7th – Aine Moffit (Augustana, IL) dec. Ruby Julien-Newsom (King, TN), 8-1
145 pounds
3rd – Liv Wieber (Simon Fraser) fall Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian), 1:45
5th – Annelise Obermark (Simpson) dec. Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree), 11-10
7th – Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley St.) dec. Zoey Haines (Eastern), 15-7
160 pounds
3rd – Stella Steigler (King, TN) dec. Savannah Gomez (McKendree), 5-0
5th – May Cuyler (Presbyterian) fall Love Daley (Sacred Heart), 4:09)
7th – Keeley Kehrli (Simpson) fall Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley St.), 2:44
180 pounds
3rd – Shenita Lawson (North Central, IL) dec. Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays St.), 7-2
5th – Isabella Phillips (Gannon) dec. Azariah Moore (Lock Haven), 7-2
7th – Paige Maher (Simon Fraser) fall Mia Gaetjens (Adrian) 34-11, 1:24
207
3rd – Rewa Chababo (Wartburg) dec. Katja Osteen (Iowa), 2-1
5th – Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa) fall Caroline Ward (North Central, IL), 2:52
7th – Maria Aiono (Presbyterian) dec. Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart), 4-1
Team Standings after three sessions
1 McKendree 157.5
2 Iowa 149.0
3 North Central (IL) 117.5
4 Grand Valley St. 106.5
5 Presbyterian 83.5
6 Lehigh 48.5
7 King (TN) 45.5
8 Colorado Mesa 41.5
9 East Stroudsburg 40.0
10 Wartburg 39.5
11 Simon Fraser 37.5
12 Quincy 35.5
13 Aurora 33.5
14 Emmanuel (GA) 29.5
15 Sacred Heart 21.5