By Eli McKown, Des Moines Register
The work of so many athletes, coaches and more has finally come to fruition, as the opening day of the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships has come and gone.
After Day 1, the semifinals are set and we have 80 NCAA All-Americans established. Seeking a third-consecutive national title, Iowa currently sits in second place in the team standings with 91.5 points behind McKendree with 94. The Hawkeyes have seven in the semifinals to McKendree’s nine, and nine NCAA All-Americans to the Bearcats’ 10. In third is perennial contender North Central, with 73 team points, six semifinalists and seven NCAA All-Americans.
In the first session, the Hawkeyes were 9-1 and sent all but 124-pounder Cali Leng to the quarterfinals. Leng dropped a tough one for the team race with a 1-1 loss by criteria to McKendree’s Shelby Moore. Aside from that, however, the other nine Hawkeyes all won by technical fall or fall to keep pace with the Bearcats. Iowa, McKendree and North Central were all within three team points of one another in the top three of the standings, with McKendree being the lone team to advance all 10 of its wrestlers to the quarterfinals, but Iowa holding a narrow lead in first.
Iowa had a strong start in the quarterfinal round. At 103 pounds, Val Solorio became Iowa’s first-ever NCAA All-American after a 7-1 decision over Genesis Ramirez of Aurora. The big one, however, was Nyla Valecnia earning a 4-4 win by criteria over McKendree’s Gabriele Tedesco. Valencia lost the match earlier this season, but got revenge in a huge match for the team race.
Brianna Gonzalez gave Iowa a third semifinalist in a gritty victory over Delaware State’s Icart Galumette. She had to take injury time on a heavily wrapped leg, but scored 16 points before eventually locking up a win by fall over Galumette.
Iowa’s first quarterfinal loss came at 131 pounds as Karlee Brooks gave up an upset loss by fall via a headlock to Abigail Mozden of Mount Union. After that, Lilly Luft (4-1 decision over Jacinda Espinosa of Lindenwood), Reese Larramendy (12-2 technical fall over Madeline Kubicki of Presbyterian), Kennedy Blades (10-0 technical fall over Keeley Kehrli of Simpson) and Kylie Welker (11-0 technical fall over Azariah Moore of Lock Haven) all rolled as expected. However, Katja Osteen was unable to get revenge for her NCAA Regional final loss to Rewa Chababo of Wartburg, falling in a 2-1 decision to give Iowa seven quarterfinalists.
In consolations, Leng started with a win by fall over Sophie Bowers of Wartburg, but lost in a 9-1 decision in the bloodround to Eastern’s Savannah Witt. After Brooks lost in the quarterfinals, she bounced back with a 14-7 decision over Western New England’s Jazmene Molina. Osteen followed suit with a win by fall over Elizabeth Stricklin of D’Youville. With that, Brooks and Osteen ensured at least an eighth-place finish and nine NCAA All-Americans for the Hawkeyes.
As for the team race, the Bearcats hold the lead and have the most points still available to record with all 10 wrestlers still competing. Iowa had a nice lead over North Central in third with an 18.5-point gap, but also seven semifinalists to North Central’s six and nine wrestlers alive to the Cardinals’ seven.
Two pivotal semifinal matchups await for Iowa and McKendree on the morning of March 6, including Gonzalez vs. Yu Sakamoto at 117 and Larramendy vs. Alexandra Szkotnicki at 145. Gonzalez lost to Sakamoto, a U23 World champion, at last year’s national tournament. Larraendy is the favorite vs. Szkotnicki. Past that, there are several possible finals matchups that could be Iowa vs. McKendree, which could set up for a clash of titans to determine the team champion.
This is the third year in a row that Iowa has trailed after the first day of competition at the national tournament, but time will tell if they are able to complete a comeback once again.
Iowa women’s wrestling results after day one at the NCAA Championships
- 103: Val Solorio – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 110: Nyla Valencia – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 117: Brianna Gonzalez – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 124: Cali Leng – Did not place, 1-2
- 131: Karlee Brooks – Alive in consolations (clinched at least eighth), 2-1
- 138: Lilly Luft – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 145: Reese Larramendy – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 160: Kennedy Blades – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 180: Kylie Welker – Semifinalist, 2-0
- 207: Katja Osteen – Alive in consolations (clinched at least eighth), 2-1
NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships team scores after day one
- 1st: McKendree – 94 points
- 2nd: Iowa – 91.5
- 3rd: North Central – 73
- 4th: Grand Valley State – 67.5
- 5th: Presbyterian – 58
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