NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships Finale
In a thrilling finale to the first-ever NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships held in Coralville, Iowa, Yu Sakamoto claimed the 117-pound title, sealing the overall team victory for McKendree University on Saturday night. Sakamoto’s narrow 4-3 triumph over Riley Rayome from North Central (IL) shifted the scoreboard in favor of the Bearcats, giving them a lead of 167-166 over Iowa, who had showcased three individual champions and a runner-up but had exhausted their competitors before the event concluded. With a final tally of 171 points, McKendree secured the championship, whereas North Central finished third with 123.5 points.
Noteworthy Accomplishments
Among the other noteworthy accomplishments during the championships, Katerina Lange from Grand Valley State, the top seed, triumphed over second-seeded Claire DiCugno from North Central with a score of 4-1, thus earning her the prestigious title at 138 pounds and marking a significant moment as she became the first national champion in women’s wrestling history.
Bella Mir of North Central, competing at 145 pounds, staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming her regular-season loss to former teammate Reese Larramendy of Iowa in the first round. Mir, a second seed and daughter of UFC heavyweight legend Frank Mir, executed a reversal on Larramendy’s takedown attempt and secured a pin with just 34 seconds remaining in the match.
Championship Highlights
The championships also featured Iowa’s Valarie Solorio, the No. 2 seed, who dominated fourth-seed Rayana Sahagun from Grand Valley State, winning the 103-pound title with a technical fall in the second round after Sahagun had previously edged out the top-seeded Heather Crull by criteria in the semifinals.
Moreover, Lehigh’s Audrey Jimenez made quick work of opponent Sage Mortimer from Grand Valley State, earning a pin just 1:19 into the first round at 110 pounds. In a competitive bout at 124 pounds, Quincy’s Xochitl Mota-Pettis achieved victory over Shelby Moore from McKendree by technical fall (10-0) in the second round, while Cameron Guerin from McKendree clinched the 131-pound championship after a closely contested match that ended in criteria (5-5) against Alexis Janlak of Aurora.
In other highlight matches, Iowa’s Kennedy Blades, a No. 1 seed, pinned third-seed Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg within 1:19 to take home the 160-pound title, while Iowa’s Kylie Welker dominated Destiny Rodriguez from McKendree, winning the 180-pound title by technical fall with an 11-0 score. The night concluded spectacularly with McKendree’s Tristan Kelly beating Sabrina Nauss from Grand Valley State, also by technical fall (11-0), to secure the championship at 207 pounds.
Conclusion
The inaugural NCAA women’s wrestling championship will certainly leave a lasting legacy in the sport’s history.
