Takedown Report

College Women’s Wrestling News & Notes

Henlee Haynes Grabs NWCA Region 2 Wrestler of the Month Honors
CLINTON, S.C. – One of the brightest shining stars on a roster full of soon-to-be premier players on a national stage, true freshman Henlee Haynes of the Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team was chosen as the NWCA Region 2 Wrestler of the Month over the December period. Announced on Tuesday afternoon by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, Haynes’ selection is one of only six regional winners across the country. For head coach Brian Vutianitis‘ club, the accolade goes down as another first for a program that continues to display elite consistency.  Jumping right into the 170-pound class as a collegiate rookie for a Blue Hose squad that finished in ninth-place nationwide last spring and who currently owns a # 11 ranking from the NWCA, Haynes immediately proved her starting status by gaining a silver medal at the Princeton Open back in November and has segued that into a 15-8 mark thus far.
All three of PC’s tournament appearances have ended with Haynes taking either a 1^st or 2^nd place trophy, including a 4-0 sprint to the Wasp Open title last month that transitioned smoothly into a runner-up spot for the newbie at the famed Midlands Championships in Chicago. … story at … GObluehose.com/Womens-wrestling-henlee-haynes-grabs-nwca-region-2-wrestler-of-the-month-honors

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This Week in Women’s Collegiate Wrestling (1/9/2024)
Key Takeaways from NWCA National Duals
National Duals over the weekend were filled with nonstop exciting wrestling moments for fans of both NAIA and NCAA schools. Teams brought strong lineups to compete for a coveted team title, and these wrestlers showed out. Here are some big moments from the weekend across the two competitions.
NAIA
1. Life Reclaims Top Spot
The #1 Life University Running Eagles went on a run to claim the team title at the tournament winning over #2 Menlo in the finals. This dual had several exciting ranked matchups, including an upset at 101 lbs when Menlo’s #10 Kayla McKinley-Johnson took out #4 Devyn Gomez in a 4-1 decision. Life had a quick response at 109 lbs when Diana Gonzalez got a quick pin to cap off her impressive tournament showing. Fans also saw Menlo’s #11 at 123 lbs Ajayzee Zaballos, move down a weight for this dual and win a slow-starting match with three second-period takedowns to win against #6 Ariana Martinez at 116 lbs. A pin from Menlo’s #8 Alana Vivas at 123 lbs had the two teams tied after the first 5 bouts.
However, at 130 lbs, #2 Sarah Savidge continued her impressive tournament with a first-period pin. From there, the three McBryde sisters all earned impressive wins to lock up the dual for the Running Eagles. Not to be dismayed, Menlo ended their day with two ranked wins in the final two matches including freshman #3 Kalila Shrive getting the tech against #4 Margaret Graham and #1 Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson getting the win over #6 Madeline Welch. Throughout the day, we saw big matches at 101 lbs … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/This-week-in-womens-collegiate-wrestling

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#3 Tornado take down #11 Presbyterian
BRISTOL, Tenn. – The #3 King University women’s wrestling team snapped a two-match losing streak Saturday, winning six bouts en route to a 28-20 victory over #11 Presbyterian College.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: #3 King 28, #20 Presbyterian 20
LOCATION: Student Center Complex; Bristol, Tenn.
RECORDS: King 7-2; Presbyterian 7-4
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Blue Hose won the first two bouts, before top-ranked Samara Chavez pinned Charlee Shuler in 1:28 to make the score 9-6 in favor of Presbyterian. … story at … Kingtornado.com/Womens-wrestling-3-tornado-take-down-11-presbyterian

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Women’s Weekly: The End Of An Era
This season is the end of an era for women’s college wrestling while an exciting new one begins
Women’s college wrestling reached an intersection in 2020. Three separate national championships were scheduled with NCAA and NAIA programs hosting tournaments for the first time in the same year.  The Women’s College Wrestling Association (WCWA) had done its job, and by 2020 it had reached its final leg before passing the baton. This organization was created in 2008 to provide women an opportunity to compete, and it included all divisions with an end-of-the-year tournament that was considered the college national championships. 
An unaffiliated women’s college national championship was held from 2004-07 before the WCWA was formed.  The NAIA Invitational Tournament was held in 2019, canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, and resumed in 2021. The 2023 NAIA Championships were the first officially sanctioned women’s collegiate national championship ever. 
The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) — a de facto NCAA Championship — includes all NCAA programs (D1, D2, and D3) with the first national championship held in 2020. NCAA women’s wrestling is currently an emerging sport with four Division I programs (Iowa, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart).  This season marks the end of an era for women’s college wrestling. Several top stars who competed in the WCWA/NAIA/NCAA crossover have exhausted all five years of their eligibility after using COVID years during the 2023-24 campaign. 
Some have stayed where they started while others have transferred. Eight national champions are in the homestretch of their college careers and all eight will determine what team wins the NCWWCs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 8-9. McKendree coach Sam Schmitz led his team to the first three NCWWC championships (2020-22) before a one-year stint with Central Methodist. Several of those wrestlers are still competing for various teams.  The following graphs outline the changes in women’s college wrestling. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Womens-weekly-the-end-of-an-era

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Who Will Win The 2024 USAW Women’s College Wrestler Of The Year?
Find out what wrestlers are in the lead for the 2024 USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year
The second annual USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year will be awarded after the season, but several wrestlers have separated themselves at the halfway point. Women’s college varsity wrestlers from all of the recognized college organizations are eligible, including NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA/junior college programs.  Below are the front runners and contenders for this year’s award. Remember, this is the list as of January. Wrestlers can move in and out based on results throughout the season. 
Front Runners
Aduago Nwachuckwu, William Penn, NAIA, Junior, 136 pounds
Nwachukwu started the season at 143 pounds and made her way down to 136 where she will stay for the remainder of the season. The William Penn star could win at either weight, though, and is currently ranked first in the FloWrestling pound-for-pound rankings after reaching Final X in 2023.  The San Jose, California, native was a finalist for this award last year and is the favorite to win her third NAIA title. She is perfect on the season against college competition following a bizarre off-season where her previous school shut down. Nwachukwu won a pair of titles for Iowa Wesleyan before transferring to William Penn when her coaches, Jake Kadel and Cash Wilcke, accepted roles on staff.  An 11-7 win over returning NCWWC finalist Yele Aycock at the All-Star Classic was Nwachukwu’s best win of the season as she entered the homestretch of her junior year. Domination is the name of the game for Nwachukwu if she wants to win this prestigious award. Her entertaining style makes her a fan favorite every time she walks to the mat. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Who-will-win-the-2024-usaw-womens-college-wrestler-of-the-year

January 20, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized