Takedown Report

Women’s College Wrestling National News

2024 NCWWC National Championship Preview
Brackets are out for the 2024 Nation Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, and it is going to be an exciting one. With the addition of a seemingly unstoppable Iowa team in their inaugural run at the title, plus returning champs North Central also maxing out their lineup, it’s truly anyone’s game. And that is not even factoring in historically top talent from McKendree and King. You won’t want to miss the action this weekend, so here are a few things to keep an eye out for at each weight.

101 lbs: Top seed – Emilie Gonzalez, Iowa
Iowa is claiming the top 2 spots at this weight with Emilie Gonzalez as the 1 seed and Sterling Dias at 2. However, with how volatile these lower weights can be, I would not expect most seeds to hold. Keep an eye out for Avery Kibelbek of King, who receives a bye in her first round and will then likely see Genesis Ramirez of Aurora, whom she beat 8-0 in a dual earlier this year, before meeting up with Gonzalez. On the opposite side of the bracket, look out for Madison Avila to make a run where she’ll likely meet up with Jessica Corredor of King, which was a semifinal match last year that ended with a 9-0 win for Avila after putting Corredor on her back and working for the pin for the last 30 seconds of the match. If brackets do hold, Gonzalez does have the most recent win over Dias from regionals, but it could go either way.

109 lbs: Top seed – Kendra Ryan, North Central
Behind Kendra Ryan, is Ava Bayless of Iowa who has really shown out this season. I would be really curious to see which one could pull off the win if they were to meet in the finals. The two did face off at US Nationals last year with Ryan getting a dominant tech, but I do think Bayless could even the score especially if she has a dominant run in the rest of the tournament. Her first big obstacle should be Jaslynn Gallegos of North Central in the semis, which would be fireworks after the two met up at National Duals with Bayless winning the 5-5 decision on criteria. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/2024-ncwwc-national-championship-preview
And …

How a small Illinois college became a women’s wrestling powerhouse
North Central College in Naperville — a small liberal arts school of fewer than 3,000 students — has become one of the premier women’s wrestling programs in the country. And the program only started five years ago.
Last spring, the North Central team took home their first national title. And three Cardinals wrestlers secured individual championships on top of that.
Yelena Makoyed won her third consecutivenational championship in 2023 AND was named the first-ever USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year.
She’s also one of at least six North Central women’s wrestlers who will compete at the Olympic Trialslater this spring with a shot to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this July.
Makoyed andNCC head coach Joe Norton understand the significance of the opportunity. “That’s the pinnacle of our sport,” said Norton. “It’s not the NFL or the NBA or whatever. And you can go to a Division-3 school and qualify for the Olympic trials? There’s not a lot of dudes going D-3 and going to the NFL.” But, just a few years ago, when the program just began, there was no hardware Norton could point to during the recruiting process. No national titles. No Olympics. Just a small, Division-3 school in the Midwest with a good men’s program and without any scholarships to offer.
“We were just selling dreams back then,” he said. Makoyed remembers his pitch very well. “It was like, ‘I love wrestling. I want to coach, I want to start a woman’s program.’ And we kind of just had to have faith that he would follow through,” she said.
To make recruiting more complicated, girl’s wrestling wasn’t an official IHSA sport at the high school level in Illinois until just 3 years ago. So, there weren’t many local programs to pull from.
Makoyed is from California. She didn’t start wrestling until high school. Her school didn’t have enough girls for their own team, so they’d practice with the boys’ team and then compete against other girls in tournaments. “And I honestly liked it like that,” she said. “Because the coaches treated us equally, the same as the guys, and it was really challenging but it made us really strong.”
She says she wasn’t that heavily recruited, since she started so late. She didn’t really know about many programs with women’s teams until she got the call from coach Norton. … story at … Northernpublicradio.org/How-a-small-illinois-college-became-a-womens-wrestling-powerhouse
And …

Corrie Williams Claims First National Title in Program History
Seven Badgers Named All-Americans at NJCAA National Championship
Corrie Williams of the Snow College women’s wrestling team won the NJCAA National Championship in the 136-pound division over the weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  This is the first National Title for the Badgers women’s wrestling program in its brief two-year history.  
“I went into the tournament knowing I had the capability of winning it all,” Williams said.  “That is what I have been aiming for throughout the entire season.  After being named an All-American last season, I didn’t want to settle for that again this year.  I knew I could win the National Title, and I had a great support system that helped me reach that goal.”
Williams, a sophomore from Enterprise, Utah, entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 136-pound division after a strong season that saw her go 12-5 throughout the 2023-24 campaign. After finishing in fourth place at the National Tournament last year as a three seed, Williams claimed the top spot in her division following her performance during the 2023-24 season.
“This is what I set my sights on during the year,” Williams said.  “In women’s wrestling, anyone can win on any given day.  I realized that if I wanted to be successful and reach my goal, I’d have to keep myself disciplined and do the things that would put me in a good position.  I always wanted to work hard and earn everything and make sure nothing was given to me.”
As a No. 1 seed, Williams received a bye in the first round.  She made quick work of her first two opponents winning each match via fall.  She held a 2-0 lead in her semifinal matchup before her opponent was forced to bow out due to injury.  Williams entered the championship bout against No. 2 seeded Malia Kehne of Carl Albert State College. … story at … Snowbadgers.com/Corrie-williams-claims-first-national-title-in-program-history
And …

Hall of Fame Displays “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” at 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships
STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to announce that “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” will be displayed at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships on March 8 and 9 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   
This engaging and educational display is dedicated to showcasing the significant milestones and achievements that have shaped the history of women’s wrestling.
Spanning an impressive 10-feet by 10-feet, the vibrant, full-color exhibit is designed to celebrate and acknowledge the rich history and evolution of women’s wrestling. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a timeline of remarkable achievements and pivotal moments that highlight the progress and resilience of female wrestlers throughout the years.
“This exhibit showcases the exponential growth that women’s wrestling has achieved over the last several decades in the United States,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Featuring pioneering World and Olympic champions and other significant milestones, this display celebrates the profound impact that women’s wrestling has had on our sport, both in our country and worldwide.”
The annual national championships for NCAA women’s wrestling programs, the NCWWC currently includes NCAA programs from the Division I, II and III levels. Athletes must qualify for the NCWWC through six Regional Qualifiers. This will be the fifth year for this national tournament. For more information and tickets visit ncwwc.com.
Women’s wrestling is currently an NCAA Emerging Sport. Earlier … story at … NWCAonline.com/NWCA-hall-of-fame-displays-womens-wrestling-memorable-moments-at-2024-national-collegiate-womens-wrestling-championships

March 10, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized