The first sanctioned NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championships kicks off Friday inside Harold Newman Arena in Jamestown, N.D. 

The team race promises to provide plenty of drama as the top five squads are close, though the winner will most likely come out of the top three. Life is currently ranked #1 in the final NAIA Coaches’ Poll, though it was #3 Southern Oregon that won the title at NWCA National Duals in January by a thin margin. Current #2 Grand View clipped Life 22-21 in the semi and then fell to Southern Oregon 22-18 in the finals. 

This weekend in Jamestown, the winner will be determined in the trenches of the tournament, when contenders square off in quarters, semis, and consis for spots on the podium and in the ultimate match, the NAIA finals.

One theme at all these weights — is depth. 

Here’s a weight-by-weight preview of the event:

101

The University of Providence boasts the #1 and #2 seed at this weight. #1 seed Ira Navarro’s only losses this season came against Iowa star Sterling Dias at the Missouri Valley Open, and then when she bumped up to 109 at National Duals to wrestle Life’s two-time national champion Peyton Prussin. Other than that, she’s beaten every seed from #2 through #6. Her win over second-seeded teammate Erin Hikiji came by fall at the Missouri Valley. She also had a close match at that event with Cumberlands #4 seed Elizabeth Dosado, a 7-4 decision, though she pinned her earlier in the same tournament. Navarro also beat #3 seed Esthela Trevino twice this season — a 13-6 win last fall and a 14-4 win less than a month ago. And when she faced Midland #6 seed Esther Walker this season, she won a 10-6 decision. The depth of this weight will make it one of the most entertaining to watch. Expect exciting matches from the quarters onward. Navarro took sixth last year. Returning All-American Esther Walker took third.

Prediction: Tough one to pick. But top-seeded Ira Navarro, who has been consistent all season at this weight and proven she can win the close ones, is the choice here. 

Dark horse: Iowa Wesleyan junior #10 seed Alaina Sunlin had a win over Navarro last year at Nationals and went out in the blood round. She could steal a podium spot.

109

Who doesn’t want to see a rematch of last year’s final at this weight? Life’s Peyton Prussin and Iowa Wesleyan’s Mia Palumbo went down to the wire in an 8-8 scrap that Prussin won in the final seconds. Once again, these two are seeded 1-2, setting up the potential rematch, which could be one of the marquis bouts of the tournament if it happens. But don’t sleep on #3 seed Natalie Reyna-Rodriguez of Southern Oregon, the two-time NCWWC All-American transfer from McKendree who knows how to win big matches, and has done exactly that this year. Her hitlist includes wins over multiple top-5 opponents, including #5 seed Jasmine Sands and the #2 seed at 101 Erin Hikiji. Southern Oregon has another contender in this group in #6 seed Macie Stewart who placed third in 2021 but was eliminated by Jessica Corredor last year in the consis. Interestingly, Corredor was seeded #1 last weekend at the NCAA invite, the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, so that tells you how deep the NAIA is at this weight.

Prediction: Prussin has looked as sharp this year as she ever has. She’s the pick here. 

Dark horse: #11 seed Kory Phillips from Life is compelling. Aside from the fact that one of her training partners is Prussin, she hit the podium last year at this event. She also has a win over the #1 seed at the next weight, Ashley Gooman. Phillips could steal an All-American spot for sure and as a senior, might have some extra incentive.

Life University’s Peyton Prussin hit this five-point throw at the 2021 NAIA Invitational Championships. pic.twitter.com/s9NGQnA2wq

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) February 7, 2023

116

#1 Ashley Gooman out of Providence is no doubt the one to beat, after taking fourth last year at this event. She brings a 21-3 record to Jamestown. She took second last November at the Missouri Valley Open, the functional multi-division nationals for women’s college wrestling, only losing to Iowa’s Felicity Taylor in the finals. She also had a win by fall over the #2 seed, Caitlyn Thorne, at that event. Thorne has leveled up this season after transferring to Central Methodist from McKendree, where she went out in the blood round of the NCWWC last season. She’s had multiple big wins this year, including a 9-1 victory over #3 seed Juliana Diaz of Missouri Baptist at the Grand View Open and a 7-1 win over #4 seed Camille Fournier at the Missouri Valley Open in November, though Fournier pinned her at National Duals in January. That shows you how tight the top four are. And if all goes chalk, Fournier will hit #1 seed Gooman in the semis, and their last two matches were razor-thin wins for Gooman, an 8-7 victory at last year’s NAIA National Invite, and a 13-10 win at National Duals. The top 4 in this group are so close that we actually have Diaz and Fournier ranked ahead of Thorne in our FloWrestling NAIA Women’s Rankings. Thorne has that recent win over Diaz, though Diaz beat Fournier at the conference tournament two weekends ago, who has the win by fall over Thorne. Again a weight class that promises lots of great matches even early in the tournament.

Prediction: Camille Fournier pulls several upsets and wins her first national title. If it’s a stretch, it’s barely a stretch. Fourth in 2021, fifth in 2022…first in 2023?  

Dark horse: Though the results justify it, it feels like Central Methodist’s #8 seed Hannah Hall is seeded too low, but only because she lost some close ones this year and is certainly capable of more. It’s not far-fetched to think she could win the whole thing.

123

Southern Oregon sophomore returning national champ Carolina Moreno came out of the #4 seed last year to win her first national title, and in dominant fashion. She was relatively unknown at the time, but now everyone knows who she is. Seeded #1 this year, she’s the favorite, but she has another freshman in her way that wants to do this year what she did last year. #2 seed Catharine Campbell out of Grand View has had a remarkable freshman campaign, winning the Heart of America Conference Championships, placing seventh at the Missouri Valley Open in November, winning the Waldorf Open, and placing second at the Grand View Open to…Carolina Moreno, a 5-0 loss. She’ll also have a tough potential semifinal against returning third-place finisher Alana Vivas from Menlo, which would be a rematch from the Grand View Open, a match Campbell won 4-2. Don’t sleep on another Menlo wrestler with some firepower, #4 seed Haley Narahara, who owns a 6-6 win over Moreno at National Duals this year. #5 seed Karoline Ortiz is a returning All-American and #6 seed Sophia Smith was an All-American in 2021.

Prediction: Moreno. She’s very tough to score on and always ready for the big moment.

Dark horse: Life’s #11 seed Olivia Mottley, the MSC champ, seems to be peaking at the right time. And the gap from top to the bottom of this group doesn’t seem to be all that large. Mottley is one of those that could definitely steal a podium spot and make a deep run.

130

Texas Wesleyan’s Lexie Basham has been in a stratosphere all her own, winning a national title last year and then having a storybook offseason, competing at Final X, making the U.S. Senior National Team, and even winning a bronze medal at the Grand Prix in Spain. In fact, she’s #4 in our FloWrestling Pound-For-Pound Rankings. Undefeated this college season at 14-0, she had huge wins over three-time NCAA champion Cameron Guerin and Umpqua’s world teamer from Spain, Victoria Baez-Dillone. All of that probably means little to #2 seeded freshman Sarah Savidge from Life University. After a stellar high school career, she’s come on the scene as an immediate contender. With a 20-2 record, her only losses are to the #2 pound-for-pound wrestler in our FloWrestling P4P Adaugo Nwachukwu and #7 ranked at the Senior level Xochitl “XMP” Mota-Pettis. Otherwise, she’s won every single college match by fall or tech fall. Absolute domination. At #3 is Central Methodist’s Skye Realin who was an All-American for McKendree in the NCAA last season. She had a huge win over Grand View’s Andrea Schlabach in the finals of the Heart of America Conference tournament. Schlabach is seeded #5 and is not to be taken lightly considering her impressive body of work. You also have 2021 national champ Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp sitting at the #6 seed and returning finalist Angela Vitiritti at #7. 

Prediction: Though there are certainly some land mines to avoid in this field for Basham, look for her to become a two-time national champion this weekend. 

Dark horse: The top of this group is so elite, it’s hard to see anyone cracking the top three outside of the top six seeds, but Menlo’s #10 seed Louisa Schwab has been wrestling well and could grab an All-American spot in this group.

136

This is one of those groups where you have the #1 and everyone else. Iowa Wesleyan’s Adaugo Nwachukwu is 26-0 this season and all but one of her matches have been early termination. Ranked #2 in our P4P Rankings, she’s one of the most dominant women’s college wrestlers the sport has ever seen. After winning her first college national title last season, she won a bronze medal at U20 Worlds in the offseason. The story at this weight might be who will make the finals against Nwachukwu? #2 seed Erin Redford from Eastern Oregon is a returning finalist, but the bottom of this bracket is loaded. #3 Paige Respicio of Providence, #6 Bella Amaro of Southern Oregon, and #7 Mea Mohler of Texas Wesleyan are all fantastic wrestlers on the bottom side. Assuming Adaugo does Adaugo things on the top side, her finals opponent will likely come from these four. SOU freshman Amaro is very impressive. Not sure it’s her time yet, but she only lost to Respicio 2-1 at the Grand View Open. As the #6 seed, it’s very possible she has a rematch with #3 Respicio in the quarters.

Prediction: Adaugo.

Dark horse: Friends University’s #10 seeded Gianna Moreno. She has a 7-7 win over Realin this year. Pretty impressive to have on her resume.

The inaugural NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships are streaming live on FloWrestling this weekend. Can any 136-pound college wrestler stop Iowa Wesleyan’s returning champion Adaugo Nwachukwu? pic.twitter.com/WfYD3zKjQZ

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) March 8, 2023

143

#1 seed Alexis Gomez is #12 in our P4P Rankings. She’s 23-1 this season, her only loss to Iowa’s Reese Larramendy in the Missouri Valley finals. Otherwise, she’s beaten everyone that’s stepped on the mat with her, though she’s been in some dogfights, including two close scraps with #2 seed Southern Oregon’s Emily Se 9-6 and 3-2. Gomez is one of those wrestlers that seems to find the points she needs to come out on top, with a sneaky explosive offense that comes in spurts throughout her matches. Senior Emily Se has proven she can match her style and if they hit in the finals, it will be one to watch. Campbellsville junior #3 seed Emma Walker is a returning finalist, losing a heartbreaker in the final moments last year 5-5 to Destiny Lyng. She’s certainly a threat to make another run at her first national title. #4 seed Jamilah McBryde and #5 seed Josette Partney will be a quarterfinal to watch if it happens, as the winner is a legit contender to make the finals even on the top side of the bracket.

Prediction: SOU’s Emily Se ends her college career on top. She’s gone third in NCAA, fourth in NCAA, third in NAIA…first in NAIA? If she does it, it’ll be a story to watch unfold this weekend and she’ll have to take it from an opponent in Gomez who doesn’t take no for an answer.

Dark horse: Sophomore #7 seed Kaydince Turner was the KCAC Conference champ. She’s 17-2 this season and has been competitive against some of the top names in her weight class.

155

Life freshman Latifah McBryde has separated herself as the clear #1 at this weight in the NAIA, earning a 29-0 record on the season with a convincing win after convincing win. She’s rarely even been scored on this season. She pinned #2 seed Kaylynn Albrecht at National Duals in January. Barring getting caught, there’s no reason to think that she won’t earn her first national title this weekend in Jamestown. The potential #2 Albrecht vs. #3 Caitlyn Davis semi is compelling, though Albrecht controlled the match against her at their conference tournament 9-0. In their previous match at the MoVal, however, it was Davis with a wild 17-16 win. #4 seed India Page has some nice wins, including one over Albrecht, 6-2 at the MoVal.

Prediction: McBryde. 100 percent. 

Dark horse: #12 seed Bailey Dennis from SOU upset the #1 seed last year and landed in sixth as an All-American. No reason to think she couldn’t pull an upset this year and crack the top 8 again. 

170

#1 seed Dymond Guilford is the current U.S. World Teamer at 76 kg and won a silver medal at U23 Worlds last October. She’s 17-0 on the season and has only been scored on once. She and #2 seed Joye Levendusky of Southern Oregon hit at Senior World Team Trials last summer, a 5-0 victory for Guilford. The Cumberlands senior is looking for her fourth national title, an accomplishment that would put her in rare air with the others who have done it, and some recently — Emily Webster, Victoria Anthony, Helen Maroulis, Kayla Miracle, Emily Shilson, and Sydnee Kimber. Levendusky, another offseason transfer from McKendree, is a two-time national finalist and four-time All-American, placing seventh, fourth, second, and second over the last four seasons in the NCAA. She’s 24-1 on the season, her only loss to NCAA wrestler Ashley Lekas of Augsburg 3-0 in November. Guilford is ranked #3 in our FloWrestling P4P Rankings and Levendusky is #21. To make the final, Levendusky will have to get through a bottom side that includes #3 seed Abby McIntyre and #6 seed Shenita Lawson. Both of them are from Grand View, which sets up a compelling potential quarterfinal between teammates. Levendusky has wins over both of them this season. #4-seeded Campbellsville senior Liliana Vergara is also very tough. She gave Guilford her best match of the season, a 7-2 loss.

Prediction: At some point in this bracket, a freshman will pull an upset and outperform her seed. There are some good ones — #6 Lawson, #9 El-Masri, and #10 Giebe.

Dark horse: #12 seed Olivia Robinson. She was ranked #2 for half the season and is a returning finalist.

Dymond Guilford with a BIG 4 to win her opening match at the World Cup ? pic.twitter.com/l7CXFghaI0

— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) December 10, 2022

191

Missouri Valley’s returning national champion Kelani Corbett is the clear #1 at this weight with a 39-1 record, her only loss to four-time NCAA national champion Sydnee Kimber. She’s ranked #24 in our P4P Rankings. Cumberlands’ Jessica Kirby is seeded #2 and Menlo’s Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson is #3. Kirby is 38-5 with two losses to Corbett though the last one was only 7-6. Heidelberg is 14-1, her only loss by injury forfeit early in the season. Last year, Heidelberg was upset in the semis by Life’s Gabby Hamilton and Corbett went on to win the final, so Heidelberg and Corbett never hit. When they wrestled earlier in the 2021-2022 season at the Menlo Open, it was Heidelberg 3-0 over Corbett, so this potential matchup is very interesting. Keep an eye on the possible Kirby-Heidelberg semi. Don’t count out Cumberlands’ #4 seeded Maquoia Bernabe or Central Methodist’s #5 Jaycee Foeller, both capable of pulling upsets and making the finals. #6 seed Riley Dempewolf, a freshman from Indiana Tech, is 27-11 and has a win over #2 Jessica Kirby.

Prediction: Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson. She made the NCWWC finals twice (losing to Kimber both times) before transferring to Menlo. With her previous win over Corbett, she’s the pick.

Dark horse: #10 seed Grace Kristoff all day! Kristoff is a two-time NCAA All-American transfer from McKendree that came over in the offseason with the Bearcat group led by new coach Gabby Weyhrich. She took third in 2021 and fourth in 2022 at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships. For someone with her resume in the NCAA, she’s had a bizarre ranking all season, outside the top eight. She’ll go on a deep run and steal a podium spot for sure. 

The NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championships will stream live on FloWrestling starting at 10 a.m. (CT) Friday morning.