College women’s wrestling ended the calendar year with two prominent tournaments. The Soldier Salute (Dec. 29-30) and Midlands (Dec. 30) offered a glimpse of what’s to come at the 2024 National Duals and the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships.

Iowa and North Central — the top two NCAA teams — faced tough competition as they entered the second half of the season. 

The Hawkeyes sent 10 to the finals and won five titles. Several of Iowa’s best wrestlers — including Emilie Gonzalez (101), Felicity Taylor (123), Nanea Estrella (136), Marlynne Deede (155), and Kylie Welker (170) — did not compete. 

Iowa outpaced runner-up Life University — the top-ranked NAIA team — by 29.5 points. Both will compete in the NWCA National Duals on January 5-6 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. 

“Having this competition is a nice springboard into National Duals next weekend, to gain some information on the areas we need to continue working on,” Iowa coach Clarissa Chun said. “It helps us see the certain areas we need to work on for next week, this will be a big one and we are expecting a lot of tough matches. We will hopefully face schools like McKendree, King, and North Central the returning National Champions, and we are looking forward to it.”

North Central won the prestigious Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with five individual champions and nine finalists. The tournament featured seven teams ranked in the top 15 plus high school powerhouse Wyoming Seminary. 

The Cardinals outpaced McKendree by 52.5 points. Both teams were missing a handful of their stars that will be present in the post-season. 

“Competing in the Midlands was an awesome experience for our team,” North Central coach Joe Norton said. “We got a chance to test ourselves against some quality competition in an exciting environment. 

“Wrestling in an arena like that, alongside some of the best men’s wrestlers in the country, is a unique experience for our women and they enjoyed it. It was a great tune-up before the National Duals and we are excited to go and compete for a national title.”

High School Stars Shine Bright

It’s one thing to win the Midlands Championships. It’s another to do it as a high school freshman.

That’s what prep stars Kayla Batres and Taina Fernadez did in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Saturday.

Batres won the 109-pound bracket with a 7-2 win over McKendree NCWWC (NCAA) champion Pauline Granados, a 10-4 win over prep star Rianne Murphy in the semis before securing a 4-2 win over Lock Haven's Kaelani Shufeldt in the finals. Shufeldt is a returning All-American who recently placed fourth at US Nationals to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials. 

Fernandez blitzed through the 130-pound bracket with 10-0 techs over Jimena Serna of Morton and Nichole Moore of McKendree. Moore is a 2022 U23 National champion, a 2023 U23 World teamer, and a two-time NAIA All-American for Baker. 

The Bowie, Maryland, native notched a 12-1 tech over Aurora’s top-seeded Lexi Janiak, a 2023 U20 World bronze medalist and 2023 NCWWC (NCAA) finalist, before defeating North Central All-American Salome Walker, 10-0, in the finals. 

High School sophomore Madison Nieuwenhuis won the 101-pound division with a fall in the finals over 2023 NCWWC (NCAA champion) Maddie Avila of North Central. 

Ten high school girls finished in the top five.

Click here for full results of the women’s freestyle division at the Midlands Championships

Top-five finishes by high schoolers
101: Madison Nieuwenhuis, 1st, sophomore, Plainwell, Mich., Plainwell High School
101: Lisa Pastoriza, 5th, junior, Phoenix, Ariz., Wyoming Seminary (PA)
109: Kayla Batres, 1st, freshman, Milford, Conn., Homeschooled
109: Rianne Murphy, 3rd, senior, Valparaiso, Ind., Wyoming Seminary
109: Taylor Whiting, 4th, sophomore, Oconto, Wis., Oconto Falls High School
116: Clare Booe, 2nd, Tarpon Springs, Fla., Wyoming Seminary (PA)
123: Emma Bacon, 5th, freshman, Dallas, Pa., Wyoming Seminary (PA)
130: Taina Fernandez, 1st, freshman, Bowie, Md., Archbishop Spalding High School
155: Maddie Hayden, 3rd, sophomore, Caledonia, Mich., Caledonia High School
191: Brooke Huffman, 4th, freshman, Wittenburg, Wis., Wittenberg-Birnamwood Middle School

Women's Spotlight

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Piper Cadden Thriving At Fort Hays State

Soldier Salute Results

Team Scores
1. Iowa — 223
2. Life — 193.5
3. Indiana Tech — 92
4. Texas Wesleyan — 87.5
5. Umpqua CC — 59.5
6. William Jewell — 50.5
7. Tiffin — 39.5
8. Dubuque — 33.50
9. William Penn — 5

101 Pounds
1st: Sterling Dias (Iowa) pinned Makayla Young (Indiana Tech), 2:48
3rd: Syndey Kutzke (Indiana Tech) pinned Juliana Alejandro (Tiffin), 2:18
5th: Devyn Gomez (Life) pin Whitley Blake (Indiana Tech), 2:32
7th: Brianna Richey (Dubuque) inj dft. Teya Garner (William Penn)

109 Pounds
1st: Ava Bayless (Iowa) inj dft. Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin)
3rd: Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) dec. Diana Gonzalez (Life), 8-6
5th: Brianna Funakoshi (Life) inj. dft. Alyssa Valdivia (William Jewell)
7th: Arianna Rodriguez (Texas Wesleyan)

116 Pounds
1st: Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) pinned Morgan Johnson (unattached), 2:15
3rd: Ariana Martinez (Life) inj. dft. Estefany Garcia (Life)
5th: Emma Jones (Indiana Tech) dec. Miranda DiBenedetto (Life), 6-2
7th: Taryn Evans (Umpqua CC) pin Rose Le (William Jewell), 1:18

123 Pounds
1st: Alex Waitsman (William Jewell) dec. Isabella Ngo (Iowa), 7-6
3rd: Carolina Rios (Texas Wesleyan) dec. Cali Leng (Iowa), 4-4
5th: Josie Bartishofski (Victory School of Wrestling) tech fall Shea Reisel (Dubuque), 10-0
7th: Emarie Bolosan (William Jewell) dec. Isabelle Silva (Indiana Tech), 6-4

130 Pounds
1st: Sarah Savidge (Life) tech fall Emily Frost (Iowa), 12-0, 4:04
3rd: Riley Dalrymple (Life) dec. Alexandra Baudhuin (Iowa), 8-4
5th: Zainab Ibrahim (Umpqua CC) pinned Ellyana Kuzma (Indiana Tech), 1:55
7th: Marisa Moffitt (Indiana Tech)

136 Pounds
1st: Zaynah McBryde (Life) dec. Lilly Luft (Iowa), 5-2
3rd: Emmily Patneaud (unattached) dec. Mattison Parker (Texas Wesleyan), 6-2
5th: Carley Anderson (Indiana Tech) inj dft. Anaya Besco (Iowa)
7th: Emma Gruenhagen (Victory School of Wrestling) pinned Angie Prado (Life), 0:51

143 Pounds
1st: Jamilah McBryde (Life) pinned Reese Larramendy (Iowa), 5:58
3rd: Jalynn Patino (Texas Wesleyan) pinned Athena Willden (William Jewell), 1:01
5th: Maia Crum (Indiana Tech) pinned Tarleen Saroya (Umpqua CC), 1:10
7th: Paige Barber (William Jewell) inj. dft Naida Abdijanovic (William Penn)

155 Pounds
1st: Bella Mir (Iowa) pinned Latifah McBryde (Life), 2:05
3rd: Alex Hofrichter (Dubuque), pinned Jennifer De La Torre (Umpqua CC), 3:36
5th: Cydney Basset (Indiana Tech) forfeit Leilani Hernandez (Texas Wesleyan)
7th: Erin Martin (Tiffin) inj. dft. Janida Garcia (Tiffin)

170 Pounds
1st: Haley Ward (Iowa) tech fall Katelyn Lewis (unattached), 11-0
3rd: Zoey Smalley (Umpqua CC) tech fall Kaley Rice (Texas Wesleyan), 10-0
5th: Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) inj dft. Margaret Graham (Life)
7th: Catherine McNulty (Indiana Tech) pin Kiara Meek (Dubuque), 2:50

191 pounds
1st: Jaycee Foeller (unattached) tech fall Alivia White (Iowa), 10-0, 2:24
3rd: Madeline Welch (Life) dec. Tiffany Curry (Texas Wesleyan), 8-0

Midlands Results

Click here for full Midlands results

Team Scores
1. North Central, 148
2. McKendree, 95.5
3. Aurora, 64.5
4. Presbyterian, 63
5. Wyoming Seminary, 59.5
6. UW-Stevens Point, 44.5
7. Northern Michigan, 43.5
8. Lock Haven, 28
9. Team Nazar, 26.5
10. Sunkist Kids, 18.5

101 Pounds
1st: Madison Nieuwenhuis (Unattached) won by fall over Madison Avila (North Central) (Fall 5:20)
3rd: Lizette Rodriguez (McKendree University) won by decision over Genesis Ramirez (Aurora) (Dec 9-0)
5th: Lisa Pastoriza (Wyoming Seminary) won by decision over Emma Heslin (Lock Haven) (Dec 7-0)

109 Pounds
1st: Kayla Batres (Unattached) won by decision over Kaelani Shufeldt (Lock Haven) (Dec 4-2)
3rd: Rianne Murphy (Wyoming Seminary) won by tech fall over Taylor Whiting (Team Nazar) (TF 10-0)|
5th: Natalie Majer (Unattached) won by tech fall over Alexis Winecke (UW-Stevens Point) (TF 14-4)

116 Pounds
1st: Sydney Petzinger (North Central) won by fall over Clare Booe (Wyoming Seminary) (Fall 1:13)
3rd: Janessa George (North Central) won by fall over Julia Vidallon (McKendree University) (Fall 1:48)
5th: Salyna Shotwell (McKendree University) won by fall over Chloe Ayres (Princeton) (Fall 1:46)

123 Pounds
1st: Amani Jones (North Central) won by fall over Carissa Qureshi (Unattached) (Fall 2:04)
3rd: Shelby Moore (McKendree University) won by tech fall over Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian College) (TF 10-0)
5th: Emma Bacon (Wyoming Seminary) won by tech fall over Zhivanna Magdaleno (Northern Michigan) (TF 10-0)

130 Pounds
1st: Taina Fernandez (Unattached) won by tech fall over Salome Walker (North Central) (TF 10-0)
3rd: Alexis Janiak (Aurora) won by tech fall over Nichole Moore (McKendree University) (TF 10-0)
5th: Haley Vann (North Central) won by injury default over Cassia Zammit (Presbyterian College) (Inj. 0:00)

136 Pounds
1st: Marisol Nugent (Sunkist Kids) won by fall over Taylor Graveman (North Central) (Fall 2:29)
3rd: Alondra Morales (North Central) won by decision over Niya Teresita Gaines (North Central) (Dec 7-0)
5th: Sydney Park (North Central) won by decision over Amor Tuttle (UW-Stevens Point) (Dec 7-6)

143 Pounds
1st: Viktorya Torres (McKendree University) won by decision over Alexis Gomez (Gomez RTC) (Dec 7-4)
3rd: Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan) won by fall over Kendall Bostelman (North Central) (Fall 4:40)
5th: Maddie Kubicki (Presbyterian College) won by forfeit over Lillian Freitas (Unattached) (FF)

155 Pounds
1st: Tiera Jimerson (North Central) won by decision over Noelle Gaffney (Northern Michigan) (Dec 3-2)
3rd: Maddie Hayden (Unattached) won by decision over Sarina Bertram (North Central) (Dec 8-3)
5th: Antonia Phillips (Aurora) won by tech fall over Caroline Gilstrap (McKendree University) (TF 11-0)

170 Pounds
1st: Yelena Makoyed (North Central) won by tech fall over Henlee Haynes (Presbyterian College) (TF 10-0)
3rd: Jade Herzer (UW-Stevens Point) won by tech fall over Fiona McConnell (North Central) (TF 12-0)
5th: Tabitha Breitrick (UW-Stevens Point) won by decision over Ruby Joseph (Northern Michigan) (Dec 8-5)

191 Pounds
1st: Traeh Haynes (North Central) won by decision over Caroline Ward (North Central) (Dec 10-2)
3rd: Sydney Manos (Aurora) won by decision over Brooke Huffman (Team Nazar) (Dec 14-11)
5th: Logan Ryan (Albion) won by forfeit over Ella Beam (Presbyterian College) (FF)