King University sends 10 to the quarterfinals, leads the team race by one point

Kayla Miracle pinned Kaylynn Hixenbaugh in the round of 16. Photo: Dan Lobdell, Flowrestling

OKLAHOMA CITY – Session one of the WCWA Women’s College Nationals wrapped up on Friday afternoon inside Abe Lemons Arena on the Oklahoma City University campus with the quarterfinals set and the team race tight as King leads Menlo College by one point.


King also sent 10 wrestlers to the quarterfinals, including four No. 1 seeds.


The top-five wrestlers at 101 pounds are all in the mix, heading into the quarterfinals.


Returning champion from King, Marina Doi, stays alive with two dominant performances to open her tournament, including a 22-second fall over Life’s Amber Garriga and a 10-0 technical fall against Eastern Oregon’s Lisa Megargee.


She’ll face Maria Ahumada of Missouri Baptist in the quarters.


2016 All-American Hiba Salem of Menlo College sailed to the quarterfinals with a pair of pins and is set to face fourth-seeded Maia Phanthadara from Cumberlands.


On the bottom half of the bracket, No. 2 Regina Doi of King and No. 3 Sarah Allen of Cumberlands both advanced to the quarters, each teching their opponents in the round of 16.


At 109 pounds, unseeded Charlotte Fowler of Campbellsville earned a 5-2 upset win over six-seed Andrey Diaz of Lindenwood in the round of 16 to advance.


Similarly, Eastern Oregon’s Jessica Dehart shout out No. 7 Arelys Valles of Cumberlands in a 10-0 tech fall.


Breonnah Neal remains at the top of the bracket with two tech falls, while Amy Fearnside of Jamestown brings up the bottom half of the bracket with two techs of her own.


At 116 pounds, 2016 Olympian and two-time WCWA champion Haley Augello of King is still on track to take her third national title, earning two 10-0 techs to begin her day.


In the quarters, she will go head-to-head with Makayla Grimm of Eastern Oregon, who upset eight-seed Alanda Nguyen of Life by fall.


Talented freshman from McKendree Theresa Rankin, the No. 7 seed, fell to Victoria Gutierrez of Emmanuel.


Gutierrez will face two-time finalist and No. 2 seed Abby Lloyd of Simon Fraser in the quarterfinals.


The 123-pound quarterfinals will feature a recent Dave Schultz Memorial International rematch between Andribeth River of Campbellsville and Rachel Watters of OCU. Rivera came out on top in the twos’ last meeting.


Rivera owns a 10-0 tech fall and a 49-second fall on the day. Archer claimed a pin over Ferrum College’s Amanda Nelson before escaping Aliocha Periard from Simon Fraser, 5-5.


Hannah Grisewood held the top seed turning in a first-period fall in her only match of the morning against Cumberlands’ Kellyann Jimenez.


Two-time All-American Tarkyia Mensah of Wayland Baptist cruised to two 10-0 techs. She’ll face Menlo College’s Bianca Arizpe.


The 130-pound bracket got shaken up with No. 8 Alexia Ward of McKendree falling to Melanie Corderro of Menlo. Corderro then lost to Ismelina Valles of Cumberlands, 1-1.


Valles will face No. 1 Megan Black of McKendree in the quarters. Black, the weight favorite, recorded two pins in the morning session.


Unseeded Nicole Joseph from King upset No. 5-seed Jennifer Anderson of Simon Fraser by pin in the final seconds of the quarterfinals match.


Two-time WCWA champion Kayla Miracle has collectively been on the mat less than three minutes today to advance to the 136-pound quarters. She put up pins against Diana Nevarez of McKendree and Kaylynn Hixenbaugh of Southwestern Oregon.


She’ll face Gladdys Palma from Southern Oregon, who registered two big wins in the first session. Her wins came over No. 8 Chloe Spencer of Grays Harbor and returning All-American Heiley Garcia of OCU.


Two other All-Americans in Carly Jaramillo of Southwestern Oregon and Maria Briceno of Wayland Baptist also fell in first-session action.


At 143 pounds, Simon Fraser’s Mallory Velte leads the pack with two quick 10-0 tech falls to make her way to the quarters.


The U.S. National Team member will go up against Sarah Bollinger of Missouri Baptist. Bollinger picked up two wins over returning All-Americans this morning, including Michelle Organ and Kristin Yamasaki.


2016 Olympic Team Trials champion Tamyra Mensah of Wayland Baptist dominated in her first two matches with pins in 1:17 and 58 seconds, respectively.


She’ll go head-to-head with Life’s Maria Diaz in pursuit of her second WCWA national title.


On the bottom side of the bracket Niauni Hill from Lindenwood-Belleville scored two pins of her own to earn a spot in the finals against 2016 All-American Tatum Sparks of Southwestern Oregon.


Similarly to 155 pounds, the top-two seeds at 170 pound each registered two falls in the first session.


No. 1 Jessika Rottier of Cumberlands pinned Ferrum College’s Tanesha Lie in 19 seconds to open the period. Her next match lasted 53 seconds before sticking Myranda Velazquez of Jamestown.


Forrest Molinari, the 2016 champion of 155 pounds, took out Leya Deickman of Ferrum in 2:41, before finishing off Southern Oregon’s Nicole Diaz in 37 seconds in the round of 16.


Rachel Watters of OCU, who spent most of the season ranked in the top three, suffered a loss to Wayland Baptist’s Brittany Marshall, who pinned Watters halfway through the second period.


All the seeds at 191 pounds held, producing an exciting quarterfinals schedule at the weight.


No. 1 Paige Baynes of Lindenwood outscored her opponents 21-0, while No. 2 Payten Smith snagged a quick fall in 1:21 in her only match.


Quarterfinals and semifinals will be wrestled in session two, which is set for this day afternoon at 4 p.m.


Today kicks off USA Wrestling’s third annual Women’s Wrestling Week. This year’s focus is on the history of women’s college wrestling and celebrating official high school state tournaments for girls’ wrestling.