King outlasts Emmanuel in rubber match, 22-21

FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – King University edged out Emmanuel College, 22-21, on Tuesday night in Franklin Springs, Ga., winning six of the night’s 10 bouts.

Emmanuel kept the match within reach, recording falls in all of its wins.

It was the third installment of the King-Emmanuel dual series this season. King won the first meeting in Bristol, Tenn., 29-17, before dropping a 29-15 match to Emmanuel in the quarterfinals of the NWCA National Duals last weekend to end the Tornado’s four-year championship streak.

At 101 pounds, No. 2 Regina Doi of King took on Iesha Washington once again. The two met up last weekend at NWCA National Duals with Washington taking at 5-4 win. This time, Regina flipped the result, picking up three takedowns for an 8-2 win.

At 109, third-ranked Maria Vidales of Emmanuel pinned two-time WCWA national champion Marina Doi, who is ranked No. 1 at 101 pounds. The fall came late in the second period, and Marina was injured in the process.

U23 World Team member and top-ranked 109-pounder Cody Pfau stepped in for the Lions at 116 pounds. Pfau added five team points with a first-period pin against No. 6 Aleeah Gould, who is also ranked at 109 pounds.

King rattled off three-straight wins, including decisions from Brianna Kellin at 123 pounds and No. 7 Nicole Joseph at 136 pounds and a fall from No. 6 Allison Petix at 130 pounds.

Kellin avenged a National Duals loss to Alexis Encinas, who is ranked No. 8 at 116 pounds. The Tornado wrestler won 4-0.

Escaping a loss by technical fall, Petix trailed 9-0 late in the first period with No. 5 Abigail Nette of Emmanuel looking to score to wrap up the match. Petix caught Nette in a Peterson and picked up a crucial fall for the team.

The two squads traded match wins for the last four bouts.

Fourth-ranked Kayla Marano, a freshman for the Lions, picked up a pin over Leilani Vital at 143 pounds, before King’s Jessi Kee, a three-time All-American and 2017 WCWA runner-up, posted a 10-0 tech fall over Sadie Tackett at 155 pounds.

Emmanuel’s Felicity Bryant put the Lions ahead, 21-18, going into the final bout with a fast fall at 170 pounds.

At 191 pounds, King sophomore Victoria Espinoza led the Tornado to victory, registering an 11-0 shutout against Kayla Wade for a 22-21 team win.

Both teams will be back in action at the Tornado Open on Jan. 14 in Bristol, Tenn. Fans can keep up with all the action on Trackwrestling.com.

T-No. 6 King 22, T-No. 6 Emmanuel 21

at Franklin Springs, Ga. (Emmanuel College)

101 – No. 2 Regina Doi (King) dec. Iesha Washington (Emmanuel), 8-2
109 – No. 3 Maria Vidales (Emmanuel) fall No. 1 (at 101) Marina Doi (King)
116 – No. 1 (at 109) Cody Pfau (Emmanuel) fall No. 6 (at 109) Aleeah Gould (King)
123 – Brianna Kellin (King) dec. No. 8 (at 116) Alexis Encinas (Emmanuel), 4-0
130 – No. 6 Allison Petix ( King) fall No. 5 Abigail Nette (Emmanuel)
136 – No. 7 Nicole Joseph (King) dec. Astrid Silva (Emmanuel), 4-0
143 – No. 4 Kayla Marano (Emmanuel) fall Leilani Vital (King)
155 – Jessi Kee (King) tech. fall Sadie Tackett (Emmanuel), 10-0
170 – Felicity Bryant (Emmanuel) fall Keely Sage (King)
191 – Victoria Espinoza (King) tech. fall Kayla Wade (Emmanuel), 11-0