NAIA releases first women's wrestling team and individual rankings

The NAIA released its first women’s wrestling rankings last week, which included team and individual rankings.

This is the first year for women’s wrestling as an NAIA invitational sport, and 25 NAIA institutions field wrestling teams during the 2018-2019 season.

Women’s wrestling will be eligible for championship status after two years of competition as an invitational sport and 40 institutions sponsor a varsity women’s wrestling team.

Taking the top spot in the team rankings is Wayland Baptist. The squad, which took eighth as a team at the 2018 WCWA National Championships, added several talented transfers to its roster for the 2018-19 season.

Closely behind the Pioneers is Menlo College in second and Southern Oregon in third. Rounding out the top-five is 2018 National Duals champion and WCWA team champion Campbellsville in fourth and Life University and University of Jamestown tied for fifth.

In the individual rankings, WBU has three top-ranked wrestlers, including 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Asia Ray (101 pounds) and 2018 WCWA champions Brittany Marshall (170) and Paige Baynes (191). Baynes won her 2018 title for Grays Harbor before transferring.

Other schools with multiple No. 1 wrestlers include Menlo (4) and Campbellsville (2).

Sitting in the top spots for Menlo are Gracie Figueroa (116), Solin Piearcy (136), Angela Peralta (143) and Iman Kazem (155). Figueroa has been one of USA’s most dominant wrestlers on the age-group levels, competing at four age-group World Championships and winning a Cadet World bronze in 2016.

Top-ranked athletes for Campbellsville are McKayla Campbell (109) and Andribeth Rivera (130). Both competed at the 2017 Junior World Championships as Campbell represented the USA, while Rivera wrestled for Puerto Rico.

NAIA Women's Wrestling Team Poll

Rank	Team	League	Points
1	Wayland Baptist University	Central	277
2	Menlo College	West	255
3	Southern Oregon University	West	208
4	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	186
5	Life University	Mid-South	149
5	University of Jamestown	KCAC	149
7	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	140
8	Lyon College	Central	104
9	Ottawa	KCAC	68
10	Midland University	KCAC	58
11	Waldorf University	Central	56
12	University of Providence	West	51
13	Eastern Oregon University	West	46
13	York College	KCAC	46
15	Missouri Valley College	KCAC	45
16	Lindenwood University	Mid-South	34
17	Warner Pacific University	West	33
18	Baker University	Central	18
19	University of Saint Mary	KCAC	13
20	Brewton-Parker College	Mid-South	10
20	Central Christian College	Central	10

Receiving votes: Missouri Baptist (8)

NAIA Women's Wrestling Individual Poll

Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
101	1st	Asia	Ray	Wayland Baptist University	Central	80
101	2nd	Nina	Pham	Wayland Baptist University	Central	76
101	3rd	Hiba	Salem	Menlo College	West	72
101	4th	Rebecca	Forsyth	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	66
101	5th	Valeria	Rivera	Ottawa	KCAC	65
101	6th	Faye	Cherrier	Life University	Mid-South	59
101	7th	Kassidy	Ramirez	Lyon College	Central	52
101	8th	Shyanne	Griffiths	University of Saint Mary	KCAC	52
101	9th	Amber	Garriga	Life University	Mid-South	47
101	10th	Alaura	Couch	Waldorf University	Central	43
101	11th	Kylie	Marlin	York College	KCAC	34
101	12th	Katelin	Barnett	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	31
101	13th	Tanaily	Lopez	Missouri Baptist University	Central	24
101	14th	Caryssa	Aguirre	Wayland Baptist University	Central	21
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
109	1st	McKayla	Campbell	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	79
109	2nd	Alleida	Martinez	Menlo College	West	77
109	3rd	Rhonda	Johnson	Wayland Baptist University	Central	72
109	4th	Angel	Ogden	University of Jamestown	KCAC	61
109	5th	Autumn	Gordon	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	59
109	6th	Kayla	Fitts	Wayland Baptist University	Central	56
109	7th	Madison	Meyer	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	52
109	8th	Claire	Payne	York College	KCAC	48
109	9th	Brianna	Ribucan-Leong	Lyon College	Central	45
109	10th	Tyesha	Topps	Life University	Mid-South	43
109	11th	Jade	Martin	Southern Oregon University	West	42
109	12th	Carolina	Johnson	Southern Oregon University	West	34
109	13th	Katalina	Bartelt	Life University	Mid-South	34
109	14th	Jessienna	Burkett-Erice	Lyon College	Central	31
109	15th	Esmeralda	Arroyo	Menlo College	West	26
109	16th	Cassidy	Freeman	Eastern Oregon University	West	23
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
116	1st	Gracie	Figueroa	Menlo College	West	75
116	2nd	Gabriela	Ramos-Diaz	Wayland Baptist University	Central	75
116	3rd	Jennifer	Juarez	Life University	Mid-South	72
116	4th	Olivia	Iopollo	Southern Oregon University	West	65
116	5th	Mayra	Ramirez	Wayland Baptist University	Central	65
116	6th	Charlotte	Fowler	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	63
116	7th	Nathalie	Barraza	Lindenwood University	Mid-South	52
116	8th	Chelsea	Dionisio	University of Jamestown	KCAC	49
116	9th	Yurie	Yoneoka	University of Providence	West	42
116	10th	Jessica	Rodriguez	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	42
116	11th	Emily	Fergeson	York College	KCAC	41
116	12th	Jasmine	Hernandez	Lyon College	Central	41
116	13th	Tara	Othman	Southern Oregon University	West	38
116	14th	Tiffany	Juarez	Ottawa	KCAC	31
116	15th	Angelica	Sletten	University of Providence	West	29
116	16th	KAITLYN	FUNAI	Warner Pacific University	West	20
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
123	1st	Dajan	Treder	University of Providence	West	76
123	2nd	Koral	Sugiyama	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	76
123	3rd	Jathiya	Isaac	Wayland Baptist University	Central	74
123	4th	Tiana	Jackson	Menlo College	West	67
123	5th	Rebekah	Cordova	Wayland Baptist University	Central	64
123	6th	Sierra	Powell	Life University	Mid-South	59
123	7th	Lilliana	Cortes	University of Jamestown	KCAC	58
123	8th	Hailey	Scheirmeyer	Midland University	KCAC	53
123	9th	Victoria	Norris	Ottawa	KCAC	51
123	10th	Emma	De Brum	Lyon College	Central	43
123	11th	Taryn	Ichimura	Menlo College	West	37
123	12th	Madison	Angelito	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	36
123	13th	Glory	Konecny	Southern Oregon University	West	35
123	14th	Krystal	Fabricante	Eastern Oregon University	West	26
123	15th	Kirra	Saunders	Southern Oregon University	West	21
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
130	1st	Andribeth	Rivera	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	80
130	2nd	Shelly	Avelino	Menlo College	West	76
130	3rd	Alejandra	Rodriguez	Southern Oregon University	West	72
130	4th	Diana	Dzasezeva	Waldorf University	Central	62
130	5th	Desiree	Estrada	University of Jamestown	KCAC	56
130	6th	Arianna	Marrufo	University of Jamestown	KCAC	54
130	7th	Nevina	DeLuca	Southern Oregon University	West	50
130	8th	Anesia	Ramirez	Southern Oregon University	West	50
130	9th	Amanda	Martinez	Lindenwood University	Mid-South	49
130	10th	Jocelyn	Murphy	Missouri Valley College	KCAC	40
130	11th	Aysia	Cortez	Life University	Mid-South	39
130	12th	Rebekah	Garcia	Lyon College	Central	37
130	13th	Amanda	Alvarado	Wayland Baptist University	Central	30
130	14th	Ashley	Ikner	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	30
130	15th	Asia	Igafo	Wayland Baptist University	Central	22
130	16th	Laynee	Pasion	Menlo College	West	15
130	17th	Macy	Higa	Eastern Oregon University	West	12
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
136	1st	Solin	Piearcy	Menlo College	West	80
136	2nd	Kellyann	Jimenez	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	76
136	3rd	Breanna	Douglas	Baker University	Central	71
136	4th	Bridgette	Duty	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	62
136	5th	Akina	Yamada	Waldorf University	Central	62
136	6th	Julissa	Taitano	Southern Oregon University	West	60
136	7th	Cara	Romeike	University of Jamestown	KCAC	57
136	8th	Jenna	Awana	University of Providence	West	54
136	9th	Elissa	Douglass	Lyon College	Central	49
136	10th	Sophia	Carson	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	45
136	11th	Abnelis	Yambo	Brewton-Parker College	Mid-South	38
136	12th	Corrine	Robertson	Ottawa	KCAC	34
136	13th	Cheyenne	Bates	Wayland Baptist University	Central	27
136	14th	Alexandrea	Banag	Lyon College	Central	26
136	15th	Erica	Sotelo	Life University	Mid-South	24
136	16th	Jordynn	Robson	Southern Oregon University	West	22
136	17th	Savannah	Vold	Waldorf University	Central	20
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
143	1st	Angela	Peralta	Menlo College	West	77
143	2nd	Gladdys	Palma	Southern Oregon University	West	69
143	3rd	Alexia	Foca	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	68
143	4th	Marina	Briceno	Wayland Baptist University	Central	65
143	5th	Tanalei	Louis	Midland University	KCAC	63
143	6th	Zoe	Wight	Life University	Mid-South	61
143	7th	Sienna	Ramirez	Southern Oregon University	West	60
143	8th	Analy	Gonzalez	University of Jamestown	KCAC	55
143	9th	Aniseta	Acosta	Lyon College	Central	52
143	10th	Lyric	Gonsalvez	Ottawa	KCAC	43
143	11th	Dempsi	Talkington	Eastern Oregon University	West	36
143	12th	Lilly	Binion-Ferrell	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	34
143	13th	Sandra	Villalpando Herrera	Waldorf University	Central	28
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
155	1st	Iman	kazem	Menlo College	West	79
155	2nd	Anna	Naylor	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	77
155	3rd	Shamera	McTier	Missouri Valley College	KCAC	69
155	4th	Marilyn	Garcia	Menlo College	West	66
155	5th	Breanna	Jennings	Wayland Baptist University	Central	61
155	6th	Olivia	Pizano	Southern Oregon University	West	56
155	7th	Erin	Scheidt	Midland University	KCAC	52
155	8th	Randie	Scoon	Ottawa	KCAC	50
155	9th	Brittany	Woods-Orrison	Menlo College	West	48
155	10th	Sierra	Alfonso	Lyon College	Central	47
155	11th	Pella	Wisniowski	Central Christian College	Central	41
155	12th	Destinee	Rivera	Life University	Mid-South	32
155	13th	Maya	Shimizu	Lindenwood University	Mid-South	30
155	14th	Vanessa	Ceja	Wayland Baptist University	Central	25
155	15th	Veronica	Coppolino	Southern Oregon University	West	18
155	16th	Sierra	Talmadge	University of Jamestown	KCAC	16
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
170	1st	Brittany	Marshall	Wayland Baptist University	Central	77
170	2nd	Mariah	Harris	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	76
170	3rd	Precious	Bell	Menlo College	West	75
170	4th	KIERA	GABALDON	Warner Pacific University	West	68
170	5th	Myranda	Valasquez	University of Jamestown	KCAC	59
170	6th	Joanna	Mack	Midland University	KCAC	57
170	7th	Kenya	Sloan	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	56
170	8th	Jordan	Nelson	Life University	Mid-South	52
170	9th	Alyssa	Schrull	University of Jamestown	KCAC	50
170	10th	Lexi	Cavero	Eastern Oregon University	West	50
170	11th	Payton	Rigert	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	36
170	12th	Karrah	Smith	Southern Oregon University	West	28
170	13th	Giuliana	Pepe	Menlo College	West	20
170	14th	Jill	Blanchard	Wayland Baptist University	Central	17
170	15th	Jade	Larsen	Wayland Baptist University	Central	16
Weight	Rank	First Name	Last Name	Team	League	Points
191	1st	Paige	Baynes	Wayland Baptist University	Central	80
191	2nd	Emily	Sandoval	Menlo College	West	71
191	3rd	Alexandra	Castillo	Campbellsville University	Mid-South	71
191	4th	Stephanie	Pantoja	Life University	Mid-South	67
191	5th	Alyandina	Bushe	Missouri Valley College	KCAC	65
191	6th	Jesse	Kirby	University of the Cumberlands	Mid-South	60
191	7th	Agatha	Andrews	University of Jamestown	KCAC	57
191	8th	Marissa	Patterson	York College	KCAC	50
191	9th	Taea	Regua	Southern Oregon University	West	48
191	10th	NICOLE	DIAZ	Warner Pacific University	West	46
191	11th	Tristyn	Borden	Southern Oregon University	West	40
191	12th	Madisen	Bozovich	Eastern Oregon University	West	23
191	13th	Mierya	Hernandez	Wayland Baptist University	Central	21
191	14th	Sara	Aguilar	Menlo College	West	20
191	15th	Gesika	Silva	Wayland Baptist University	Central	18