Six World medalists in WCWA semis, four teams earn first All-Americans

ATLANTA – Day one of 2019 WCWA National Championships has already provided an exciting team race as semifinals were set Friday night at the Cobb County Civic Center.

There are 4.5 points that separate the first- and third-place teams. 2013 team champion Simon Fraser leads the way with 134.5 points, followed by second-place Menlo with 132 points and McKendree with 130 points.

The youth in the field held up to its potential with 10 freshmen making it to the semifinals, including two each from Emmanuel, Jamestown and Menlo.

Included in Menlo’s semifinals representatives are past age-group World medalists and native Californians Alleida Martinez at 109 pounds and Gracie Figueroa at 116 pounds. Martinez has a pair of World medals, winning Cadet World silver in 2015 and Cadet World bronze in 2016, and Figueroa claimed Cadet World bronze in 2016.

In addition to Martinez and Figueroa, Menlo sent three others through to the semis, including Tiana Jackson at 123, Solin Piearcy at 136 and Iman Kazem at 155.

There are three other schools that punched at least five to the semis: Emmanuel, McKendree and Simon Fraser.

McKendree has seven still on the championship side, including 2018 U23 World bronze medalists Alex Glaude at 155 and Korinahe Bullock at 170 and 2016 Junior World bronze medalist Alexis Porter at 143 pounds.

SFU and Emmanuel each have six wrestling for a spot in tomorrow’s finals.

Other World medalists in the semifinals include 2017 Junior World bronze medalist Asia Ray of Wayland Baptist at 101 pounds and 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Kayla Marano of Emmanuel at 136 pounds.

McKendree leads the tournament with 10 All-Americans, followed by Simon Fraser and Menlo College, which each have nine.

Three first-year programs picked up their first All-Americans on Friday night, including Lakeland University, Colorado Mesa University and Big Bend Community College.

For Lakeland, freshman phenom Jayden Laurent, a 2018 Junior World Team member, sailed through to the semifinals at 143 pounds to secure a top-eight finish.

CMU’s first All-American was Sierra Brown Ton, who won three bouts on the front side at 123 pounds before falling to Final X runner-up and 2018 Junior World Team member Alex Hedrick of Simon Fraser in the quarters. Brown Ton picked up a win in the blood round for AA honors.

Maria Reyes for Big Bend Community College advanced to the quarterfinals at 109 pounds before getting sent to the back side. She won in the round of 12 against Jamayia Blackton of Jamestown with a first-period pin.

Brewton-Parker College, which is in its third year as a program, earned its first All-American as 2018 Junior Women’s Freestyle national champion Abnelis Yambo went 3-1 in the first day of competition at 136 pounds.

The final day of action is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday live on FloWrestling.org.

Semifinals matchups
101 pounds
Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist) vs. Ivy Navarro (SW Oregon CC)
Angelina Gomez (Emmanuel) vs. Junette Caldera (Jamestown)

109 pounds
Alleida Martinez (Menlo) vs. Ciara Mccrae (Simon Fraser)
Kateri Rowell (Grays Harbor) vs. Mckayla Campbell (Campbellsville)

116 pounds
Gracie Figueroa (Menlo) vs. Jathiya Isaac (Wayland Baptist)
Theresa Rankin (McKendree) vs. Felicity Taylor (McKendree)

123 pounds
Dom Parrish (Simon Fraser) vs. Tiana Jackson (Menlo)
Alex Hedrick (Simon Fraser) vs. Dajan Treder (Providence)

130 pounds
Abby Nette (Emmanuel) vs. Lauren Mason (Simon Fraser)
Andribeth Rivera (Campbellsville) vs. Brenda Reyna (McKendree)

136 pounds
Nicole Joseph (King) vs. Alexis Porter (McKendree)
Kayla Marano (Emmanuel) vs. Solin Piearcy (Menlo)

143 pounds
Jayden Laurent (Lakeland) vs. Anna Luciano (King)
Felicity Bryant (Emmanuel) vs. Sienna Ramirez (Southern Oregon)

155 pounds
Alex Glaude (McKendree) vs. Hannah Gladden (Emmanuel)
Iman Kazem (Menlo) vs. Alyvia Fiske (Simon Fraser)

170 pounds
Brittany Marshall (Wayland Baptist) vs. Kiera Gabaldon (Warner Pacific)
Dymond Guilford (Missouri Baptist) vs. Korinahe Bullock (McKendree)

191 pounds
Agatha Andrews (Jamestown) vs. Destane Garrick (McKendree)
Kaylee Seabolt (Emmanuel) vs. Serena Woldring (Simon Fraser)

Quarterfinals results
101 pounds
Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist) fall Jaclyn McNichols (King), 0:08
Ivy Navarro (SW Oregon CC) dec. Hiba Salem (Menlo), 6-3
Angelina Gomez (Emmanuel) dec. Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist), 8-5
Junette Caldera (Jamestown) TF Alexia Seal (Simon Fraser), 16-6

109 pounds
Alleida Martinez (Menlo) TF Maria Reyes (Big Bend CC), 13-2
Ciara Mccrae (Simon Fraser) fall Mayra Ramirez (Wayland Baptist), 2:48
Kateri Rowell (Grays Harbor) TF Rhonda Johnson (Wayland Baptist), 18-8
Mckayla Campbell (Campbellsville) fall Vanessa Ramirez (McKendree), 3:38

116 pounds
Gracie Figueroa (Menlo) TF Kasey Baynon (Emmanuel), 11-0
Jathiya Isaac (Wayland Baptist) TF Cassidy Jasperson (Oklahoma City), 13-2
Theresa Rankin (McKendree) fall Madison Angelito (Cumberlands), 0:42
Felicity Taylor (McKendree) fall Yurie Yoneoka (Providence), 2:21

123 pounds
Dom Parrish (Simon Fraser) TF Macy Higa (Eastern Oregon), 11-0
Tiana Jackson (Menlo) dec. Cheyenne Sisentein (King), 8-2
Alex Hedrick (Simon Fraser) fall Sierra Brown Ton (Colorado Mesa), 3:35
Dajan Treder (Providence) dec. Sierra Powell (Life), 10-8

130 pounds
Abby Nette (Emmanuel) fall Julissa Taitano (Southern Oregon), 0:14
Lauren Mason (Simon Fraser) TF Amanda Alvarado (Wayland Baptist), 10-0
Andribeth Rivera (Campbellsville) TF Anesia Ramirez (Southern Oregon), 12-0
Brenda Reyna (McKendree) dec. Alison Petix (King), 6-1

136 pounds
Nicole Joseph (King) dec. Erica Sotelo (Life), 6-3
Alexis Porter (McKendree) dec. Jenna Garcia (Simon Fraser), 3-2
Kayla Marano (Emmanuel) dec. Abnelis Yambo (Brewton-Parker), 10-9
Solin Piearcy (Menlo) TF Marina Briceno (Wayland Baptist), 10-0

143 pounds
Jayden Laurent (Lakeland) TF Hailey Finn (Life), 10-0
Anna Luciano (King) fall Sara Brinkac (Simon Fraser), 1:20
Felicity Bryant (Emmanuel) dec. Angela Peralta (Menlo), 5-2
Sienna Ramirez (Southern Oregon) fall Ashlynn Ortega (King), 0:45

155 pounds
Alex Glaude (McKendree) fall Alison Horne (Simon Fraser), 5:57
Hannah Gladden (Emmanuel) TF Anna Naylor (Cumberlands), 10-0
Iman Kazem (Menlo) TF  Jasmine Bailey (McKendree), 10-0
Alyvia Fiske (Simon Fraser) TF Joye Levendusky (McKendree), 10-0

170 pounds
Brittany Marshall (Wayland Baptist) fall Karrah Smith (Southern Oregon), 0:45
Kiera Gabaldon (Warner Pacific) TF Nia Crosdale (King), 11-0
Dymond Guilford (Missouri Baptist) fall Rebekah Trudel (Simon Fraser), 1:27
Korinahe Bullock (McKendree) fall Stephanie Pantoja (Life), 2:08

191 pounds
Agatha Andrews (Jamestown) won by disqualification over Paige Baynes (Wayland Baptist)
Destane Garrick (McKendree) TF Jesse Kirby (Cumberlands), 15-5
Kaylee Seabolt (Emmanuel) fall Brandy Lowe (McKendree), 2:00
Serena Woldring (Simon Fraser) fall Chi Chi Nwankwo (Oklahoma City), 3:15

Team scores (top 10)
1. Simon Fraser – 134.5
2. Menlo – 132 
3. McKendree – 130      
4. Emmanuel – 118       
5. King – 104
6. Wayland Baptist –84
7. Campbellsville – 79
8. Jamestown – 75.5     
9. Oklahoma City – 73.5
10. Cumberlands – 71