Campbellsville pushes 11 into semifinals, Bacich takes out top seed at WCWA Championships

Photo courtesy of Campbellsville University Women's Wrestling twitter account - @CvilleWWrestle

MARIETTA, Ga. – The biggest upset of the first day of the WCWA Championships took place at the lightest weight class. In the first round in the 101 pound bracket, unseeded McKenzie Bacich of Campbellsville took out the No. 1 seed, Ira Navarro of Southwestern Oregon Community College, 10-9. Bacich rushed out to an early lead, controlling the match, 10-3, at the break. Navarro battled her way back to within a point in the second period. However, Bacich held on to claim the win. In the quarterfinals Bacich kept her momentum going with a 10-1 technical fall over Texas Wesleyan’s Madison Brown to advance to the semifinals.

On the other side of the 101 pound bracket another big upset occurred when Cecilia Saavedra of Grays Harbor knocked off the No. 2 seed Faye Cherrier of Life University, 5-5. Saavedra earned a step-out point with 27 seconds remaining to take the lead on criteria. The score would hold and Saavedra would punch her ticket to the semifinals.

Another notable upset took place in the 155 pound bracket, where Taylor Hites of Tiffin knocked off No. 2. Myranda Velazquez of Jamestown, 6-4. Hites hit a feet-to-back takedown for four points at the end of the first period that proved to be the difference in the match.

Besides those notable upsets, the tournament favorites have largely been rolling. At 109 pounds, No. 1 seed Emily Shilson, a freshman at Augsburg, picked up two, 10-0, technical falls on her way to the semifinals.

Another freshman sensation, top seeded Jaslynn Gallegos of Presbyterian has been equally dominant at 116 pounds picking up a 14-second fall and a 33-second, 12-0, technical fall.

Not to be outdone by her fellow freshmen, No. 1 at 123 pounds, Vayle Baker of Augsburg earned a first-period fall and a 12-2 technical fall over her first two opponents.

Last year’s Outstanding Wrestler Abby Nette of Campbellsville, the No. 1 seed at 130 pounds, outscored her first three opponents, 28-0, with two technical falls and a pin.

At 136 pounds, No. 1 Jacqueline Parks of Jamestown recorded back-to-back first period falls. Even more impressively, the No. 1 seed at 143 pounds, Erica Sotelo of Life University secured three first period falls in her first three matches.

In her first two collegiate matches this season, No. 1 at 155 pounds, Jayden Laurent of Lakeland earned 13-3 and 12-0 technical falls.

The trend continued at the upper weights with No. 1 at 170 Kenya Sloan of Campbellsville pinning her first opponent and teching her second opponent, 10-0, while No. 1 at 191 pounds Nkechinyere Nwankwo of Oklahoma City earned two, 10-0, technical falls.

After day one, Campbellsville is firmly in the driver’s seat with 11 wrestlers in the semifinals. Life University, the host school, has six in the semifinals while Oklahoma City has four and Augsburg and Tiffin are tied with three. Jamestown has two wrestlers in the semifinals but also has five wrestlers in the consolation brackets.

Action will resume tomorrow morning at 9 am and can be streamed live on Flowrestling.

WCWA CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Marietta, Ga.

Semifinal Pairings

101 pounds
McKenzie Bacich (Campbellsville) vs. Esther Walker (Midland)
Esthela Trevino (Umpqua) vs. Cecilia Saavedra (Grays Harbor)

109 pounds
Emily Shilson (Augsburg) vs. Sugey Ceja (Tiffin)
Jessica Dehart (Eastern Oregon) vs. McKayla Campbell (Campbellsville)

116 pounds
Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian) vs. Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville)
Ashley Gooman (Midland) vs. Katlyn Pizzo (Campbellsville)

123 pounds
Vayle-Rae Baker (Augsburg) vs. Adrianna Lopez (Campbellsville)
Savannah Stacks (Tiffin) vs. Julia Vidallon (Life)

130 pounds
Abigail Nette (Campbellsville) vs. Aysia Cortez (Life)
Alex Enriquez (Life) vs. Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg)

136 pounds
Jacqueline Parks (Jamestown) vs. Aliyah Yates (Big Bend)
Zoe Nowicki (Adrian) vs. Destiny Lyng (Oklahoma City)

143 pounds
Erica Sotelo (Life) vs. Gabrielle Garcia (Campbellsville)
Sydney Freund (Oklahoma City) vs. Morgan Norris (Presbyterian)

155 pounds
Jayden Laurent (Lakeland) vs. Alexia Foca (Campbellsville)
Rachel Watters (Oklahoma City) vs. Taylor Hites (Tiffin)

170 pounds
Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville) vs. Jade Piper (Umpqua)
Jordan Nelson (Life) vs. Mariah Harris (Campbellsville)

191 pounds
Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Oklahoma City) vs. Agatha Andrews (Jamestown)
Alexandra Castillo (Campbellsville) vs. Gabrielle Hamilton (Life)

Quarterfinal Results

101 pounds
McKenzie Bacich Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) TF Madison Brown (Texas Wesleyan (W)), 11-1 4:16
Esther Walker Fremont, NE (Midland) DSQ Forfeit Forfeit Oceanside, CA (Tiffin)
Esthela Trevino Cypress, TX (Umpqua (W)) VSU Kayla Rogers (Big Bend), 10-0 3:00
Cecilia Saavedra (Grays Harbor (W)) dec Faye Cherrier Marietta, GA (Life (W)), 5-5

109 pounds
Emily Shilson Minneapolis, MN (Augsburg) TF Aylen Bivar (Texas Wesleyan (W)), 10-0 3:19
Sugey Ceja Corona, CA (Tiffin) TF Cassandra Lopez Clinton, SC (Presbyterian), 12-2 5:42
Jessica Dehart La Grande, OR (Eastern Oregon (W)) FALL Allicia Mahoe Kerrville, TX (Schreiner), 4-2 2:36
McKayla Campbell Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) FALL Kory Phillips Coos Bay, OR (Southwestern Oregon CC), 8-0 1:04

116 pounnds
Jaslynn Gallegos Clinton, SC (Presbyterian) TF Cassidy Freeman La Grande, OR (Eastern Oregon) 12-0 0:33
Charlotte Fowler Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) dec Aliyah Rollins CA (Missouri Baptist (W)), 11-8
Ashley Gooman Fremont, NE (Midland) Fall Maddie Ruckdashel Sheboygan, WI (Lakeland (W)), 4-0 0:27
Katlyn Pizzo Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) FALL Alexandra Magana (Texas Wesleyan (W)), 8-3 1:00

123 pounds
Vayle-Rae Baker Minneapolis, MN (Augsburg) FALL Kassidy Block Riga, MI (Adrian (W)), 12-2 3:53
Adrianna Lopez Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) dec Isabella Badon Clinton, SC
(Presbyterian), 8-0
Savannah Stacks (Tiffin) dec Macy Higa La Grande, OR (Eastern Oregon (W)), 4-0
Julia Vidallon Marietta, GA (Life (W)) TF Allie Mahoe Kerrville, TX (Schreiner), 10-0 2:12

130
Abigail Nette Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) TF Mattison Parker Haslet, TX (Oklahoma City (W)), 10-0 1:10
Aysia Cortez Marietta, GA (Life (W)) TF Arianna Marrufo Jamestown, ND (Jamestown (W)), 12-2 3:34
Alex Enriquez Marietta, GA (Life (W)) dec Tanalei Louis Fremont, NE (Midland), 4-0
Gabby Skidmore Minneapolis, MN (Augsburg) dec Clarissa Archuleta Royse City, TX (Texas Wesleyan (W)), 8-0

136 pounds
Jacqueline Parks Jamestown, ND (Jamestown (W)) FALL Hannah Mcelroy Clinton, SC (Presbyterian), 6-0 1:44
Aliyah Yates (Big Bend) TF Randi Robison Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)), 10-0 3:39
Zoe Nowicki Adrian, MI (Adrian (W)) TF Sophia Carson Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)), 12-2 4:12
Destiny Lyng La Mesa, CA (Oklahoma City (W)) TF Adelyhda Perez Clinton, SC (Presbyterian), 10-0 1:37

143 pounds
Erica Sotelo Marietta, GA (Life (W)) FALL Brighton Hutton St. Louis, MO (Missouri Baptist (W)), 6-0 1:51
Gabrielle Garcia Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) VFA Andrea Prince Jamestown, ND (Jamestown (W)), 4-0 0:29
Sydney Freund Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma City (W)) FALL Kahlea Jolly Minneapolis, MN (Augsburg), 6-0 1:18
Morgan Norris Clinton, SC (Presbyterian) TF Mackenzie Matta Adrian, MI (Adrian (W)), 10-0 2:25

155 pounds
Rachel Watters Ankeny, IA (Oklahoma City (W)) FALL Destinee Rivera Marietta, GA (Life (W)), 9-0 5:13
Jayden Laurent Sheboygan, WI (Lakeland (W)) TF Annabelle Helm Erie, PA (Gannon), 12-0 2:30
Alexia Foca Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) FALL Kaylee Foster St. Louis, MO (Missouri Baptist (W)), 4-0 0:30
Taylor Hites (Tiffin) dec Myranda Velazquez Los Banos, CA (Jamestown (W)), 6-4

170 pounds
Jordan Nelson Marietta, GA (Life (W)) TF Amara Devericks Erie, PA (Gannon), 11-0 5:20
Kenya-Lee Sloan Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) TF Jane Allen Marietta, GA (Life (W)), 10-0 0:44
Jade Piper Gold Beach, OR (Umpqua (W)) TF Alyssa Schrull Jamestown, ND (Jamestown (W)), 10-0 0:44
Mariah Harris Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) VSU Ashley Molina Cypress, TX (Texas Wesleyan (W)), 10-0 0:40

191
Nkechinyere Nwankwo Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma City (W)) TF Kendall Mcgarity Erie, PA (Gannon), 10-0 1:20
Agatha Andrews Jamestown, ND (Jamestown (W)) FALL Leilani Camargo-naone Fremont, NE (Midland), 6-0 2:50
Alexandra Castillo Campbellsville, KY (Campbellsville (W)) VFA Madlyen Narravo Fayette, MO (Central Methodist (W)), 8-0
Gabrielle Hamilton (Life) dec Jessie Lee (Tiffin), 17-11

Team Scores
1. Campbellsville 134.5
2. Life 78
3. Jamestown 74
4. Oklahoma City 62.5
5. Presbyterian 56.5
6. Tiffin 53 
7. Umpqua 48.5
8. Augsburg 46.5
9. Eastern Oregon 37
10. Gannon 34
11. Midland 33
12. Schreiner 32.5
13. Adrian 31.5
14. Texas Wesleyan 28
15. Southwestern Oregon CC 26.5
16. Grays Harbor 24
17. Lakeland 18
17. Missouri Baptist 18
19. Big Bend 17
20. Central Methodist 14.5