Campbellsville claims WCWA title, Nette repeats as champion

Photo of two-time WCWA champion Abby Nette by Jim Thrall/Mat Focus.

Marietta, Ga. – The 16th annual WCWA Championships concluded this evening. Campbellsville University ran away with the title this year with 13 total All-Americans and three champions. Host school, Life University finished in second place with one champion and five total All-Americans. Jamestown University finished third with eight All-Americans, and in their first year of competition, Presbyterian finished in fourth place with two champions and five total All-Americans. Campbellsville Head Coach Lee Miracle was honored with the WCWA Coach of the Year award.

At 130 pounds, Abby Nette of Campbellsville was the only back-to-back WCWA champion. Nette defeated Gabby Skidmore of Augsburg, 6-1, in the finals to claim her second title. Nette is currently No. 3 on the U.S. National Team at 59 kg.

Campbellsville’s second champion came at 170 pounds where Mariah Harris claimed a title over teammate Kenya-Lee Sloan. Unfortunately, the match ended in an injury default. Harris was winning, 9-5 at the time.

The Tiger's final champion earned her title in the last match of the tournament. Alexandra Castillo defeated Agatha Andrews of Jamestown in a decisive, 8-1, victory at 191 pounds.

The tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler award was given to Life University’s Julia Vidallon, the 123 pound champion. The No. 2 seed, Vidallon upset No. 1 Vayle Baker of Augsburg in the finals, 5-2.

Freshman, Emily Shilson of Augsburg received the WCWA Wrestler of the Year award. Shilson was unscored upon in the tournament and recorded a pin and three technical falls, including an 11-0 win over McKayla Campbell of Campbellsville in the 109 pound finals.

Another freshman that had an exceptional tournament was Presbyterian’s Jaslynn Gallegos at 116 pounds. Gallegos ran through the bracket, picking up three falls on her way to the finals. There, she defeated Katlyn Pizzo of Campbellsville by technical fall, 10-0. Gallegos also did not surrender a point.

Presbyterian’s other champion was Morgan Norris at 143 pounds. Norris, also a freshman, advanced to the finals by securing two technical falls and a pin, outscoring her opponents, 30-0. In the finals, she gutted out a hard-fought, 2-1, victory over Gabrielle Garcia of Campbellsville.

In perhaps the most compelling match of the night, Oklahoma City’s Rachel Watters defeated Lakeland’s Jayden Laurent in the 155 pound finals. Watters was a 2018 National Team member while Laurent is currently No. 3 at 68 kg.

After giving up a passivity point, Watters trailed, 1-0, at the break. In the second period, she picked up the pace, scoring on a single leg takedown and two step outs. In the closing seconds she countered a Laurent shot to take the match, 6-1.

The final two wrestlers to take home tiles were Zoe Nowicki of Adrien at 136 pounds and Esthela Trevino of Umpqua at 101 pounds.

In her finals match, Nowicki earned a first period fall over Aliyah Yates of Big Bend. Leading 3-0, Nowicki stuffed a Yates shot attempt and pancaked her to her back for the fall.

Trevino gave up the first takedown in the finals to fall behind McKenzie Bacich of Campbellsville, 2-0. She would respond with a takedown of her own off a head-inside single. That was all the scoring in the match, and Trevino won, 2-2.

All of the WCWA champions are now qualified for the Olympic Team Trials, which will be held at Penn State, April 4-5.

WCWA Nationals

at Cobb County Civic Center, Marietta, GA.

Final Results
101
1st: Esthela Trevino (Umpqua) dec McKenzie Bacich (Campbellsville), 2-2
3rd: Esther Walker (Midland) Fall Madison Brown (Texas Wesleyan), 4-0 0:46
5th: Ira Navarro (Southwestern Oregon CC) TF Cecilia Saavedra (Grays Harbor (W)), 12-0 2:47
7th: Kayla Rogers (Big Bend) FALL Chrystal Raine (Gannon), 4-0 0:20

109
1st: Emily Shilson (Augsburg) TF McKayla Campbell (Campbellsville), 11-0
3rd: Sugey Ceja (Tiffin) dec Jessica Dehart (Eastern Oregon), 15-10
5th: Cassandra Lopez (Presbyterian) dec Samantha Weeks (Jamestown), 7-4
7th: Aylen Vivar (Texas Wesleyan) TF Kory Phillips (Southwestern Oregon CC), 14-3 4:43

116
1st: Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian) vs. Katlyn Pizzo (Campbellsville), 10-0
3rd: Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville) TF Ashley Gooman (Midland), 13-2 6:00
5th: Aliyah Rollins (Missouri Baptist) FALL Jamayia Blackston (Jamestown), 8-6 3:00
7th: Alexandra Magana (Texas Wesleyan) TF Jazlyn Ruelas (Schreiner), 14-4 1:48

123
1st: Julia Vidallon (Life) dec Vayle-Rae Baker (Augsburg), 5-2
3rd: Kassidy Block (Adrian) FALL Adrianna Lopez (Campbellsville), 6-2 2:50
5th: Savannah Stacks (Tiffin) FALL Allie Mahoe (Schreiner), 3-0 1:45
7th: Isabella Badon Clinton, SC (Presbyterian) decKamille Beagel (Schreiner), 4-0

130
1st: Abigail Nette (Campbellsville) dec Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg), 6-1
3rd: Alex Enriquez (Life) dec Aysia Cortez (Life), 4-0
5th: Tanalei Louis Fremont (Midland) dec Serena Cervantes (Schreiner), 9-4
7th: Mattison Parker (Oklahoma City FALL Clarissa Archuleta (Texas Wesleyan), 13-3 5:48

136
1st: Zoe Nowicki (Adrian) FALL Aliyah Yates (Big Bend), 2:07
3rd: Jacqueline Parks (Jamestown) dec Destiny Lyng (Oklahoma City), 8-4
5th: Eunique Davis (Tiffin) TF Randi Robison (Campbellsville), 12-0 5:58
7th: Adelyhda Perez (Presbyterian) FALL Desiree Estrada (Jamestown), 9-6 3:39

143
1st: Morgan Norris (Presbyterian) dec Gabrielle Garcia (Campbellsville), 2-1
3rd: Erica Sotelo (Life) dec Sydney Freund (Oklahoma City), 7-6
5th: Erin Redford (Eastern Oregon) dec Grace Miller (Umpqua)
7th: Adriana Orozco (Southwestern Oregon CC) FALL Mhina Oseitutu (Campbellsville), 6-2 1:43

155
1st: Rachel Watters (Oklahoma City) dec Jayden Laurent (Lakeland), 6-1
3rd: Annabelle Helm (Gannon) dec Alexia Foca (Campbellsville), 7-6
5th: Taylor Hites (Tiffin) DEF Myranda Velazquez (Jamestown), INJ DEF
7th: Dempsi Talkington (Eastern Oregon) dec Emma Justo (Grays Harbor), 5-1

170
1st: Mariah Harris (Campbellsville) DEF Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville), INJ DEF
3rd: Jordan Nelson Marietta, GA (Life) dec Jade Piper (Umpqua), 11-8
5th: Alyssa Schrull (Jamestown) DEF Amara Devericks (Gannon) INJ
7th: Ashley Molina (Texas Wesleyan) FALL Sienna Lejeune (Umpqua), 6-0 2:18

191
1st: Alexandra Castillo (Campbellsville) dec Agatha Andrews (Jamestown), 8-1
3rd: Nkechinyere Nwankwo Oklahoma City, OK (Oklahoma City (W)) VPO1 Gabrielle Hamilton Marietta, GA (Life (W)), 12-10
5th: Leilani Camargo-Naone (Midland) TF Jessie Lee (Tiffin), 11-0 1:39
7th: Kendall McGarity (Gannon) FALL Madlyne Navarro (Central Methodist), 8-0 1:17

Team Scores
1. Campbellsville 230
2. Life 113
3. Jamestown 111.5
4. Presbyterian 94
5. Oklahoma City 92.5
6. Augsburg 75
7. Tiffin 72.5
8. Umpqua 68.5
9. Midland 59.5
10. Adrian 56.5
11. Eastern Oregon 50
12. Gannon 50
13. Texas Wesleyan 43.5
14. Schreiner 41.5
15. Southwestern Oregon CC
16. Big Bend 29
17. Missouri Baptist 26
18. Lakeland 25
19. Grays Harbor
20. Central Methodist