NCAA No. 2 North Central women win its tough North Central Open, with NAIA No. 4 Providence in second
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
2023 NCWWC national champion North Central College had three individual champions and four runners-up to win its own North Central Open on Sunday.
The tournament featured 29 teams from the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA, including many of the top wrestlers in women’s college wrestling.
Individual champions for the Cardinal were Amani Jones (123), Alondra Morales (136) and Brittyn Corbishley (191).
Jones, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA and a 2023 NCWWC runner-up, scored a 10-0 technical fall over Iowa’s Ava Rose in the finals. Morales, a true freshman, stopped Iowa’s Anayka Besco, 8-0 in the finals. Corbishly, No. 1 ranked in the NCAA, pinned unattached Tatum Heikkila in the finals in 2:24.
NCAA No. 2 North Central scored 177 points, followed by runner-up NAIA No. 4 University of Providence with 106.5 points and NAIA No. 7 Campbellsville with 96.5 points. Rounding out the top five were NCAA No. 12 Aurora with 71 points in fourth place and NCAA No. 18 Lindenwood with 67.5 points.
North Central was the only team to have more than one individual champion.
Winning a title for the Univ. of Providence is NAIA No. 1 ranked Erin Hikiji, who was a 2023 NAIA runner-up, and defeated 2023 NCWWC champion and current NCAA No. 4 Madison Avila of North Central, 13-8.
Among the individual champions was Caitlyn Thorne of Lindenwood, who beat North Central freshman Janessa George in the finals by a 10-0 technical fall. Thorne was an NAIA champion in 2023 for Central Methodist.
Unattached Jaslynn Gallegos, who was a NCWWC champion last year for North Central, was the 109-pound champion, pinning Univ. of Providence freshman Paige Morales in the finals in 2:28.
Alexis Janiak of Aurora, a 2023 NCWWC runner-up who is now ranked No. 2 in the NCAA, won the 130-pound title with a 10-0 technical fall over North Central freshman Haley Vann in the finals.
Other individual champions were Athena Willden of NCAA William Jewell College at 143, Nina Makem of NCAA No. 18 Augsburg at 155 and Jade Herzer of NCAA No. 15 Wisconsin Stevens-Point at 170. Willden defeated North Central’s Niya Teresita Gaines in the finals, 4-3. Makem defeated unattached Alara Boyd, a past NCWWC champion, by injury default in the finals. Herzer controlled Grace Doering of NAIA No. 9 Indiana Tech, 11-2.
NORTH CENTRAL OPEN
At Naperville, Illinois, December 10
101
1st Place Match - Erin Hikiji (University of Providence) won by decision over Madison Avila (North Central (IL)) (Dec 13-8)
3rd Place Match - Odelia Lopez (Schreiner University) won by tech fall over Zoe Omura (Midland University) (TF 12-2)
5th Place Match - Esther Walker (Midland University) won by fall over Makayla Young (Indiana Tech) (Fall 0:17)
Consolation 1st - Sydney Kutzke (Indiana Tech) won by decision over Genesis Ramirez (Aurora ) (Dec 8-3)
109
1st Place Match - Jaslynn Gallegos (UNATTACHED) won by fall over Paige Morales (University of Providence) (Fall 2:28)
3rd Place Match - Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) won by tech fall over Angelina Graff (North Central (IL)) (TF 11-0)
5th Place Match - Alyssa Valdivia (William Jewell College) won by injury default over Gabrielle Medeiros (Campbellsville University) (Inj. 1:54)
Consolation 1st - Emily Mendez (Adrian College) won by decision over Sienna Caruso (Lindenwood University) (Dec 5-4)
116
1st Place Match - Caitlyn Thorne (Lindenwood University) won by tech fall over Janessa George (North Central (IL)) (TF 10-0)
3rd Place Match - Icart Galumette (Campbellsville University) won by tech fall over Isabelle Asuncion (University of Providence) (TF 12-2)
5th Place Match - Amaya Yoshizumi (North Central (IL)) won by fall over Arianna Hernandez (North Central (IL)) (Fall 1:29)
Consolation 1st - Shaina Hyre (Wisconsin-Stevens Point ) won by decision over Arieana Arias (University of Providence) (Dec 8-3)
123
1st Place Match - Amani Jones (North Central (IL)) won by tech fall over Ava Rose (Iowa) (TF 10-0)
3rd Place Match - Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) won by decision over Cali Leng (Iowa) (Dec 8-7)
5th Place Match - Josie Davis (Campbellsville University) won by decision over Isabelle Silva (Indiana Tech) (Dec 12-12)
Consolation 1st - Larissa Kaz (Hastings) won by fall over Aniyah Dinwiddie (Iowa Central Community College) (Fall 2:04)
130
1st Place Match - Alexis Janiak (Aurora ) won by tech fall over Haley Vann (North Central (IL)) (TF 10-0)
3rd Place Match - Alyssa Randles (University of Providence) won by tech fall over Taylor Miess (North Central (IL)) (TF 10-0)
5th Place Match - Paige Respicio (University of Providence) won by tech fall over Emily Paulino (Midland University) (TF 10-0)
Consolation 1st - Alexis Lazar (UNATTACHED) won by fall over Olivia Messerly (Campbellsville University) (Fall 2:31)
136
1st Place Match - Alondra Morales (North Central (IL)) won by decision over Anayka Besco (Iowa) (Dec 8-0)
3rd Place Match - Sydney Park (North Central (IL)) won by decision over Gabriella Perez (Campbellsville University) (Dec 1-0)
5th Place Match - Marissa Sanabria (Lindenwood University) won by decision over Amor Tuttle (Wisconsin-Stevens Point ) (Dec 5-1)
Consolation 1st - Natasha Markoutsis (Aurora ) won by tech fall over Emmily Patneaud (UNATTACHED) (TF 12-2)
143
1st Place Match - Athena Willden (William Jewell College) won by decision over Niya Teresita Gaines (North Central (IL)) (Dec 4-3)
3rd Place Match - Emma Walker (Campbellsville University) won by tech fall over Lili Ujfalvi (Gannon University) (TF 12-2)
5th Place Match - Riley Aamold (North Central (IL)) won by fall over Kailey Rees (University of Providence) (Fall 0:30)
Consolation 1st - Reagen Gallaway (Hastings) won by fall over Mckenzie Cook (Eureka) (Fall 0:32)
155
1st Place Match - Blanche `Nina` Makem (Augsburg University) won by injury default over Alara Boyd (UNATTACHED) (Inj. 0:00)
3rd Place Match - Sadie Antoque (University of Providence) won by decision over Azana King (Schreiner University) (Dec 8-0)
5th Place Match - Sarina Bertram (North Central (IL)) won by decision over Kassidy Sigda (University of Providence) (Dec 2-1)
Consolation 1st - Makena Schramm (Midland University) won by decision over Antonia Phillips (Aurora ) (Dec 6-1)
170
1st Place Match - Jade Herzer (Wisconsin-Stevens Point ) won by decision over Grace Doering (Indiana Tech) (Dec 11-2)
3rd Place Match - Schyler Caringi (Gannon University) won by fall over Emma Thomas (Lindenwood University) (Fall 0:59)
5th Place Match - Caitlyn Flaherty (North Central (IL)) won by forfeit over Jewel Gonzalez (Gannon University) (FF)
Consolation 1st - Katelyn Lewis (UNATTACHED) won by fall over Madison Farris (Eureka) (Fall 0:18)
191
1st Place Match - Brittyn Corbishley (North Central (IL)) won by fall over Tatum Heikkila (UNATTACHED) (Fall 2:24)
3rd Place Match - Traeh Haynes (North Central (IL)) won by decision over Jaycee Foeller (UNATTACHED) (Dec 4-2)
5th Place Match - Caroline Ward (North Central (IL)) won by decision over Sydney Manos (Aurora ) (Dec 2-0)
Consolation 1st - Logan Ryan (Albion) won by decision over Symphanie Sampson (Schreiner University) (Dec 4-0)
Team Standings
Placement/Team/Number of Entries/Points
1 NCAA No. 2 North Central (IL), 26 177.0
2 NAIA No. 4 University of Providence, MT 16 106.5
3 NAIA No. 7 Campbellsville University, KY 15 96.5
4 NCAA No. 12 Aurora , IL 14 71.0
5 NCAA No. 18 tie Lindenwood University, MO 12 67.5
6 NAIA No. 9 Indiana Tech, IN 11 66.0
7 NCAA No. 11 Gannon University, PA 10 60.5
8 NCAA Schreiner University, TX 9 59.5
9 NCAA William Jewell College, MO 9 55.0
10 NCAA No. 15 tie Wisconsin-Stevens Point , WI 21 51.0
11 NAIA Midland University, NE 9 43.0
12 NCAA No. 18 tie Augsburg University, MN 7 41.5
13 NCAA No. 1 Iowa, IA 3 38.5
14 NJCAA No. 3 Iowa Central Community College, IA 11 33.0
15 NCAA Albion, MI 7 32.0
(Of 29 teams)