Quarterfinals set at NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships, Iowa holds slim lead in team race

For as long as this planet keeps on spinning, there will only be one correct answer as to who was the first-ever athlete to win a match at the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships.

And that honor goes to Presbyterian 103-pounder Sloane Kruger.

The freshman from Tumwater, Washington, secured a fall over Madeline Gavares (Ursinus) just 1:03 into their preliminary bout. In so doing, she beat seven other wrestlers spanning Xtream Arena’s four mats to the punch for this small but significant piece of history.

Among other results of note, a trio of first-year varsity programs each earned their first victory at the national tournament.

Delaware State and Eastern were two of those programs – and actually squared off in a preliminary bout at 145 pounds.

Louise Juitt (Delaware State) won by fall to get the Hornets on the board first. But fret not, Eastern got its first win soon after, when Savannah Witt (seeded sixth at 124) pinned her first-round foe in 0:35.

The third postseason debutant – Lehigh – went 3-2 in Session I, led off by 2025 World teamer Audrey Jimenez’s 10-0 tech. fall at 110.

As with any seeded tournament, intrigue abounds as to who might upset the apple cart in the early rounds.

And there were several notable instances of exactly that during Session I.

Delaware State’s Icart Galumette wouldn’t have seemed like a candidate to do so after finding herself in an early 8-0 hole against #4 Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell).

Galumette managed to flip the script, however, scoring six points of her own and pinning Waitsman – a returning All-American at 117 pounds – all before the first period ended.

Up at 131, two-time national runner-up Yele Aycock (North Central) lost not once, but twice on Friday morning – eliminating the #6 seed from the tournament.

Lindsey Rywolt (Bridgeport) sent Aycock to the consolations with a cradle/pin in just 0:40.

But the highest-seeded wrestler to fall prey to an early upset was two-time All-American Zoey Lints (Elmira) – the #3 seed at 145.

Lints was bested by Alexandra Ford (Emmanuel) in a hard-fought 5-3 decision.

All told, 68/80 (top eight) seeded wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals.

Friday’s second session – featuring championship quarterfinals and first/second round consolations – will begin at 4 p.m. (CT).

Scheduled to run for approximately 3.5 hours, we’ll have a much clearer picture of both team and individual title chases upon its conclusion.

As for those quarterfinal matches, here’s what’s on tap for this evening:

#1 Heather Crull (McKendree) vs #8 Alexis Winecke (Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

#4 Madison Avila (North Central) vs #5 Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State)

#3 Mia Zuniga (Colorado Mesa) vs #6 Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy)

#2 Valarie Solorio (Iowa) vs #7 Genesis Ramirez (Aurora)

#1 Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh) vs Adriana Gomez (Colorado Mesa)

#4 Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree) vs #5 Nyla Valencia (Iowa)

#3 Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central) vs #6 Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian)

#2 Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) vs #7 Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg)

#1 Yu Sakamoto (McKendree) vs Maddie Ripley (Western New England)

#5 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) vs Icart Galumette (Delaware State)

#3 Riley Rayome (North Central) vs #6 Abigail Cooper (Lehigh)

#2 Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel) vs #7 Shea Reisel (Dubuque)

#1 Sara Sterner (North Central) vs #8 Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian)

#4 Shelby Moore (McKendree) vs #5 Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State)

#3 Xochitl Mota-Pettis vs #6 Savannah Witt (Eastern)

#2 Virginia Foard (King) vs #7 Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa)

#1 Cameron Guerin (McKendree) vs #8 Kassey Daugherty (Presbyterian)

#4 Karlee Brooks (Iowa) vs #5 Abigal Mozden (Mount Union)

#3 Alexis Janiak (Aurora) vs Lindsey Rywolt (Bridgeport)

#2 Aubre Krazer (Lehigh) vs Cassia Zammit (West Liberty)

#1 Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) vs Aine Moffit (Augustana)

#4 Lilly Luft (Iowa) vs #5 Jacinda Espinosa (Lindenwood)

#3 Haylie Jaffe (McKendree) vs Sophia Ball (Aurora)

#2 Claire DiCugno (North Central) vs #7 Kylie Rule (Wartburg)

#1 Reese Larramendy vs #8 Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian)

#4 Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan) vs #5 Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree)

#6 Annelise Obermark (Simpson vs Alexandra Ford (Emmanuel)

#2 Bella Mir (North Central) vs #7 Liv Wieber (Simon Fraser)

#1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) vs #8 Keeley Kehrli (Simpson)

#4 Stella Steigler (King) vs #5 May Cuyler (Presbyterian)

#3 Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg) vs #6 Taylor Graveman (North Central)

#2 Savannah Gomez (McKendree) vs Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State)

#1 Kylie Welker (Iowa) vs Azariah Moore (Lock Haven)

#4 Shenita Lawson (North Central) vs Paige Maher (Simon Fraser)

#3 Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays State) vs Mia Gaetjens (Adrian)

#2 Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree) vs #7 Isabella Phillips (Gannon)

#1 Tristan Kelly (McKendree) vs #8 Maria Aiono (Presbyterian)

#4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg) vs #5 Katja Osteen (Iowa)

#3 Caroline Ward (North Central) vs #6 Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa)

#2 Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) s #7 Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart)

1 – Iowa (24.5)

2 – North Central (24.0)

3 – McKendree (21.5)

4 – Grand Valley State (19.0)

5 – Presbyterian (18.0)

6 – Colorado Mesa (12.0)

7 – Simon Fraser (8.5)

7 – Wartburg (8.5)

9 – East Stroudsburg (7.5)

9 – Eastern (7.5)

9 – Lehigh (7.5)