Life repeats at NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships, William Penn leads way with four individual champions
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by Tanner Lafever
Jamilah McBryde (Life)
PARK CITY, Kansas – For the second time in as many years, Life University stood tallest at the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships.
The Eagles utilized their unparalleled depth to go back-to-back, placing seven different athletes in the top four of their respective weight classes.
All those points from head coach Ashley Flavin’s squad helped to build a big enough lead during Saturday morning’s session to clinch the team title.
And it’s a good thing they did, too – because William Penn’s four individual champions had the Statesmen charging hard up the team standings to close the tournament.
Meanwhile, it was third-place Grand View which sat in second prior to William Penn’s late run. The Vikings ultimately tied both the Eagles and Statesmen for most All-Americans with eight apiece.
All three finished among the top five teams in 2025, and this year Providence (fourth) and Wayland Baptist (fifth) joined the fray as well.
In total, 25 different programs tallied at least one All-American finisher. And aside from William Penn’s quartet of individual champions, six other schools crowned one each.
Many of those champs were familiar with the stage, too – with seven of the ten having previously stood atop the podium during their careers.
But only Doane’s Cristelle Rodriguez added a third title to her ledger on Saturday night.
Her talent/experience shown through, with the senior among six athletes who won their championship bout by either shutout technical fall or pin.
Saturday evening began at 110 pounds with Mia Palumbo (William Penn) setting a quick pace.
The 2024 national champ left little to chance in her return trip to the finals, wearing down second-seeded Avery Ashley (Oklahoma City) by way of 10-0 technical fall.
Palumbo’s William Penn teammate – Christianah Ogunsanya – made it consecutive champions for the Statemen when she got her hand raised against #2 Salyna Shotwell (Life).
The 117-pound final was a six-minute slugfest – with Ogunsanya (a returning champ) generating the better of the offense in a 5-0 decision.
Those results gave way to the aforementioned Cristelle Rodriguez, who’s become one of the bright young stars in American wrestling.
She continued that momentum in her final collegiate match – securing title number three with an early takedown and four bone-crunching gut wrenches of #2 Rose Kaplan (Indiana Tech).
Across four bouts, the senior from Doane University didn’t allow a single point and spent less than one full match’s worth of time on the mat (5:46).
Now, Rodriguez will turn her attention toward making her second consecutive Senior World team for the Stars and Stripes.
131 pounds offered up the first final not to feature a one-versus-two matchup. To make that happen, #4 Olivia Mottley (Life) had to defeat her own teammate in one semifinal and #3 Jumoke Adekoye (Dickinson State) had to defeat a former champion in the other.
When they met in the final, it was Adekoye who had the upper hand in a 10-0 tech. fall.
Not only was this her second national title in as many years, but Adekoye scored 26 out of 31.5 team points for Dickinson State to help the Blue Hawks to a 16th-place finish.
One weight class above, the first and only final between two reigning champions took place.
And when it was all said and done, last year’s victor at 145 was too much for the returning champ at 138 – with #1 Esther Kolawole (William Penn) earning a 10-0 tech. fall over #2 Zaynah McBryde (Life) early in the second period.
That outcome set the stage for match of the night.
There, at 145 pounds, #2 Jamilah McBryde (Life) saw a late 5-2 lead evaporate when #1 Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist) ripped a huge four-point throw with 0:32 remaining.
But rather than panic trailing 6-5, McBryde almost immediately scored a feet-to-back takedown of her own – and in so doing secured a second title to go with the one she won in 2024.
160 also featured some late drama with its two finalists trading leads in the final 70 seconds of action.
In the end, #4 Mercy Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptist) got the last laugh against #2 Shannon Workinger (Evergreen State) in a 6-3 decision.
As if that weren’t enough for one day, several hours earlier in her semifinal Adekuoroye won in dramatic comeback fashion against the reigning champ – and #1 seed – Latifah McBryde (Life).
The next weight class served as a coronation of sorts for William Penn’s #4 Piper Fowler.
Not only did the 180-pound freshman win a national title in her first collegiate season, but she pinned all four opponents in the first period to do it. The last of those came against #6 Andjela Prijovic (Grand View) – who was the lowest-seeded wrestler to reach a final.
Fowler – a former U17 World champion – will be one to watch for years to come, both collegiately and beyond.
Just as it did at six other weights, chalk prevailed at 207 pounds with the #1 seed winning it all.
Lillian Gradillas-Flores (Southern Oregon) made it so by scoring the lone takedown in a 2-1 decision over #2 Haley Ward (Avila).
Gradillas-Flores had bonused each of her three prior opponents but showed good patience/awareness in the low-scoring finals bout.
Ward was Avila University’s lone qualifier for the national tournament.
As for the closing performance of the 2026 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships, tournament organizers were rewarded by Providence’s Erin Hikiji.
The top-seeded 103-pounder ended her college career in style, blowing open a 1-0 match against #3 Zoey Haney (Indiana Tech) with explosive four-point moves on either side of intermission.
Hikiji reached the finals in each of her four years wrestling for the Argonauts. And after runner-up finishes as a freshman/sophomore, she’ll move on to the next stage of her life/career as a two-time national champion.
#1 Mia Palumbo (William Penn) tech. fall #2 Avery Ashley (Oklahoma City), 10-0
#1 Christianah Ogunsanya (William Penn) dec. #2 Salyna Shotwell (Life), 5-0
#1 Christelle Rodriguez (Doane) tech. fall #2 Rose Kaplan (Indiana Tech), 10-0
#3 Jumoke Adekoye (Dickinson State) tech. fall #4 Olivia Mottley (Life), 10-0
#1 Esther Kolawole (William Penn) tech. fall #2 Zaynah McBryde (Life), 10-0
#2 Jamilah McBryde (Life) dec. #1 Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist), 9-6
#4 Jumoke Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptist) dec. #2 Shannon Workinger (Evergreen State), 6-3
#4 Piper Fowler (William Penn) fall #6 Andjela Prijovic (Grand View), 1:09
#1 Lillian Gradillas-Flores (Southern Oregon) dec. #2 Haley Ward (Avila), 2-1
#1 Erin Hikiji (Providence) tech. fall #3 Zoey Haney (Indiana Tech), 11-0
1 – Life (169)
2 – William Penn (158.5)
3 – Grand View (145.5)
4 – Providence (101)
5 – Wayland Baptist (90.5)
6 – Southern Oregon (88)
7 – Indiana Tech (81.5)
8 – Lindsey Wilson (76)
9 – Ottawa (68)
10 – Texas Wesleyan (55)
11 – Missouri Valley (54.5)
12 – Cumberlands (39)
13 – Doane (37.5)
14 – Oklahoma City (36)
15 – Evergreen State (33.5)
16 – Dickinson State (31.5)
17 – Saint Mary (28)
18 – Hastings (27.5)
19 – Baker (26)
20 – Bismarck State (25.5)
21 – Campbellsville (22.5)
22 – Avila (21.5)
23 – Midland (15.5)
24 – Arizona Christian (14)
25 – Missouri Baptist (11)
26 – Eastern Oregon (5)
27 – Central Methodist (4.5)
28 – Friends (3)
28 – Rochester Christian (3)
28 – York (3)
31 – Westcliff (2.5)
31 – William Woods (2.5)
33 – Waldorf (1)
34 – Georgetown (0)
34 – Montreat (0)
34 – Rio Grande (0)
#1 Erin Hikiji (Providence) tech. fall #4 Lita Cruz (Grand View), 10-0
#3 Zoey Haney (Indiana Tech) fall #7 Alexis Miller (Oklahoma City), 1:55
#1 Mia Palumbo (William Penn) tech. fall Kayla McNatt (Arizona Christian), 10-0
#2 Avery Ashley (Oklahoma City) fall #3 Paige Morales (Providence), 2:48
#1 Christianah Ogunsanya (William Penn) tech. fall #4 Cailin Campbell (Grand View), 13-1
#2 Salyna Shotwell (Life) fall #3 Zao Estrada (Missouri Valley), 2:20
#1 Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane) tech. fall #4 Vicky Baez-Dilone (William Penn), 11-0
#2 Rose Kaplan (Indiana Tech) dec. #3 Kamilah Brooks (Lindsey Wilson), 2-1
#4 Olivia Mottley (Life) dec. #1 Sarah Savidge (Life), 7-2
#3 Jumoke Adekoye (Dickinson State) dec. #2 Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Providence), 6-3
#1 Esther Kolawole (William Penn) tech. fall Aileen Lester (Ottawa), 10-0
#2 Zaynah McBryde (Life) tech. fall #3 Samantha Barragan (Texas Wesleyan), 11-0
#1 Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist) fall #5 Kori Campbell (Lindsey Wilson), 5:01
#2 Jamilah McBryde (Life) dec. Holland Wieber (Southern Oregon), 4-3
#4 Mercy Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptist) dec. #1 Latifah McBryde (Life), 8-6
#2 Shannon Workinger (Evergreen State) dec. #6 Bo Geibe (Indiana Tech), 7-4
#4 Piper Fowler (William Penn) fall #1 Reka Busa (Life), 2:30
#6 Andjela Prijovic (Grand View) tech. fall #2 Kathryn Hingano (Southern Oregon), 12-1
#1 Lillian Gradillas-Flores (Southern Oregon) tech. fall #4 Carla Campos (Texas Wesleyan), 12-1
#2 Haley Ward (Avila) dec. #3 Selena Mares (Grand View), 3-2
3rd – #2 Makennah Craft (Campbellsville) tech. fall #8 Alexsys Jacquez (Saint Mary), 11-0
5th – #4 Lita Cruz (Grand View dec. #7 Alexis Miller (Oklahoma City), 8-4
7th – #5 Aynsley Fink (Ottawa) tech. fall #6 Isabelle Apple (Grand View), 11-0
3rd – #4 Tristan Nitta (Grand View) fall Kylie Robledo (Baker), 4:28
5th – Kayla McNatt (Arizona Christian) injury def. #3 Paige Morales (Providence)
7th – #6 Avy Perez (William Penn) fall Chloe Brewis (Hastings), 2:59
3rd – #3 Zao Estrada (Missouri Valley) tech. fall #4 Cailin Campbell (Grand View), 10-0
5th – #6 Grace Lashinsky (Lindsey Wilson) fall Carolina Rios (Texas Wesleyan), 4:13
7th – #7 Joely Slyter (Providence) tech. fall Angelica Vicente Gonzalez (Doane), 12-1
3rd – #4 Vicky Baez-Dilone (William Penn) fall Rei Ogden (Bismarck State), 0:17
5th – #3 Kamilah Brooks (Lindsey Wilson) fall #6 Alyssa Randles (Providence), 5:21
7th – Catherine Campbell (Grand View) tech. fall Lol Barkby (Indiana Tech), 11-0
3rd – #2 Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Providence) fall #1 Sarah Savidge (Life), 0:33
5th – #7 Kendall Bostelman (William Penn) tech. fall #8 Jeila Ramos (Lindsey Wilson), 11-0
7th –#6 Alexis Schneider (Bismarck State) tech. fall #5 Larissa Kaz (Hastings), 14-4
3rd – #3 Samantha Barragan (Texas Wesleyan) tech. fall #6 Maci Avila (Midland), 12-2
5th – Haley Le (Evergreen State) tech. fall Aileen Lester (Ottawa), 10-0
7th – #7 Reagen Gallaway (Hastings) dec. Skylur Lewis (Saint Mary), 2-2
3rd – #5 Kori Campbell (Lindsey Wilson) dec. Holland Wieber (Southern Oregon), 2-1
5th – Madison Diaz (Grand View) dec. #8 Brooke-Lynn Rush (Missouri Valley), 4-0
7th – #6 Hayden Newberg (Indiana Tech) tech. fall Maggie Ortmann (Missouri Baptist), 16-4
3rd – #1 Latifah McBryde (Life) fall Vida Boskovic (Southern Oregon), 2:44
5th – #6 Bo Geibe (Indiana Tech) dec. Hailey Sutton (Providence), 8-2
7th – Micah Fisher-Miller (Cumberlands) fall #8 Darby Weidl (Ottawa), 2:00
3rd – #1 Reka Busa (Life) dec. #2 Kathryn Hingano (Southern Oregon), 6-0
5th – #5 Siara Arrington (Ottawa) dec. #3 Hannah Jackson (Ottawa), 5-0
7th – Saiheron Preciado-Meza (Cumberlands) fall Autumn Perez (Missouri Valley), 1:38
3rd – Leilani Sanchez (Wayland Baptist) fall #4 Carla Campos (Texas Wesleyan), 0:56
5th – #3 Selena Mares (Grand View) fall #6 Madeline Welch (Life), 3:33
7th – Kylee Lindsley (Ottawa) fall Hayeni Costa (Lindsey Wilson), 5:57
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