Contact: Matthew Eaker, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, mreaker@noctrl.edu 

Tiffin Results
Sacred Heart Results

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 6, 2023) - The second-ranked North Central College women's wrestling team is headed to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals semifinals after taking down Tiffin and Sacred Heart University on Friday at the Kentucky Exposition Center. 

The Cardinals (13-0) are making their second appearance in the National Duals semifinals and are looking to move into the championship dual with their sights set on the national title. In their first dual of the day, the Cardinals squared off against 17th-ranked Tiffin University and sixth-ranked Maddie Avila gave the Cardinals a 5-0 lead after winning the 101-pound bout by forfeit. Fifth-ranked Kendra Ryan and seventh-ranked Amaya Yoshizumi extended the Cardinal lead with back-to-back technical falls in the 109 and 116-pound weight classes. Third-ranked Amani Jones picked up the Cardinals first pin of the day, defeating Leah Pekar in the 123-pound bout. In the 130-pound weight class, Emma Grimm put the Cardinals up 22-1 after she defeated Alejandra Hernandez by a 13-2 technical fall before Salome Walker gave the Cardinals their fourth technical fall of the dual as she defeated Michal Buska 15-5. Fourth-ranked Kendall Bostelman pinned Paige Lenhardt in the 143-pound bout and sixth-ranked Malea Palahniuk tallied five more points as she won by forfeit. Top-ranked Yelena Makoyed defeated Erin Martin by a 10-0 technical fall before fifth-ranked Traeh Haynes capped off the 45-2 win with a win by forfeit. 

Avila got things rolling in the quarterfinals against 14th-ranked Sacred Heart as she defeated eighth-ranked Aaliyah Payne-Parris by a 5-2 decision to get the Cardinals out infront early. Second-ranked Sydney Petzinger defeated Ahsia Torres by an 18-7 technical fall in the 109-pound bout before Jaslynn Gallegos pinned Nohea Moniz in the 116-pound match to put the Cardinals up 12-2. Jones picked up another win as she defeated Tatiana Walker by a 12-0 technical fall. The Cardinals would drop the 130-pound match but second-ranked Yele Aycock would pin Veronica Whitacre to give the Cardinals a 16-6 lead with four matches to go. Bostelman defeated Selena Sifuentes Shaffer by an 11-6 decision before fifth-ranked Tiera Jimerson (155) and Makoyed (170) both won by technical falls. Haynes would finish the dual off by pinning Jacklyn Smith to give the Cardinals a 38-7 win. 

The Cardinals will face third-ranked Colorado Mesa University in the semifinals tomorrow morning at 9:30 am with hopes of reaching the championship match for the first time in program history. 

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