Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
 
Open Mat Rankings (01.16.24)
 
Jan. 17, 2024 - The North Central College women's wrestling team has 15 competitors among the top 15 in the NCAA in their respective weight classes, according to updated rankings released by The Open Mat on Tuesday. 
 
Maddie Avila sits at No. 2 in the 101-pound weight class rankings, only behind the University of Iowa's Sterling Dias. Avila has a 15-2 record on the season. Avila has tallied nine technical fall wins and two wins by pins. At the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals, Avila and Dias met on the mat in the championship round of the dual. After a tight fight, Dias gained momentum and shut down Avila, winning by an 11-0 technical fall.
 
The 109-pound weight class holds two Cardinals, Kendra Ryan and Jaslynn Gallegos. Ryan holds in No. 1 in the weight class, with a perfect 12-0 record on the year, including 10 technical fall wins. Ryan earned two wins at the National Duals, including a win over No. 8 Pauline Grandos of McKendree University.
 
The 2023 116-pound national champion, Gallegos, sits at No. 3 at 109. Gallegos is behind Iowa's Ava Bayless (No.2). The two faced off in the championship match at the National Duals. Gallegos earned a point from a Bayless step out and two two-point takedowns. After being up 5-0, Bayless fought back scoring a two-point takedown and a three-point takedown, earning the win by a 5-5 decision.
 
Sydney Petzinger is the lone Cardinal in the 116-pound weight class, appearing at No. 2. Petzinger has an 11-0 record and has tallied eight technical falls. At the National Duals, Petzinger took down multiple ranked opponents including No. 3 Caitlyn Thorne (Lindenwood), No. 4 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa), and No. 10 Julia Vidallon (McKendree).
 
The 123-pound weight class holds two more North Central wrestlers. Leading the weight class is Amani Jones at No. 1. At the National Duals, Jones lost to No. 3 Shelby Moore (McKendree), before defeating second-ranked Felicity Taylor of Iowa with a 12-3 technical fall. 
 
Asia Nguyen-Smith is ranked No. 9 at 123, defeating Lindenwood's McKenzie Gilreath with a pin in one minute and 25 seconds at the National Duals. The senior's record this season is 12-1, including six technical fall wins and four wins by pins.
 
Salome Walker holds the No. 6 ranking at 130 and owns a 13-4 record, with four technical falls and four pins. Walker defeated No. 10 Emily Frost (Iowa) with an 8-4 decision.
 
North Central dominates the 136-weight class with Yele Aycock at No. 1 and Taylor Graveman at No. 2. Aycock continues to hold a perfect 12-0 record on the season, defeating No. 8 Lily Luft (Iowa) at the National Duals and won with an 8-2 decision.
 
Graveman took down No. 14 Hayley Gilson (Lindenwood) in the National Duals quarterfinals with an 8-2 decision. Graveman holds a 14-3 record on the season, with two of her losses coming against Aycock.
 
Alara Boyd holds No. 2 in the 143-pound weight class, behind former McKendree teammate Emma Bruntil. Boyd took down No. 3 Reese Larramendy (Iowa) in the National Duals championship match with a 9-4 decision.
 
The 155-pound weight class is another weight class that lists two North Central wrestlers. London Houston is ranked No. 4 in the weight class and holds a 7-1 record on the season. Houston's one loss came from No. 1 Marlynne Deede (Iowa) at the National Duals.
 
Not far behind Houston is Tiera Jimerson at No. 6. Jimerson has a record of 18-2,  and went 2-0 at the National Duals after taking down Ruby Rios (McKendree) and No. 10 Alana Duggan (Lindenwood).
 
Yelena Makoyed is ranked No. 2 in the 170-pound weight class. The three-time defending national champion is 5-1 on the season after returning to the Cardinals at the start of January. Makoyed is ranked behind No. 1 Kylie Welker (Iowa), who is the first collegiate wrestler to defeat Makoyed since the 2020-21 season.
 
The Cardinals lead the 191-pound weight class, with Brittyn Corbishley in No. 1 and Traeh Haynes in No. 2. Corbishley has a perfect 16-0 record on the season. In the championship match of the National Duals, Corbishley pinned McKendree's Makayla Riveria in only 42 seconds.
 
Meanwhile, Haynes is 7-1 on the season, with the only loss coming from Tatum Heikkila. Haynes has tallied three pins and one technical fall. Haynes defeated No. 6 Jaycee Foeller of Iowa with a commanding 6-1 decision.
 
North Central has a rare weekday match at 7 pm on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The Cardinals will go head to head with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Berg Gymnasium.
 
The Open Mat rankings will be updated Jan. 30, stay tuned to see how the Cardinal wrestlers will rank among top opponents.
 
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