Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu

Individual Results

Feb. 26, 2024 - After another electric day in Gregory Arena, the North Central College women's wrestling team finished the day as the No. 1 team in Region IV for the second consecutive year. The Cardinals had nine individuals win their respective weight classes and had all 15 wrestlers qualify for the National Tournament.
 
North Central won the Regional Tournament with a jaw-dropping 219 points. Aurora University came in at No. 2 with 106 points. Not far behind was the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point to round out the top three teams (103.5).
 
Northern Michigan University finished in fourth place, followed by Augsburg University (60), Augustana University (No. 6), Dubuque University (No. 7), Lakeland University (No. 8), and Carthage College (No. 9).

Additionally, Head Coach Joe Norton was named the 2024 Region IV Coach of the Year. This is the third straight year Norton has been honored with this accolade. 
 
In the 101-pound weight class, Maddie Avila had to wait to get on the mat after receiving a bye. Avila only needed 45 seconds to pin Kelly Enriquez (Stevens Point). In the championship match, Avila defeated Aurora's Genesis Ramirez with an 8-0 decision. Avila finished in first place and punched her ticket to defend her national title at the NCWWC National Championships.
 
Kendra Ryan and Jaslynn Gallegos represented North Central in the 109 class. Ryan started her day off with a technical fall over Aurora's Camila Neuman (10-0). Bringing her momentum with her, Ryan took down Steven Point's Alexis Winecke in a fast 10-0 technical fall. Ryan earned first place and qualified for the National Tournament after Gallegos forfeited in the championship match.
 
Gallegos began her day working fast on the mat, pinning Mia Moore (Aurora) in 21 seconds in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Gallegos was barely on the mat before she pinned Natalie Majer (Carthage) in only 12 seconds. Gallegos forfeited the championship match, finishing in second place and a chance to defend her National title.
 
In the 116-pound weight class, Sydney Petzinger started her day off with a bye in the quarterfinals. Petzinger defeated Steven Point's Rose Ann Marshall with a 10-0 technical fall before meeting Marshall's teammate Abby Nelson in the championship match. Petzinger earned eight points over Nelson with a leg lace, then finished off the match with one final leg lace. Petzinger collected first place and qualified for the National Tournament.

Amani Jones was the lone Cardinals in the 123-pound weight class. Jones received a bye in the first round before defeating Augustana's Hannah Suboni-Kaufman with a technical fall (10-0). In the championships, Jones worked fast, needing only 37 seconds to pin Zhivanna Magdaleno (Northern Michigan). Jones finished the tournament in first place and will attend the National Tournament for the third time in her career. 

In the 130-pound weight class, Salome Walker and Sara Sterner received byes in round one. Walker picked up her first win with a pin over Stevens Point Cera Philson in a minute and 13 seconds. The semifinals brought a Cardinal face-off, Walker versus Sterner. After a long battle, Walker was able to slip by Sterner with a 3-2 decision. In the championship match, Walker won by an injury default over Alexis Janiak (Aurora). Walker finished in first place and earned a ticket to Nationals.
 
Sterner was hardly on the mat in her first match, only needing 12 seconds to pin Aurora's Bethany Regione. Sterner fell to Walker in the semifinals before meeting Sharon Leon (Northern Michigan) on the mat for the consolation semifinals. Sterner defeated Leon in a dominating 10-0 technical fall. In the third-place match, Sterner fell to Ngao Shoua Whitethorn) Stevens Point in a nail-biting 6-4 decision. Sterner qualified for the National Tournament with her fourth-place finish.
 
Yele Aycock and Taylor Graveman put in the work for North Central in the 136 class. Aycock defeated Samantha Chaon (Northern Michigan) with a technical fall (10-0) before pinning Augsburg's Mikalah Konz in 28 seconds. In the semifinals, Aycock took down Aurora's Natasha Markoutsis with an 8-2 decision. Aycock was set to face Graveman in the finals, but Graveman forfeited the match. Aycock finished the regional in first place and with a ticket to her second National Tournament.
 
Graveman started her day off with a bye, then defeated Aurora's Lilian Hernandez with a 10-0 technical fall. In the semifinals, Graveman beat Amor Tuttle (Stevens Point) with a technical fall (10-0). However, Graveman forfeited the championship match to finish in second place and punched her ticket to her first National Tournament.
 
In her first year representing the Cardinals in the 143 class, Alara Boyd worked fast on the mat, picking up three pins on the day. In round one, Boyd pinned Lanie Cecala (Augustana) in only 45 seconds. Next, Boyd defeated Al Ghala Al Radi (Lakeland) in 59 seconds. In the semifinals, Boyd pinned Dubuque's Tatum Levendahl in one minute and 45 seconds. Boyd took down Northern Michigan's Marisa Angelos in an 8-2 decision in the championship match. Boyd will attend the National Tournament for the second time in her career and for the first time in a Cardinal singlet.
 
In the 155-pound weight class, London Houston started her day off with a technical fall over Augustana's Jaiden Moody (10-0). In the quarterfinal, Houston defeated Niyasia McCampbell (Lakeland) with an 8-4 decision before taking down Noelle Graffney (Northern Michigan) with a 7-0 decision. Houston fell to Nina Makem (Augsburg) by a heartbreaking 3-2 decision.
 
Tiera Jimerson also competed in the 155 class. Jimerson first took down Northern Michigan's Danielle Lopez with a pin (2:07). Jimerson then defeated Antonia Phillips (Aurora) with a 5-2 decision before falling to Nina Makem (Augsburg) by a 4-3 decision. In the consolation semifinals, Jimerson fell to Alex Hofritchter by a pin (1:44). Jimerson was set to take on Noelle Gaffney (Northern Michigan) in a true fourth-place match, however, Gaffney was forced to forfeit due to an injury. Jimerson ended the day in fourth place and punched her ticket to Nationals for the third time in her career.
 
Yelena Makoyed received a bye in the first round of the 170-pound weight class. Makoyed kicked off her day by pinning Ruby Joseph of Northern Michigan in only 31 seconds. In the semifinals, Makoyed controlled the mat and pinned Sawyer Graham (Augustana) in one minute and two seconds. The championship match featured Makoyed beating Jade Herzer (Stevens Point) with a technical fall (11-0).
 
The final weight class (191) featured two North Central wrestlers, Traeh Haynes and Brittyn Corbishley. Haynes received a bye in the first round before commanding the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Haynes took only 12 seconds to pin Taylor Schulz of Stevens Point. Haynes earned her second pin of the day against Aurora's Sydney Manos (2:04). In the championship match, Haynes was given first place after a default by Corbishley. Haynes will compete in her second National Tournament on Mar. 8.
 
Corbishley received a bye in the first round before defeating Khalila Corry (Lakeland) with a 10-0 technical fall. Corbishley beat Augustana's Taylor Schultz with her second 10-0 technical fall of the day. Corbishley forfeited the championship match to take home second place and punched her ticket to Nationals for the second time in her career.
 
This is the third straight season where the Cardinals will send all 15 women to the National Tournament. They look to defend their National Title on Mar. 8-9 as they travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the NCWWC National Championship.
 
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