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

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Jan. 26, 2025) - The North Central College women's wrestling team continues to display their dominance in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), winning their third consecutive CCIW Championships. The Cardinals have won every CCIW Championships since the CCIW introduced the tournament in 2023.
 
North Central took first place with an outstanding 137.5 points. Aurora University ended the tournament in second place (82), followed by Augustana College (67.5), Carthage College (22.5), and Elmhurst University (21). Illinois Wesleyan University took sixth place (4).
 
Leeana Mercado received a bye in the first round of the 110-pound weight class. The freshman defeated Aurora's Mia Moore with a 12-2 technical in the semifinals. Mercado met Elmhurst's Veronica Cosio on the mat for the championship match. Mercado worked fast to take down the Cosio with a 12-0 technical fall. Mercado earned her first CCIW Championship title.
 
Tenth-ranked, Mikayla Garcia had a full day of matches in the 117 divisions round robin. Garcia first defeated Liz Ramirez (Augustana) with a 10-0 technical fall before pinning Sharon Moreno (Aurora) in just one minute and 26 seconds. In round four, Garica earned her second technical fall of the day over Carthage's Rebecca Di Silvestro (10-0). Securing the 117 title, Garcia edged out Natalie Majer in a nail-biting 3-0 decision.
 
In the 124 class, No. 8 Janessa George had a quick day on the mat, earning the CCIW title with just two bouts. George took down Bethany Regione (Aurora) with an 11-0 technical fall before defeating Augustana's Sandie Pfeil with a 7-2 decision. George finished the day as the 124-pound champion.
 
Emma Grimm (138) received a bye in the first round and met Aurora's Olga Turiy on the mat. Grimm defeated Turiy with a technical fall (10-0) and put herself into the final bout. Grimm claimed first place in an electric finish by pinning Bri Bynum (Augustana) in two minutes and 44 seconds.
 
The 145-pound, sixth-ranked wrestler, Sydney Perry, defeated Augustana's Aine Moffit by an 8-4 decision before taking down Carthage's Adele Senzig with a 16-8 decision. In the fourth round, Perry picked up a dominating technical fall over Makayla Howard (Aurora) (10-0). Perry earned the CCIW title after a hard-fought decision win against teammate Caylynn Chandler (8-4).
 
Elizabeth Raleigh (160) brought energy into her first match against Carthage's Izabelle Nelson-Carrillo. Raleigh needed just 10 seconds to pin Nelson-Carrillo. Raleigh won back-to-back technical falls in the third and fourth rounds. Raleigh defeated Clara Rice (Elmhurst) with a 10-0 technical fall before defeating Aurora's Antonia Phillips with an 11-0 technical fall. The sophomore collected her first CCIW title with a pin over Augustana's Maryam Ndiaye (5:03).
 
Third-ranked Shenita Lawson (180) earned consecutive 10-0 technical falls, first defeating Sifa Feruzi (Illinois Wesleyan) and then teammate Sadie Hill. Lawson secured her first CCIW title with a decision win over Sawyer Graham (Augustana).
 
Fourth-ranked Dasia Yearby won the 207 pound CCIW title after back-to-back pins over Augustana's Angie Guy. In their first bout, Yearby only needed 37 seconds to pin Guy. Yearby pinned Guy in their final bout in two minutes and five seconds, taking home first place.
 
Head coach Joe Norton earned his third consecutive CCIW Coach of the Year award with the women's program and the fifth of his career. Garcia won the 2025 CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year award.
 
Yearby earned the 2025 Elite 26 Award. The Elite 26 is modeled after the NCAA's Elite 90 program and is given to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA among all-conference recipients. Additionally, Dakota Drew won the RESPECT Award for the Cardinals.
 
A handful of Cardinal wrestlers will travel to Atherton, Calif., for the Menlo College Invitational Sunday, Feb. 2, in Haynes-Prim Pavilion.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app for iOS and Android devices to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores, and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.