Contact:
Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302
NWCA Team Rankings
NWCA Individual Rankings
MANHEIM, Pa. (Dec. 4, 2025) – The North Central College women's wrestling team has retained its spot in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) national rankings, sitting fourth as a team while 10 Cardinals are ranked in their respective weight classes.
The University of Iowa holds the top spot in the rankings with 105 points, followed by McKendree University in second with 99 points and Grand Valley State University in third with 90 points. North Central's 80 points were good for fourth, while Colorado Mesa University rounds out the top five with 38 points.
Madison Avila moved up one spot in the 103-pound rankings, sitting seventh after posting a 1-1 dual record since the last rankings installment. Avila helped North Central to a 44-2 dual win over Augustana after taking down Mia Vasquez in a 10-0 technical fall. Her only loss came at the hands of
then-No. 2 Rayana Sahagun in a 2-1 decision during North Central's narrow 23-21 loss to Grand Valley State.
Kaelani Shufeldt maintains the No. 4 spot at 110 pounds. Shufeldt has compiled a 7-3 record on the year, and most recently fell to Sage Mortimer of Grand Valley State, who was
the then-No. 2-ranked wrestler at 117 pounds and wrestled down in the dual.
At 117 pounds,
Mikayla Garcia fell just one spot in the rankings to ninth after a 1-1 week. She picked up a pin against Augustana after falling in a decision against GVSU. For the year, Garcia is 10-4, and ties for the team lead with eight wins by tech fall.
Sara Sterner slips to fourth in the 124-weight class, after suffering her only loss of the season against
then-sixth-ranked Aspen Blasko of GVSU. Sterner is 6-1 on the season with three wins by decision and a trio of pins.
At 131 pounds,
Yele Aycock ranks fifth, moving up one spot after earning the upset win over
then-fourth-ranked Hannah Palise of Grand Valley State in a 4-3 decision.
Grace Stem is steady at the No. 5 spot at 138 pounds and is 4-3 on the year. Since the last rankings release, Stem wrestled once, falling to
then-top-ranked Katarina Lange of GVSU.
Bella Mir has held steady as the top-ranked wrestler in the 145-weight class. In collegiate competition, Mir is 3-0 this year, with all three wins by technical fall. Most recently, Mir defeated GVSU's Margaret Buurma with a 10-0 tech fall.
At 160 pounds,
Taylor Graveman retains her fourth rank while recording an 8-2 record on the season. Graveman's latest competition featured a 12-0 technical fall win over Noelle Gaffney at Grand Valley State.
Shenita Lawson continues her climb and ranks third in the 180-weight class. Lawson secured a big win over the
then-second-ranked Sabrina Nauss at the Cardinals' dual with GVSU, upsetting Nauss by way of a 9-7 decision. Lawson is 5-1 on the season.
In the 207-weight class,
Caroline Ward moves up one spot and now ranks fifth. Ward owns a 9-2 record on the season while leading the team with four wins by decision.
North Central returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 7 at the Carthage Classic in Kenosha, Wis.
