Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
 
SPOKANE, Wash. (Apr. 9, 2025) - The Cardinal Wrestling Club (CWC), which featured 13 North Central College women's wrestlers, competed at the U23 USA Wrestling Nationals this past weekend. Ten wrestlers earned All-American honors, and Bella Mir was crowned champion of the 65 kg weight class. Additionally, Sydney Petzinger earned a spot to represent Team USA this week at the U23 Pan Am Championships.
 
In the 50 kg weight class for the CWC, Kaelani Shufeldt was ranked No. 8. Shufeldt defeated Mana Chanthasone of Nebraska with a 10-0 technical fall before upsetting No. 9 Reanah Utterback of Iowa with a pin in three minutes and 34 seconds. Unfortunately, Schefeldt fell to Indiana's top-ranked Heather Crull in the next round, which was followed by a loss to Rayana Sahgun of North Dakota.
 
The CWC was well represented in the 53 kg weight class, with No. 4 Sydney Petzinger, No. 7 Kendra Ryan, and No. 9 Mikayla Garcia. Petzinger and Garcia both received byes in the first round, while Ryan took down California's Hayden Fry with an 11-0 technical fall. Ryan defeated No. 10 Kendall Moe of Indiana with a 12-0 technical fall but fell to California's No. 2 Elena Ivaldi. In the consolation bracket, Ryan picked up a technical fall over Chloe Ayres of California before pinning teammate Garcia (2:23). Then, Ryan pinned No. 1 Clare Booe of Florida in two minutes and 52 seconds but fell to No. 3 Brianna Gonzalez of California in the third-place match. Ryan took home a fourth-place finish and All-American honors.
 
Petzinger defeated California's Chloe Ayres with a 12-3 decision before picking up an 11-0 technical fall win over No. 5 Addie Morse of Oklahoma in the quarterfinals. Petzinger defeated No. 1 Booe (Florida) with a 5-2 decision to move on to the finals. Petzinger fell to No. 2 Elena Ivaldi of California in championships. Petzinger finished in second place and All-American honors. Petzinger will represent Team USA at the U23 Pan Am Championships in Queretaro, Mexico, today (Apr. 10) through Saturday, Apr. 12.
 
After a bye in the first round, Garcia fell to No. 8 Marjorie McDaniel of Washington in the second round. In the consolation bracket, Garcia won two matches by technical falls over Mora Peterson (New York) and I-Cart Galumett (Florida), respectively. But fell to teammate Ryan in the next round. Garcia finished the tournament in seventh place and earned All-American honors.
 
In the 55 kg division, No. 2 Amani Jones received a bye in the first round before taking down North Carolina's Brooklyn Hermel with a swift 10-0 technical fall. In the quarterfinals, Jones earned a decision win against Montana Delawder of Pennsylvania (7-0) to head to the finals. Jones fell to California's Cristell Rodriguez (No. 1) in the finals after two heartbreaking decision losses. Jones took home a second-place finish and All-American honors.
 
Sara Sterner was the lone wrestler representing CWC in the 57 kg weight class. Ranked No. 4, Sterner had a bye in the first round. Sterner only needed 28 seconds to pin Utah's Brooklyn Pace in the second round. Sterner fell to No. 5 Cecilia Williams (Michigan) in the quarterfinals before picking up where she left off in the consolation bracket. Sterner pinned Oklamhoma's Peyton Hand in one minute and seven seconds, then moved on to pin No. 1 Kaidance Gerg of Idaho in one minute and 50 seconds. Sterner fell to No. 3 A Randles of Montana before taking fifth place over M Roehl of Wisconsin. With her fifth-place finish, Sterner earned All-American status.
 
The 59 kg weight class featured assistant coach Anayka Besco. Besco fell in the first round before picking up four wins in the consolation bracket. Besco first defeated No. 12 Hailey Chapman of California with an 8-4 decision before pinning Ashlee Palimoo of Hawaii (2:23). Besco earned a 7-0 decision win over Michigan's Hannah Palise but would fall in the next round to Devin Patton (Texas). Besco took eighth place and earned All-American honors.
 
Taylor Graveman took on the 62 kg division after a first-round bye. Graveman defeated Viveca Pannell of California with a 20-10 technical fall. Then Graveman racked up a 15-4 technical fall over Emma Gruenhagen of Wisconsin. Graveman fell to No. 2 Katerina Lange (Minnesota) in the quarterfinals before defeating No. 8 Samantha Barragan of California with a 10-0 technical fall. In the third-place match-up, Graveman fell to No. 4 SaVannah Cosme of Colorado. Graveman finished the tournament in fourth place with All-American honors.
 
Mir was victorious in the 65 kg division. Ranked No. 3, Mir received a bye in the first round. Mir pinned California's Kyli Stanley in the second round in just one minute and 37 seconds, followed up by a quick technical fall win over Janessa O'Connell (Washington) in the third round (11-0). In the quarterfinals, Mir earned her second pin of the day in one minute and 58 seconds over No. 11 Gabriell Perez. Then Mir earned a win over No. 2 Maddie Kubicki of Montana with a 10-0 technical fall to move into the finals. Mir won two nail-biting decision wins over Minnesota's No. 5 Nine Makem to win the bracket (2-1, 2-2). Mir was crowned the 65 kg weight class champion and earned All-American honors.
 
Tiera Jimerson wrestled in the 68 kg class for CWC. Ranked No. 9, Jimerson opened the day by pinning Allison King of Kansas (2:57). Jimerson out-wrestled No. 8 Mighian's Lydia Krauss in a 6-5 decision before defeating No. 1 Valerie Hamilton (Illinois) with a 5-4 decision. Jimerson fell to Washington's no. 5 Shannon Workinger in the quarterfinals and moved to the consolation bracket. Jimerson earned a 10-0 technical fall over Skylah Chakouian of Rhode Island. In the third-place match, Jimerson fell to California's No. 6 Savannah Gomez in a heartbreaking 3-0 decision. Jimerson took fourth place and earned All-American status.
 
In the 76 kg weight class, No. 6 Shenita Lawson received a bye in the first round. Lawson defeated Maria Hiles of Maryland with a 12-0 decision but fell to California's No. 3 Kalila Shrive. Lawson earned a 7-2 decision win in the consolation bracket over A Lopez (California). Then Lawson edged out Alyssa Arana of California with a 4-3 decision before taking down Texas's No. 4 Madison Sandquis by an 8-5 decision. Lawson earned third place with a 4-3 decision over No. 2 Alexandr Alli of Ohio and earned All-American honors.
 
Pezinger is currently representing the United States at the U23 Pam Am Championships. For more information, click HERE.
 
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