North Central College Cardinals

U23 World Champion Yelena Makoyed '23 joined the North Central College women's wrestling coaching staff in the summer of 2024 as an assistant coach.

Makoyed joins the coaching staff following one of the best collegiate careers ever in women's wrestling. During her time at North Central, Makoyed was a five-time All-American, making the finals in all five seasons, and a three-time national champion. She was honored with the 2023 USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year award as the pound-for-pound best college wrestler in the country across all divisions. Makoyed graduated with a 106-7 career record, finishing as the program's all-time leader in career wins, win percentage, pins, and technical falls.

On the USA Wrestling and international circuit, Makoyed is a 2x Olympic Trials Qualifier, reaching the finals in 2024. That same year, she won a Gold Medal to earn her first World Championship at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, Albania. She won the U20 Pan-Am Gold Medal in 2021and is a 4x Team USA Senior National Team Member, reaching as high as #2 on the Olympic Ladder at 76kg in 2023.

Makoyed graduated from North Central in 2023 with a degree in psychology.