MBU Athletics

GUILFORD REACHES NEW HEIGHTS, MAKES JUNIOR WORLD TEAM

5/17/2018 10:30:00 AM

There's no more flying under the radar for Missouri Baptist University women's wrestler Dymond Guilford (FR, Lancaster, Calif.). Not after securing a spot on the 2018 U.S. Women's Freestyle Junior World Team, which was decided this past weekend at the USA Wrestling Women's National Championships and Junior World Team Trials in Irving, Texas.
 
Guilford has rapidly emerged as one of the nation's top female wrestlers in her respective weight class (76 kg). She was crowned California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state champion as a high school senior. In her first season at MBU, she placed fourth overall at the WCWA National Championships and earned All-American honors. And now, she will represent the United States on one of the biggest stages at the 2018 World Junior Wrestling Championship in Trnava, Slovakia (Sept. 17-23).
 
To earn a spot on the Junior World Team, Guilford had to work her way through a gauntlet of competitors at the Irving Convention Center.
 
"All the time I've been putting in is reflecting on the mat," Guilford said. "Last year, I was winning my matches at Nationals, but it was by decision. The first few matches this year, nobody scored points on me and that was a big confidence boost."
 
The last two standing in the 76 kg weight class just so happened to be the same two wrestlers from the previous year's title match at the UWW Women's National Championships. In 2017, Guilford met Mariah Harris, a sophomore at NAIA's Campbellsville (Ky.), in the finals and lost by technical fall, 11-1.
 
The two have squared off since then and Guilford came up a point shy (L, 4-3) in the WCWA Quarterfinals in February. This weekend's meeting was a chance for Guilford to avenge her losses.
 
With a best-of-3 format, Guilford edged the WCWA champion and fellow All-American in an exciting 12-10 decision in the first match. MBU head wrestling coach Brian Jackson said that his freshman standout became a fan favorite at Nationals with her larger-than-life personality. Guilford didn't disappoint as she won back-to-back against Harris and rolled to a 6-0 victory in match No. 2.
 
Not bad for a grappler who wasn't even a blip on the radar for wrestling coaches just three years ago. The relative newcomer didn't begin wrestling until her junior year at Eastside High School in Lancaster, Calif. And when she started off, the competitive edge hadn't kicked in yet. Guilford described her beginnings as a hobby more than anything and an opportunity to be social and meet new people.
 
As time passed, Guilford took wrestling more seriously. She concentrated more in practice and didn't hesitate to ask questions. During her first state tournament appearance as a junior, Guilford placed eighth overall despite wrestling with an injured shoulder. It was then that she realized what could be if she remained healthy and devoted more time to the sport.
 
The extra blood, sweat and tears resulted in a state championship the following year, Daily News Girls Wrestler of the Year, and a scholarship offer to wrestle at Missouri Baptist University. The recipe for success? Working out on a regular basis, running, and several wrestling clinics on the weekends.
 
Spartan head coach Brian Jackson spotted the blooming talent at one of those wrestling clinics and the rest is history. Guilford has found a second home at MBU as an accounting major. It's crazy to think, but the 1,800 miles from Lancaster, Calif. to St. Louis, will pale in comparison to the 16-hour flight that she'll be taking to Slovakia this September.
 
"I don't care if the plane ride is 24 hours, I'll be looking out the window the whole time and taking it all in," said Guilford.
 
As a part of the Junior World Team, the soon-to-be sophomore will have the opportunity to travel more and experience different types of wrestling including a trip to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
 
"I just want to grow," Guilford added. "I started wrestling as a hobby and now I'm going to Junior Worlds. It baffles me that I've made it this far."
 
UWW Women's National Championships Results
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) def. Haley Brown (Team Tennessee), 11-0 (0:48)
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) def. Korinahe Bullock (Team Illinois), 6-0
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) def. Hailey Cancelleri (Team New York), 10-0 (1:26)
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) def. Mariah Harris (Team Kentucky), 12-10 – Bout One
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) def. Mariah Harris (Team Kentucky), 6-0 – Bout Two

-Written by Adam Samson, Assistant AD for Media & Communications