KANSAS CITY, Mo.- In their final tune up before the NWCA National Dual Championships, the Missouri Baptist women's wrestling team took on the Avila University Duals. They competed against the #1 ranked NJCAA Indiana Hills Community College- Ottumwa, (20) Baker University, (RV) Ottawa University, and William Penn University.

Right at the start the Spartans faced off against a tough opponent, Indiana Hills. At 101-pounds, Alyssa Quezaire was up first for the team. Quezaire went, 2-1 in the first period and in the second the score was brought to 6-5 until Quezaire was able to overcome her opponent and secure the win by fall at 4:05. After forfeiting the next two matchers, Riley White was up for the Spartans, competing in the 123-pound weight class where she was defeated by fall at 2:26. The next round, Taryn Johnson took to the mat at 130-pounds. She was able to win over her opponent in the first period with a fall in only 38 seconds. In similar fashion, Tiyahna Askew also made quick work of her opponent in the 136-pound weight class, securing a fall of her own in only 29 seconds. Dymeria Guillory was unable to keep the momentum going as she fell to her opponent in the 143-pound weight class. Josette Partney picked things back up as she competed in the 155-pound weight class. She was able to prevail over her opponent, securing a tech fall win in the first period after earning point after point, bringing the score to 14-4. At 170-pounds Anastasia Hardin didn't give her opponent any chance to score, as she won by tech fall in the second period, 10-0. Ki`Eisha Cathey, at 191-pounds was the last up for the Spartans this go around where she unfortunately was taken down and pinned at 1:20. Overall the Spartans lost to Indiana Hills, 28-31.

The next match up against Baker started off with Quezaire winning her match by forfeit. After another couple rounds of forfeiting, White was the next Spartan to take the mat, facing off against 18^th ranked, Katherine Heath. The Palm Coast, FL native took the ranker to the second period before she was defeated by tech fall, 10-0. Next up was Taryn Johnson who lost to her opponent by decision 7-2. The next to face off against an opponent was Hardin, who lost by tech fall in the first period, 10-0. Josette Partney, Dymeria Guillory, and Ki'Eisha Cathey all won their matches by forfeit, contributing to the Spartans win over Baker, 31-19.
Against Ottawa, Quezaire wrestled up a weight class at 109. The weight class change didn't make much of a difference for the freshman as she secured her second pin of the night at 1:35. White earned her first win of the night, earning 2 points in the first period and 7 in the second ultimately winning by decision 7-0. Johnson, came out on top against her opponent, also winning by decision 10-6. Askew was up next for the Spartans, earning a quick 6 points at the start of the match. She went on to pin her opponent in under a minute once again, this time in 41 seconds. Partney was able to secure another win for MBU, winning against her opponent by tech fall 10-0 in under a minute. Hardin, in her match up was on her way to a tech fall victory, scoring 10 points in the first period but was able to pull one over on her opponent when she pinned her at 1:23. Ottawa ended up winning the last two match ups, but the Spartans were able to come out on top overall, 29-19.  

The Spartans faced off against William Penn, their last competitors of the night. Both MBU and William Penn started off the match up with 6 points each after a couple of forfeited rounds. William Penn then took the lead after Riley White fell to her opponent by tech fall 10-0, bringing the score to 6-11. Taryn Johnson was able to make up the points as she won against her opponent by decision, 6-5. This started off the winning streak for the Spartans as Askew went on to secure a tech fall victory in the first period. Partney finished off her night in style with a pin against her opponent at 1:58. Keeping the momentum going was Dymeria Guillory with her win by decision, 8-1 bringing the overall score to 23-13. Hardin, followed up with a victory of her own coming out on top with a tech fall victory, 10-0. Derriona Johnson wrapped things up for the Spartans with a fall in only 20 seconds. The Spartans came out on top, winning 34-13 against William Penn.

The Spartans ended the night winning three of four match ups.

Next up the NWCA National Dual Championships will be held on Jan 6-7 where the Spartans are looking to redeem themselves from last year, having only won one out of their three duals.