SPARTANS TAKE ON TOP RANKED TEAMS AT NWCA NATIONAL DUALS
Amelia Knipfel
LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Over the weekend (Jan. 6-7) Missouri Baptist women's wrestling competed in the 2023 NWCA National Dual Championships against the top teams in the NAIA. Out of the 16 teams participating, women's wrestling took 13th.
The Spartans first match up of the tournament was (4) Campbellsville, which was their second time facing off against the top ranked school this year.
Alyssa Quezaire was first up for the Spartans in the 101-pound weight class. The freshman tossed around her opponent scoring 13-2, ultimately winning by fall at 2:56. The Spartans second win of the dual comes from another outstanding MBU wrestler,
Juliana Diaz who has successfully moved up in the NAIA rankings and is now second in her weight class. Diaz secured point after point in the first period, won by tech fall 10-0. This pulled the Spartans ahead, 9-5.
Tiyahna Askew secured the next win for the Spartans bringing the score to 14-13. After going back and forth in the first period and taking over in the second, Askew was able to defeat her opponent by fall at 3:00.
Anastasia Hardin was the last of the Spartans to win in their match up against (4) Campbellsville, pulling out an upset against 4
th ranked Kendra Thompson. Hardin, who is ranked 9
th, was able to redeem herself from the last time she faced off against Thompson, where she lost by fall. The sophomore was able to earn the only three points in the first period and four in the second, securing her win by decision 7-6. Ultimately the Spartans lost out to the Tigers 17-29.
The next match up for Missouri Baptist was (16) Brewton-Parker. Quezaire started things off for the Spartans again, winning her match by decision 8-0.
Juliana Diaz secured a win by forfeit bringing the score to 8-5. Senior,
Karoline Ortiz who had recently wrestled in the Puerto Rico National Tournament secured her first win of the tournament in the 130-pound weight class. She overwhelmed her opponent, easily securing 10 points and pinned her opponent at 5:19 for the win.
Josette Partney earned her first win of the tournament with a tech fall victory over her opponent, 10-0. She was able to subdue her opponent in the first period, seizing her victory. The Spartans lost the next three matches, and overall fell to Brewton-Parker, 18-28.
The next morning, the Spartans were looking to redeem themselves as they took on (RV) Ottawa, starting off with a string of wins against the Braves. The first two wins from
Alyssa Quezaire and
Ana Bradshaw were by forfeit.
Riley White kicked things off with the first match up at 116-pounds. She was able to best her opponent and was able to come away with a tech fall victory 11-0.
Taryn Johnson kept the momentum going with a win by decision 13-8 in the 123-pound weight class. Ortiz brought the score to 21-2 after she was able to easily earn 10 points in under a minute, earning a tech fall victory, 10-0. After the Spartans forfeited a match,
Josette Partney picked things back up and earned her own tech fall victory over her opponent, 10-0.
Anastasia Hardin rounded off the victories for the Spartans, with one more tech fall victory 10-0, bringing the overall score to 29-6. The Spartans saw their first win of the tournament against Ottawa, 29-15.
In their final match up of the tournament, MBU faced off against (15) Oklahoma City for 13
th place. Quezaire got the team going with a pin at 2:20.
Taryn Johnson secured the next win for the Spartans as she earned a tech fall win 12-2, bringing the score to 10-9. After a win by forfeit for Ortiz, Partney was the next to prevail for MBU against 6
th ranked Destiny Lyng. Partney was able to hold her own against the returning National Champion, securing the upset by decision, 7-6.
Anastasia Hardin won her final victory of the tournament with a tech fall victory 10-0. The Spartans bout against the Stars ended with a win by forfeit for Ki'Eisha Cathey, bringing the score 27-20.
Next up for women's wrestling is the York University Open on Jan. 14 where last year
Tiyahna Askew earned first place in the 155-pound weight class and three other Spartans placed in the top four.
