FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Emory & Henry College Women's Wrestling Team opened the postseason at the NCWWC Region II Championships, hosted by Emmanuel (Ga.) University on Friday. The Wasps finished fifth as a team out of eight competing schools and saw three wrestlers qualify for the 2024 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships.
Representing E&H at the NCWWC Championships will be freshman Molly Keller (Fairlawn, Va.) at 155, sophomore Katie Gakin (Aberdeen, Wash.) at 170 and sophomore Brittney Reed (Sandston, Va.) at 191.
The Basics
EVENT – NCWWC Region II Championships
RESULT – 5th/8
HOST – Emmanuel (Ga.) University
LOCATION – Franklin Springs, Georgia
VENUE – Shaw Athletic Center
109-Pound Weight Class
- Freshman Haley Viars (King William, Va.) lost her quarterfinal bout by fall to start the day. After earning a bye to the third consolation round, she dropped her next two contests to finish eighth.
- Freshman Mallory Howard (Millington, Tenn.) lost her first bout by technical superiority, 10-0, and exited the championship with a loss by fall in the second consolation round.
116-Pound Weight Class
- Freshman Natalia Sanchez (Powhatan, Va.) fell in her opening round bout by fall. She also lost her first consolation matchup 10-0 by technical superiority.
123-Pound Weight Class
- Sophomore Alanna Jennings (Ashland, Va.) dropped her first bout but bounced back to defeat Jillian Timberlake of Mount Olive by decision, 7-3. She faced off against teammate Madison Wilson, earning a win by fall in 3:56 before dropping to the fifth-place bout after a loss to Presbyterian's Alyssa Mahan (0:36). Jennings took sixth place after a 10-0 technical superiority loss to Evelyne Vazquez from Emmanuel.
- Freshman Madison Wilson (Henrico, Va.) started the day with a pin of Emma Thomas from Huntingdon in 1:00. She lost in the quarterfinals to Emmanuel's Makayla Correa (2:16) before matching up with teammate Alanna Jennings. Wilson's loss to Jennings put her in the seventh-place bout where she lost by fall to Abby Pilkington from Southern Virginia in 18 seconds.
130-Pound Weight Class
- Sophomore Ava Thomas (Stafford, Va.) suffered a 10-0 defeat in her first bout. She completed her run in the event after losing a 4-1 decision in the second consolation round.
143-Pound Weight Class
- Junior Skie Roulo (Chesterfield, Va.) got things started with a pin of Isabella Kessey from Mount Olive in 2:11. She fell by technical superiority, 14-4 to King's Aine Drury to drop to the consolation bracket. Roulo earned a trio of wins by fall over Southern Virginia's Melanie Erazo (1:29), Huntingdon's Caden Collet (1:10) and Mount Olive's Skyelar Smith (0:59). She lost in the third-place bout to Maddie Kubicki of Presbyterian in 1:01. In the "true fourth-place" bout, Roulo just missed out on a NCWWC berth, falling to Emmanuel's Sofia Vergara in 5:03.
155-Pound Weight Class
- Freshman Molly Keller (Fairlawn, Va.) won her first bout of the day via technical superiority, 14-3, over Shelsy Renous from Emmanuel. She dropped a 6-0 decision to Mount Olive's Nia Miranda in the semifinals and got back on track in the consolation semifinals with a 10-0 win against Savannah Bramhall from Mount Olive. Keller closed things out and qualified for the national championship with an 11-1 victory against Jocelyn Yepez from Emmanuel, placing third in the region.
170-Pound Weight Class
- Sophomore Katie Gakin (Aberdeen, Wash.) advanced to the semifinals with a win by injury forfeit. She dropped to the consolation bracket after losing to Emmanuel's Alyssa Arana, 11-7. Gakin picked up a win by fall in 1:15 over Jocelyn Mattingly from Mount Olive and clinched third place and a spot in the NCWWC Championship with a 10-0 win over Ta'Niya Roberts from Presbyterian.
191-Pound Weight Class
- Sophomore Brittney Reed (Sandston, Va.) received a bye to the semifinals, where she lost a 10-2 decision to Presbyterian's Ella Beam. With another bye in the consolation semifinals, Reed was matched up against Jada Arnold from Mount Olive in the third-place match. She earned a win by fall in 5:35 to punch her ticket to the national tournament.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry three national qualifiers will next compete at the NCWWC Championships on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
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