The Waldorf College women’s wrestling team faced top-notch competition while closing out the Cliff Keen Duals with a sixth-place finish in the bronze bracket on Saturday.
“There were a lot of matches wrestled this weekend,” Waldorf coach Tyreece Gilder said. “The team wrestled hard each match.”
The Warriors (1-6), ranked No. 13 in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) preseason poll, saw action in six duals during the two-day competition.
Gabrielle Lord-Klein, a senior ranked No. 4 at 136 pounds, recorded Waldorf’s top performance by winning four of six matches on the weekend.
Lord Klein (9-3) claimed an 8-2 decision over Warner Pacific College’s Kaitlyn Eddy, scored a 10-0 technical fall against McKendree University Purple’s Brianna Andazola and received a forfeit against Wayland Baptist University Gold on Friday. She earned a 10-0 technical fall over Life University’s Destiny Robinson during Saturday’s bronze bracket quarterfinal.
Lord-Klein lost a 16-7 decision to Missouri Baptist University’s Sarah Bolinger and was pinned by King University Navy’s Forrest Molinari in 1 minute, 4 seconds.
Sophomore Sara Sanchez (130 pounds) and junior Sonya Legate (191) turned in 3-3 records for the Warriors.
Sanchez (4-3) won by fall over Warner Pacific’s Breanne Diaz in 5:22, dominated McKendree Purple’s Samantha Barrientos in an 11-0 technical fall and pinned down a win over Life’s Christina Kruger in 54 seconds.
Missouri Baptist’s Erika Mihalca took a 12-4 decision from Sanchez and Wayland Baptist Gold’s Tarkyia Mensah put together a 10-0 technical fall over Sanchez.
Legate (3-6) scored falls against McKendree Purple’s Stephanie Pantoja and Warner Pacific’s Kiaya Vanscoyoc. She also won by forfeit against Missouri Baptist.
Legate dropped an 8-3 decision to King Navy’s Brenda Perez and lost by fall to Wayland Baptist Gold’s Kierra Boyce. Life’s Rosemarie Donaldson bested Legate behind a 10-0 technical fall.
Waldorf senior Ashlee Lentz (170) earned wins in two of her five dual appearances. Lentz (2-3) notched a fall over Life’s Maria Diaz in 5:21 and also won via forfeit against McKendree Purple.
Missouri Baptist’s Aylin Hernandez won a 12-2 technical fall over Lentz. King Navy’s Julia Salata and Wayland Gold’s Nahiela Magee each topped Lentz with 10-0 technical falls.
Freshman Maciel Ramirez (109) was the final grappler for the Warriors. She received a forfeit in the opening dual against Warner Pacific.
Missouri Baptist’s Samantha Diaz escaped with a 5-4 decision over Ramirez (1-7). King Navy’s Regina Doi defeated Ramirez in an 11-0 technical fall. Ramirez was pinned in her bouts against McKendree Purple’s Arielle Hernandez and Wayland Gold’s seventh-ranked Michelle Guerrero.
Waldorf fell in a 21-13 loss to No. 15 Warner Pacific in the first dual on Friday, surrendering forfeits at 101, 116 and 123. Both teams were open at 143, 155 and 170.
Ninth-ranked Missouri Baptist topped the Warriors 38-9 in the second dual while King Navy handed the Warriors a 46-1 loss in the third round. Waldorf forfeited at 101, 116, 123, 143 and 155 in the two duals.
McKendree Purple edged the Warriors 20-18 in the fourth round. Waldorf gave up forfeits at 123, 143 and 155. Neither team had entries at 101 and 116.
The Warriors closed out Friday’s duals with a 43-5 loss to Wayland Baptist Gold, forfeiting at 101, 116, 123, 143 and 155.
Fourteenth-ranked Life pulled away for a 29-14 win over Waldorf during Saturday’s bronze bracket quarterfinal. There were double forfeits at 101. The Warriors were open at 116, 123, 143 and 155.
Waldorf competes in next Saturday’s Can Am Open at Jamestown, N.D., starting at 9 a.m.
Website link: http://www.waldorfwarriors.com/article/1021.php