2021 NAIA National Invitational Recap

Jamestown, North Dakota — The 2021 NAIA National Invitational was an absolute spectacle. There were thirty-one teams present (ten of them participating for the first time), and, with nearly 250 wrestlers, the atmosphere was electric. Eight different programs had national champions, six of them were seniors, and all of them stepped to the top of the podium for the first time.

The six programs to celebrate their first individual champions in the NAIA were Lyon College (Jasmine Hernandez at 123), Life University (Peyton Prussin at 116 and Jordan Nelson at 170), the University of the Cumberlands (Bridgette Duty at 130), Midland University (Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp at 143), Southern Oregon University (Sienna Ramirez at 155) and Oklahoma City University (Chi Chi Nwankwo at 191).

Added to the compact season and on-the-go planning college coaches managed with covid protocols were new programs and moving pieces with coaching changes. Central Methodist, Corban, Grand View, Hastings, Indiana Tech, Life Pacific, Lourdes, Simpson and William Penn all competed in the championship for the first time. Wayland, Eastern Oregon, Midland and Providence all went through coaching changes mid-season. It wasn’t clear going into the weekend who would show up in what condition, but they for sure showed up.

Campbellsville won the team championship with a 50.5-point lead. Senior McKayla Campbell was the lone champion for the program, and the finals match was an absolute barnburner. Campbell’s final opponent was 2019 champion Asia Ray, a senior from Wayland Baptist University. The two showcased some high scoring exchanges, and the win for Campbell—in a 16-14 decision—came down to a throw as the clock ran down in the second period. Campbellsville placed four runners-up and won the tournament as a team with 185 points.

In 2020, Nina Pham and Desiree Zavala—teammates at Wayland Baptist University—were seeded #1 coming into the National Invitational that got canceled with teams on site. This year the pair of seniors dominated their brackets at 101 and 136 pounds and grabbed the endings they prepared for. Zavala was awarded Outstanding Wrestler, and Pham received the NAIA Wrestler of the Year. Neither wrestler lost a match all season, and Wayland placed third overall as a team.

Peyton Prussin’s weekend of excellence was capped with a win over Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville) in the finals. After a strong opening day—highlighted by a throw that went viral throughout the wrestling community—Prussin steam rolled her way through to the title. Teammate Jordan Nelson revenged a loss to Campbellsville’s Alex Castillo from the MSC conference championships and won the title at 170-pounds. Life and Wayland were the only two teams with more than one champion, and the Running Eagles placed second overall.

Southern Oregon University’s Sienna Ramirez, seeded #8 at 155, ended up taking out the #1 seed Cierra Foster (Oklahoma City) by fall in the quarters and then #2 seed Morgan Mayginnes (Baker) in the finals with a tech. Southern Oregon was one of the unknowns coming into the weekend. They didn’t have any competitions prior to the event, but they showed up ready to scrap. Unseeded Macie Stewart (109) upset the #2 seed on the championship side of the bracket and ended up wrestling back to place third after a loss in the semifinals. Esthella Trevino placed third for the SOU Raiders as well.

Junior Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Oklahoma City) and senior Bridgette Duty (Cumberlands) came in seeded #1 and did the work expected to earn their titles. Duty finished every single match with a fall and the only takedown she gave up was in the finals. The only freshman to win a national title was Midland’s Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp.

NAIA member institutions have been providing the opportunity for collegiate women’s wrestling since the early 2000’s. The growth in the last decade has been tremendous and, with that, the NAIA officially assigned the sport Invitational Status for the 2018-19 season. Now that two NAIA National Invitational’s have been contested the goal will be to get to the 40-program mark as the next step toward obtaining championship status.

Read more from our day one recap, final results, preview and other headlines at our NAIA content hub.

Individual Champions
101: Nina Pham (Wayland)
109: McKayla Campbell (Campbellsville)
116: Peyton Prussin (Life)
123 Jasmine Hernandez (Lyon)
130: Bridgette Duty (Cumberlands)
136: Desiree Zavala (Wayland)
143: Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Midland)
155: Sienna Ramirez (Southern Oregon)
170: Jordan Nelson (Life)
191: Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Oklahoma City)

Final Team Standings (linked to recaps)
1. Campbellsville (185)
2. Life (134.5)
3. Wayland Baptist (100)
4. Oklahoma City (96.5)
5. Southern Oregon (94.5)
6. Cumberlands (89)
7. Jamestown (77)
8. Grand view (76.5)
9. Baker (72)
10. Midland (70)