The ultimate 2020 NAIA National Invitational preview
Jamestown, ND – – Wrestlers from across the nation are coming together in Jamestown, North Dakota, for the 2020 NAIA National Invitational this Friday and Saturday.
A preliminary 201 wrestlers from 28 programs are set to compete—up 21% from 2019. The event is hosted by Shauna Kemp and the University of Jamestown for a second consecutive season and is scheduled to remain in Jamestown through 2021.
At the end of this weekend women’s wrestling will have completed two years as an invitational sport, which is a prerequisite milestone toward gaining championship status. Last year’s inaugural event was consolidated into just one day, as a winter storm upset travel plans and left competitors stranded in airports.
This year is pivotal for two reasons: First, this tournament meets the, “two years as an invitational sport,” prerequisite piece of applying for championship status. Read about where the NAIA is in that process, here. Second, individual champions qualify to compete at the 2020 Olympic Team Trials tournament in April.
Get the full schedule of events, how to watch and prelim demographics, here.
2019 Team Placements
1. Menlo College (230.5)
2. Oklahoma City University (154.5)
3. University of Jamestown (137.5)
4. Campbellsville (126.5)
5. University of Cumberlands (106.5)
2020 Team Rankings
1. Campbellsville University (203)
2. Menlo College (186)
3. Southern Oregon University (158)
4. Life University (155)
5. University of Jamestown (154)
Top Teams and Wrestlers
Campbellsville and Menlo have the most individually ranked wrestlers in the top
3—Campbellsville with seven and Menlo with six. Southern Oregon, Life and
Jamestown are all in a position to battle for a top 3 team placement.
Campbellsville University (est. 2013)
Campbellsville comes in No. 1 with three returning All-Americans, and a total of nine wrestlers ranked in the top 5 of their respective weight classes. Senior national team member Abby Nette is No. 1 at 130 pounds—she was crowned the 2019 57 kg Senior Nationals champ over Menlo’s No. 1 Tiana Jackson at 123 pounds. Nette is a 2x WCWA national champ at 130 pounds.
The Lady Tigers lock up the top 2 spots at 116 with No. 1 Katlyn Pizzo and No. 2 Charlotte Fowler. Pizzo was the 2020 WCWA runner-up to Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian), who just placed fourth at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship. Pizzo also placed third at MoVal, dropping only in the quarters to McKendree’s Felicity Taylor (14-4). Fowler placed third at WCWAs.
McKayla Campbell is No. 2 at 109 pounds. She won MoVal with an impressive tech over No. 3 Yurie Yoneoka. Campbell was runner-up at the 2019 NAIA National Invitational. Gabby Garcia and Mariah Harris are also No. 2 at 143 pounds and 170 pounds, respectively.
Rounding out the Lady Tigers top-5 ranked individuals are Adriana Lopez (No. 3 at 123), Alexia Foca (No. 4 at 155), Alex Castillo (No. 4 at 191) and McKenzie Bacich (No. 5 at 101).
Menlo College (est. 2001)
The Returning NAIA National Champions, Menlo, come in as No. 2. Their lineup showcases nine returning All-Americans, including four champions ranked this season: Alleida Martinez (No. 1 at 109), Marilyn Garcia (No. 8 at 155), Solin Piearcy (No. 1 at 143) and Tiana Jackson (No. 1 at 123). Alleida, Tiana and Precious are already qualified for the Olympic Team Trials.
Alleida Martinez is undefeated in her college season as she approaches the end of her sophomore year for the Oaks. The only match she has lost was to a collegiate peer, Emily Shilson of Augsburg, and it was at Senior Nationals. Alleida was a 2019 junior world team member.
Precious Bell is a senior national team member and a 2x Senior National champ—She’s here to make a statement this weekend as it’s her last collegiate event that leads right into the 2020 Olympic Team Trials. Bell was runner-up at last year’s NAIAs, and a member of the 2019 U23 World Team.
Menlo has the 130-pound weight class doubled with No. 2 Gracie Figueroa and No. 3 Alana Vivas. Both wrestlers have wins over SOU’s No. 4 Anesia Ramirez. Figueroua was a 2019 junior world team member for the Oaks, and a runner-up at the 2019 NAIAs.
The Menlo versus Campbellsville team race will likely create some tension for the top two team placements; Menlo ended victorious over Campbellsville in the head-to-head matchup at National Duals, 22-19.
Wayland Baptist University (est. 2009)
The Pioneers have three No. 1 ranked wrestlers. Nina Pham is WBU’s only returning All-American. She comes into the weekend an undefeated No. 1 at 101 pounds and recently won the SAC Championships at 109 pounds for the Pioneers. Nina also won MoVal with a 13-2 tech over No. 2 Iverly Navarro (Providence) in the finals.
Desiree Zavala is No. 1 at 136 pounds. She’s a senior national team member and is also undefeated for the Pioneers. This is her first season in the NAIA, and she has impressive tech-fall wins over No. 2 Bridgette Duty (Cumberlands), No. 5 Destiny Lyng (OCU) and NCWWC runner-up Dalia Garibay of Colorado Mesa.
155-pound No. 1 Kaylynn Albrecht was runner-up at the SAC Championships to No. 2 Rachel Watters of Oklahoma City. Albrecht placed fourth at MoVal.
WBU’s Asia Ray was crowned the first-ever NAIA National champ last year. However, Ray is using a redshirt year this season and will not be competing this weekend.
University of Providence (est. 2017)
No. 2 Iverly Navarro (101) is fresh off a 10-0 tech over Menlo’s Tiana Fernandez at the CCC Championships. She was runner-up at MoVal with a significant fall over No. 3 Junnette Caldera (Jamestown) and 8-3 decision over Jenessis Martinez (Colorado Mesa); Martinez just placed third at the NCWWC. This is Navarro’s first season in the NAIA—she started school at Providence after two years at South Western Community College where she was a fifth place All-American at the 2019 WCWAs.
Yurie Yoneoka (109) and Tatum Sparks (155) are both No. 3 at their respective weight classes. Yoneoka was runner-up at MoVal and Tatum placed fifth.
University of Jamestown (est. 2009)
The University of Jamestown has three wrestlers ranked in the top 3: No. 1 Agatha Andrews (191), No. 3 Junnette Caldera (101) and No. 3 Jacqueline Parks (136).
Andrews was runner-up at the 2020 WCWAs and fourth at the 2019 NAIAs. 191 pounds could be a top weight to watch for swing team points—the top 5 are all in position to make the most of the day. Jamestown’s collection of points should get a large boost from the depth of their wrestlers across weights.
Southern Oregon University (est. 2015)
Southern Oregon has been putting in work up and down the West Coast. Sienna Ramirez is No. 3 at 143 pounds*, Anesia Ramirez and Julissa Taitano are No. 4 at 130 and 136, respectively, and Tara Othman is No. 5 at 116. A. Ramirez made it to the 130-pound semifinals at MoVal before falling to CMU’s Cindy Zepeda.
Life University (est. 2014)
Life has an incoming squad by the numbers. The Running Eagles have two No. 3 ranked individuals: Gabby Hamilton (191) and Jordan Nelson (170). Faye Cherrier (101) and 2020 WCWA champion Julia Vidallon (123) are both ranked fourth.
Oklahoma City’s Rachel Watters is No. 2 at 155, but she had a big win over No. 1 Kaylynn Albrecht at the SAC Championships just two weeks ago. Watters also defeated national team member and NCWWC runner-up Jayden Laurent at the 2020 WCWAs in February. Watters placed third at the NAIAs in 2019 after missing most of the season due to an injury. Nkechinyere Nwankwo placed second in 2019 and comes in No. 3 for the Stars.
Lyon’s Jasmine Hernandez is No. 2 at 123 pounds and Kelani Corbett is No. 4 at 170. The Scots recently won the SAC Championships, edging out Wayland by just three points. Bridgette Duty is the top ranked Patriot as No. 2 at 136 pounds for the University of the Cumberland’s. Midland University’s Ashley Gooman is among the top-ranked wrestlers of the tournament, coming in No. 3 at 116 pounds.
The 2020 NAIA National Invitational will be streamed live on FloWrestling.
Read: 2020 NAIA Invitational: Complete schedule and preliminary brackets
*All-Americans used in this preview refer to 2019 NAIA All-Americans, unless specifically noted otherwise.
*A prior version states Sienna Ramirez (SOU) was at 136 pounds, but she wrestled the season at 143.
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