Women Representing 33 States and 4 Countries Set to Make History at the 2019 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational

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“Women’s wrestling is an emerging sport in the NAIA, and there are more NAIA-affiliated women’s varsity wrestling programs than any other organization can boast” (Abbott, 2019)

21 NAIA-affiliated institutions have pre-registered a cumulative 165 student athletes for participation in the inaugural event. The registrants represent 33 states and 4 countries set to make history in one day. Of course, the number is subject to change with late injuries, illnesses, missed weights, etc. Most recently, Mother Nature’s wintery feels could impact top-rated teams as they attempt travelling to North Dakota through various storms sweeping across the country.

There are currently 50+ intercollegiate women’s wrestling programs — a number that will continue to rise as institutions explore the downstream impacts of adding women’s programs. While women’s collegiate wrestling is targeting expansion toward the NCAA spotlight, there will remain extraordinary talent concentrated at NAIA schools in small towns across the United States.

Competition Demographics

  • 165 student-athletes represent 33 states and 4 countries –162 athletes from the U.S., and one each from Latvia, Puerto Rico and Japan.
  • 120 student-athletes (73%) represent 12 states where girls wrestling is sanctioned at the interscholastic level.
  • 42 student-athletes (25%) represent 21 states that have not yet sanctioned girls wrestling at the interscholastic level.
  • Menlo, Warner Pacific and Wayland Baptist are represented only by women from states that have sanctioned interscholastic girls wrestling.
  • The largest group of competitors are freshman, and decrease in number by class: 63 or 38% FR; 36 or 22% SO; 35 or 21% JR; and 31 or 19% SR.
  • York & Lyon College are tied for the youngest team in terms of athletic class.
  • Oklahoma City & Wayland Baptist are tied for the oldest team in terms of athletic class.
  • Menlo, the #1 ranked team brought 3 athletes from each athletic class.
  • Missouri Valley College is the only intercollegiate team pre-registered that was absent from the 2019 WCWA National Tournament, a first in program history.
  • Brewton-Parker, Jamestown, Life and the University of Providence are the only NAIA programs led by female head coaches.

If those demographics aren’t interesting enough on their own, let’s look at it from a different angle — an angle where sanctioning girls wrestling at the interscholastic level makes sense for the social and economic empowerment of women.

Higher education has a direct relationship to social and economic status. The demographics of the 2019 NAIA National Invitational suggest that states with sanctioned girls wrestling provide more women with an opportunity to leverage higher education as a vehicle to achieve relative social and economic success. Additionally, sanctioning girls wrestling at the interscholastic level positions women to gain access to education through sport at a greater rate than states that do not.

Preliminary Bracket Seeding

Athletes in each of the 10 weight classes will battle for NAIA All-American status at the close of competition on Saturday, March 16. Places 1-4 will gain All-American Status, and 5-8 will be recognized as Honorable Mention All-Americans. Preliminary brackets revealed the following tournament seeds:

101 — Asia Ray (WBU); Nina Pham (WBU); Hiba Salem (MC); Junnette Caldera (UJ)

109 — Alleida Martinez (MC); McKayla Campbell (CU); Raven Guidry (OCU); Brienna Ribucan-Leong (Lyon)

116 — Gracie Figueroa (MC); Jathiya Isaac (WBU); Yurie Yoneoka (Providence); Cassidy Jasperson (OCU)

123 — Macy Higa (EOU); Koral Sugiyama (CU); Dajan Treder (Providence); Tiana Jackson (MC)

130 — Andribeth Rivera (CU); Cara Romeike (JU); Julissa Taitano (SOU); Anesia Ramirez (SOU)

136 — Solin Piercy (MC); Abnelis Yambo (BPC); Erica Sotelo (Life); Bridgette Duty (Cumberlands)

143 — Maggie Douma (OCU); Angela Peralta (MC); Sienna Ramirez (SOU); Marilyn Garcia (MC)

155 — Iman Kazem (MC); Anna Naylor (Cumberlands); Shamera McTier (MVC); Myranda Velazquez (JU)

170 — Dymond Guilford (MBU); Mariah Harris (CU); Precious Bell (MC); Stephanie Pantoja (Life)

191 — Chi Chi Nwankwo (OCU); Agatha Andrews (JU); Paige Baynes (WBU); Leilani Camargo Naone (Midland)

FloWrestling will live broadcast the historic event hosted by Shauna Kemp and the Jamestown Jimmies.

Published by Gabrielle Lord-Klein

Founder & Writer