Heidelberg-Tillitson punctuates NAIA team title for Menlo College, Moreno and Nwachukwu become three-timers, Rodriguez named OW

Life picked up a single individual title at Harold Newman Arena on the campus of the University of Jamestown—Jamilah McBryde brought the heat against three-time All-American Emma Walker of Campbellsville with a 10-0 finish to the 143-pound finals. McBryde won all four of her bouts by technical fall without surrendering a single point, outscoring the field 41-0 on her way to the NAIA crown.

The Running Eagles captured three runner-up finishes to accompany McBryde’s championship—Sarah Savidge at 130 pounds, Zaynah McBryde at 136 pounds and Latifah McBryde at 155 pounds. Now national runners-up for the second year in a row, Life picked up eight All-Americans in total.

Two women added to the NAIA history books by earning a third national title, both doing so in commanding fashion.

Southern Oregon’s Carolina Moreno closed title run No. 3 with a second period technical fall over Savidge, who was a runner-up for the second-straight year. Her11-0 win in the 130-pound finals marked the fifth bonus-point victory of the event for the Somerton, Ariz., native.

William Penn’s Adaugo Nwachukwu struck fast with a fall over Zaynah McBryde at the 2:16 mark of the 136-pound finals. The junior from San Jose, Calif., pinned all five of her opponents on the weekend in spectacular fashion. She was a two-time NAIA champion for Iowa Wesleyan before transferring to William Penn this season.

Nwachukwu is a top contender at the upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials which will be held at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. next month. She was a U.S. Open champion and Final X runner-up last year, and holds a U20 World bronze medal from 2022.

Two of Nwachukwu’s William Penn teammates came away with individual titles—Mia Palumbo at 109 pounds and Ashley Lekas at 170 pounds—giving the Statesmen three tournament champions, the most of any school.

Sophomore Cristelle Rodriguez of Doane University was named outstanding wrestler of the event after finishing off the 123-pound finals with a 10-0 technical fall against Maya Davis of Grand View. She is a 2019 U17 World silver medalist, 2023 U20 World Team member and finished in fourth at last year’s U.S. Senior Nationals.

Additional women who claimed individual crowns were Stefana Jelacic of Lourdes at 101 pounds, Juliana Diaz of Missouri Baptist at 116 pounds and Caitlyn Davis of Southern Oregon at 155 pounds.

Rounding out the list of top-five teams behind Menlo and Life were defending champions Southern Oregon at No. 3, William Penn at No. 4 and Grand View at No. 5

Every champion from the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships qualified to compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Complete brackets and archived matches of the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships are available at FloWrestling.com.

1. Menlo, 172

2. Life, 138

3. Southern Oregon, 134

4. William Penn, 111.5

5. Grand View, 106

6. Texas Wesleyan, 98.5

7. Providence, 90.5

8. Missouri Baptist, 87.5

9. Campbellsville, 54

10. Cumberlands, 53

101 pounds

1^st – No. 2 Stefana Jelacic (Lourdes) dec. No. 1 Erin Hikiji (Providence), 12-3

3^rd – No. 3 Mayla Mckinley-Johnson (Menlo) fall No. 4 Esther Walker (Midland), 5:03

5^th – Liana Ferreira (Southern Oregon) fall No. 8 Audalie Cruz (Wayland Baptist), 1:21

7^th – No. 6 Makayla Young (Indiana Tech) tech. fall Devyn Gomez (Life), 15-4

109 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Mia Palumbo (William Penn) dec. No. 3 Jasmine Howard (Texas Wesleyan), 3-1

3^rd – No. 5 Emma Baertlein (Southern Oregon) fall No. 4 Paige Morales (Providence), 4:31

5^th – No. 2 Alexsys Jacquez (St. Mary) fall No. 7 Diana Gonzalez (Life), 1:06

7^th – No. 6 Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) dec. No. 8 Tristan Nitta (Grand View), 5-2

116 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Juliana Diaz (Missouri Baptist) dec. No. 3 Camille Fournier (Texas Wesleyan), 7-6

3^rd – No. 4 Katherine Heath (Baker) fall No. 5 Ajayzee Zaballos (Menlo), 2:08

5^th – No. 6 Icart Galumette (Campbellsville) forfeit No. 2 Avery Ashley (Oklahoma City), 0:00

7^th – No. 8 Marissa Kurtz (Southern Oregon) fall No. 7 Ariana Martinez (Life), 1:37

123 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane) tech. fall No. 3 Maya Davis (Grand View), 10-0

3^rd – No. 7 Alana Vivas (Menlo) dec. No. 2 Joanna Vanderwood (William Penn), 8-2

5^th – No. 4 Sophia Smith (Oklahoma City) tech. fall No. 5 Anna Krejsa (Life), 11-0

7^th – Haley Narahara (Menlo) dec. No. 8 Catharine Campbell (Grand View), 10-6

130 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon) tech. fall No. 2 Sarah Savidge (Life), 11-0

3^rd – No. 7 Devin Patton (William Penn) tech. fall No. 8 Lillian Avalos (Vanguard), 10-0

5^th – No. 6 Janiah Jones (Missouri Baptist) dec. No. 4 Alyssa Randles (Providence), 3-0

7^th – No. 3 Louisa Schwab (Menlo) fall No. 5 Elizabeth Duvall (Texas Wesleyan), 4:47

136 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Adaugo Nwachukwu (William Penn) fall No. 3 Zaynah McBryde (Life), 2:16

3^rd – No. 4 Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Providence) fall No. 5 Tiyahna Askew (Missouri Baptist), 3:56

5^th – Gianna Moreno (Friends) forfeit No. 2 Andrea Schlabach (Grand View), 0:00

7^th – Stephanie Chavez (Menlo) fall No. 7 River Todd (Vanguard), 1:12

143 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Jamilah McBryde (Life) tech. fall No. 6 Emma Walker (Campbellsville), 10-0

3^rd – No. 7 Bella Amaro (Southern Oregon) dec. Madison Diaz (Grand View), 7-1

5^th – No. 2 Mea Mohler (Texas Wesleyan) tech. fall No. 5 Alexandra Lopez (Menlo), 10-0

7^th – Reagen Gallaway (Hastings) tech. fall Serenity De La Garza (Missouri Valley), 12-1

155 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Caitlyn Davis (Southern Oregon) dec. No. 2 Latifah McBryde (Life), 4-2

3^rd – No. 3 Shannon Workinger (Menlo) fall No. 5 Josette Partney (Missouri Baptist), 4:29

5^th – No. 6 Liv Wieber (Eastern Oregon) forfeit No. 4 Flo Parker-Borrero (Evergreen), 0:00

7^th – No. 8 Sadie Antoque (Providence) dec. Kendra Thompson (Campbellsville), 6-0

170 pounds

1^st – No. 2 Ashley Lekas (William Penn) dec. No. 1 Abby McIntyre (Grand View), 4-2

3^rd – No. 5 Kalila Shrive (Menlo) dec. No. 3 Shenita Lawson (Southern Oregon), 4-2

5^th – No. 7 Bo Geibe (Siena Heights) fall No. 6 Chamira Cooper (Cumberlands), 2:18

7^th – Aalyah Villarreal (Texas Wesleyan) fall Faith Macharia (Missouri Baptist), 3:24

191 pounds

1^st – No. 1 Tavia Heidelberg-Tillitson (Menlo) dec. No. 2 Joanna Hendricks (Waldorf), 4-3

3^rd – No. 8 Olivia Brown (Grand View) dec. No. 4 Maquoia Bernabe (Cumberlands), 4-1

5^th – Naomi Duenas (Cumberlands) fall No. 5 Lessly Sandoval (St. Mary), 2:04

7^th – No. 7 Jannell Avila (Baker) dec. Elisa Robinson (Baker), 10-4