Bellarmine favored in men’s division, Grays Harbor in women’s division at NCWA Nationals in Louisiana

NCWA Live Brackets on FloArena

The 2024 National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) National Championships will take place in the Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City, Louisiana, March 14-16.

Bellarmine, which is transitioning to NCAA Div. I wrestling, is favored to repeat as the NCWA men’s champions, after winning the team title in 2023 in its first ever NCWA Championships.

The top two teams from the 2023 NCWA Nationals in women’s wrestling are expected to battle for top honors again, returning champion Ottawa-Arizona and returning runner-up Grays Harbor. Heading into the post-season, it was Grays Harbor which had the No. 1 ranking on the women’s side.

It will be a record-setting NCWA Nationals, with 509 men’s competitors and 161 women’s competitors, the most in event history.

In the men’s division, there are five NCWA champions who are returning this year: Alfonso Vargas of Florida (141), Zac Cowan of Bellarmine (149), Cole Nance of Bellarmine (174), Josiah Murphy of Liberty (235) and Frederick Weaver of Liberty (285). Murphy won his title last year at 197 pounds, while Nance won his at 165.

Cowan, Nance, Murphy and Weaver received No. 1 seeds. Others who enter with top seeds among men are Damion Ryan of Bellarmine (125), Jahleel Armstrong of Liberty (133), Thomas McCane of Central Florida (141), Gray Ortis of Bellarmine (157), Grant O’Dell of Bellarmine (165), Ben Liss of the Rutgers WC (184) and Matthew Micale of West Chester (197).

In the final men’s ranking, just prior to the conference championships, Bellarmine was at No. 1, Liberty at No. 2, The Apprentice School at No. 3, Thomas More at No. 4 and Lindenwood at No. 5.  Bellarmine has qualified 10 wrestlers for the tournament, Liberty has 19, Apprentice School brings 17, Thomas More qualified 10 and Lindenwood brings 12. Lindenwood is also a school in transition to NCAA Div. I.

At the NCWA National Duals for men, the top four teams were Bellarmine, Liberty, Apprentice, and Washington State.

In the women’s division, returning champions are Viveca Pannell of MIT (130), Veloria Pannell of MIT (143) and Renaeh Ureste of Grays Harbor (191). All three received No. 1 seeds this year.

The other top seeds in the women’s division are Olivia Atkins of Ottawa-Arizona (101), Daniella Suttles of Grand Canyon (109), Genesis Vazquez of Washington State (116), Lauren Mills of Utah Tech (123), Anastacia Fucci of Colorado State (136), Mikayla Silverman of UCLA (155), Malie Ka-ahanui of Liberty (170) and JoJera Dodge of Grays Harbor (235).

In the final team ranking prior to the conference meets, Grays Harbor was No. 2, followed by Ottawa-Arizona at No. 2, Utah Tech at No. 3, Washington State at No. 4 and Santa Rosa JC at No. 5. Grays Harbor is bringing 14 wrestlers to nationals, Ottawa-Arizona has 12 wrestlers, Utah Tech is bringing eight athletes, Washington State has a 13-athlete team and Santa Rosa JC will have 10 competitors.

In the NCWA Women’s Duals, both Grays Harbor and Ottawa-Arizona finished with 3-1 records in the round robin. Grays Harbor won the tie-breaker, placing Ottawa-Arizona in second. Rounding out the top four were third place Washington State and fourth-place Utah Tech.

The NCWA Nationals will once again be broadcast live on FloWrestling.

NCWA NATIONALS

At Bossier City, La., March 14-16

Event Schedule (Central Time Zone)

Thursday, March 14th

10:00 p.m. - Session I - Opening Ceremonies & Preliminaries

5:00 p.m. - Session II - Championship & Consolations

Friday, March 15th

9:00 a.m. - Session III - Consolation / Quarter-finals

9:00 a,m. - Session III - Women's - Preliminaries

5:00 p.m. - Session IV - Men's Blood Round

5:00 p.m. - Session IV - Women’s Semi-final / Blood Round-Bouts

7:00 p.m. - Men's Semi-finals

7:00 p.m. - Women's Consolation Semi-finals

Saturday, March 16th

1:00 p.m. - Session V - Men's All-American Consolations

1:00 p.m. - Session V- Women's Finals & 3rd place Bouts

6:00 p.m - Session VI - Men's Championship Finals