CORALVILLE, Iowa – Defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Iowa has an 2.5 point lead over McKendree in the team standings, as the quarterfinals have been set at the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) on Friday morning. The NCWWC is the national tournament for NCAA varsity women wrestlers.
Iowa finished the session with 48.5 points, with No. 3 ranked McKendree in second with 46 points and No. 2 ranked North Central in third with 43.5 points. Rounding out the top five were No. 6 ranked Presbyterian with 36.5 points and No. 4 ranked Grand Valley State with 34 points.
The major powers in women’s college wrestling padded their team scores quickly with bonus point victories, racking up extra points with pins and technical falls.
Iowa pushed all 15 of its athletes into the quarterfinals. In the first round, Iowa won every match by either pin or technical fall. In the second round, Iowa scored bonus point victories in all but two of their victories.
Iowa’s team is loaded with athletes who have also achieved major international achievements, including Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades (160), two-time Senior World medalist Macey Kilty (145), U20 World champion and Senior World Team member Kylie Welker (180), among others.
No. 3 McKendree, which won three straight NCWWC team titles between 2000-2002, advanced 10 of their 14 qualifiers into the quarterfinals. Included were 21 bonus point wins.
Among McKendree wrestlers with two bonus point wins are Gabriel Tedesco (103), Shelby Moore (124), Savannah Gomez (145), Kaylynn Albrecht (160), Lydia Krauss (180) and Tristan Kelly (207).
No. 2 ranked North Central, a 2023 NCWWC team champion, had a tough round, as they advanced nine of their 15 qualifiers into the quarterfinals. The Cardinal suffered an injury default loss at 138, when Emma Grimm, who was winning in her bout against Gianna Amendola of East Stroudsburg, was unable to continue to compete after an injury.
Both of North Central’s seeded 209 pounders were beaten. Unseeded Maria Aiono of Presbyterian beat No. 4 seed Traeh Haynes of North Central, 7-4 in the first round. No. 11 seed Esther Peters of Chadron State pinned No. 6 seed Dasia Yearby of North Central in the second round. North Central also had both 103 pounders lose, including 2023 NCWWC champion Madison Avila, the No. 9 seed, as well as No. 11 seed Brianne Graves. At 160 pounds, No. 6 seed Tiera Jimerson was beaten by No. 11 seed Alexandra Hofrichter of Dubuque.
Among North Central’s quarterfinalists is returning NCWWC champion Amani Jones (124), who has won two age-group World medals for Team USA.
Six other returning or past NCWWC wrestlers in the field reached the quarterfinals: Olivia Shore of Otterbein (103), Emilie Gonzalez of Iowa (110), Ava Bayless of Iowa (110), Katerina Lange of Grand Valley State (138), Reese Larramendy of Iowa (145) and Kylie Welker of Iowa (180).
There were not a ton of other major upsets in the first few rounds. At 103 pounds, No. 12 seed Mia Zuniga of King knocked off No. 5 seed Rayana Sahagun of Grand Valley State in the second round.
This is the sixth annual championships for NCAA varsity women’s wrestlers. In January, the NCAA approved women’s wrestling as its 91st national championships, making this the last year that the coalition of wrestling organizations which developed NCAA women’s wrestling will run this competition. The 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships will be held at a date and location to be announced.
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE WOMEN’S WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Coralville, Iowa
103
Rianne Murphy (Iowa) va. Avery Kibelbek (King University)
Mia Zuniga (King University) vs. Olivia Shore (Otterbein)
Sterling Dias (Iowa) vs. Jennesis Martinez (Colorado Mesa University)
Odelia Lopez (Schreiner University) vs. Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree University)
110
Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) vs. Dianna Holmes (King University)
Emilie Gonzalez (Iowa) vs. Kendra Ryan (North Central College)
Samara Chavez (King University) vs. Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian)
Austria Holland (Adams State) vs. Ava Bayless (Iowa)
117
Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) vs. Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College)
Caitlyn Jackson (Lindenwood University) vs. Clare Booe (King University)
Sydney Petzinger (North Central College) vs. Melanie Mendoza (King University)
Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel University) vs. Yu Sakamoto (Northern Michigan University)
124
Amani Jones (North Central College) vs. Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa University)
Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State) vs. Cali Leng (Iowa)
Shelby Moore (McKendree University) vs. Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian)
Alexandra Fitzgerald (Sacred Heart) vs. Montana Delawder (King University)
131
Alexis Janiak (Aurora) vs. Cayden Condit (Lindenwood University)
Viktorya Torres (McKendree University) vs. Jaclyn Dehney (New England College)
Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree University) vs. Emmily Patneaud (Iowa)
Piper Cadden (Fort Hays State) vs. Sara Sterner (North Central College)
138
Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) vs. Nina Makem (Augsburg University)
Nanea Estrella (Iowa) vs. Paige Wehrmeister (Presbyterian)
Haylie Jaffe (McKendree University) Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan University)
Taylor Graveman (North Central College) vs. Carina Giangeruso (Presbyterian)
145
Macey Kilty (Iowa) vs. Sydney Perry (North Central College)
Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian) vs. Aine Drury (King University)
Bella Mir (North Central College) vs. Savannah Gomez (McKendree University)
Zoey Lints (Elmira College) vs. Reese Larramendy (Iowa)
160
Kennedy Blades (Iowa) vs. Gretchen Donally (Colorado Mesa University)
Nyla Burgess (Gannon University) vs. Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg University)
May Cuyler (Presbyterian) vs. Alexandra Hofrichter (Dubuque)
Keeley Kehrli (Simpson) vs. Kaylynn Albrecht (McKendree University)
180
Kylie Welker (Iowa) vs. Lydia Krauss (McKendree University)
Brittyn Corbishley (North Central College) vs. Naomi Simon (Iowa)
Shenita Lawson (North Central College) vs. Madison Sandquist (Sacred Heart)
Paige Maher (Simon Fraser University) vs. Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State)
207
Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) vs. Julia Richey (Simon Fraser University)
Alyssa Favara (Lock Haven University) vs. Maria Aiono (Presbyterian)
Sara Lake (Lindenwood University) vs. Esther Peters (Chadron)
Alivia White (Iowa) vs. Tristan Kelly (McKendree University)
NCWWC Team Standings after Session I
1 Iowa 48.5
2 McKendree University 46.0
3 North Central College 43.5
4 Presbyterian 36.5
5 Grand Valley State 34.0
6 King University 30.0
7 Colorado Mesa University 23.0
8 Lindenwood University 21.5
8 Sacred Heart 21.5
10 Emmanuel University 20.5
11 Simpson 16.5
12 Gannon University 15.5
12 Simon Fraser University 15.5
14 Elmira College 15.0
15 Otterbein 13.5
Read More#
Cosme to go for Senior gold at Klippan Lady Open, with seven U.S. women going for bronze
Kriebel named by USA Wrestling to a new position, Manager of Athlete Career Transition & Women’s Inclusion
Women’s College Opens over holidays: Red Lady, Mat Cat, Soldier Salute, Midlands, WWCTOC
Blades, Welker, and Kilty pushing Iowa Women's Wrestling to new heights
