CORALVILLE, Iowa — Augsburg University women’s wrestler Vayle-Rae Baker (SO, Benton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary HS) won the 57-kilogram (126-pound) title at the United World Wrestling U.S. Senior Nationals tournament, held on Friday at the Xtream Arena. She led a group of Augsburg wrestlers competing for the Twin Cities Regional Training Center.
Baker claimed technical falls in her first two round-robin matches on Friday — a 12-2 (3:21) win over Twin Cities teammate Tateum Park and a 12-2 (5:13) win over Estrella Dorado Marin of the Army World Class Athlete Program. She then scored a 6-2 win over Oklahoma City University wrestler Sophia Smith (Team Wisconsin), and finished with an 8-7 win over Simon Fraser (B.C.) wrestler Lauren Mason (Team California), scoring a takedown in the closing seconds to overcome a 7-6 deficit.
Baker is 20-7 in her two collegiate seasons at Augsburg, with nine technical falls and six pins. She finished in second place at 123 pounds at the 2020 Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships, and sixth at the 2020 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships at 123. Baker earned runner-up honors at the 2019 U-23 World Team Trials at 53 kg and finished fourth at the UWW Junior World Team Trials at 55 kg. She earned USA Wrestling Junior national titles in Fargo, N.D., in both 2018 (117) and 2017 (106), while winning the Cadet title in 2015 (88 pounds). She also won the UWW Cadet National title at 49 kg and finished second at the UWW Junior Nationals at 51 kg in 2017, and placed seventh at 49 kg at the 2017 UWW Cadet World Championships.
Also at the UWW Senior Nationals, Sierra Brown Ton (JR, Allen, Texas/Einstein HS) finished in third place at 62 kg (137 pounds), going 1-2 in round-robin action, while Marlynne Deede (SO, Springville, Utah/Springville HS) finished in fourth place at 76 kg (168 pounds). Hannah Michael (SO, La Porte City, Iowa/Union HS) finished in fourth place at 50 kg (110 pounds), going 0-3 in round-robin action.
Check out Auggies Women’s Wrestling at athletics.augsburg.edu.