CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – The Augsburg University women’s wrestling team opened up competition at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships on Friday afternoon, securing five All-America selections while advancing four wrestlers to the semifinal round scheduled for tomorrow.
Ranked fifth in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA tournament rankings, Augsburg sits in fifth placed with 63.0 points through the first of two days of competition. The championship semifinals will begin at 11:00 a.m. (Central Time) on Saturday, a session that will wrestle through all of the third-, fifth- and seventh-place bouts. The gold medal finals are set for 7:00 p.m.
Brackets/Results on TrackWrestling.com
TOP 10 TEAMS:
- North Central (Ill.) 113.5
- King University (Tenn.) 103.5
- McKendree University (Ill.) 83.0
- Colorado Mesa University 65.5
- Augsburg University 63.0
- Simon Fraser University (B.C.) 58.0
- Sacred Heart 42.5
- Adrian College (Mich.) 31.5
- East Stroudsburg University (Pa.) 31.0
- Gannon University (Pa.) 30.5
The national runner-up a season ago, second-ranked 136-pounder Nina Makem (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) earned a pair of day-one victories and will advance to the semifinals tomorrow. Makem opened with a 10-0 technical fall over Gabby Bradigan of Elmira College, following that up by securing an 11-0 technical fall over Abigail Varady of McKendree University. Makem will face off with third-ranked Yele Aycock of North Central (Ill.) in the semifinals.
Making her debut at the national tournament, third-ranked 143-pounder Katie Lange (SO, Sherburn, Minn./Martin County West HS) also went 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals. Lange opened with a 10-0 technical fall over Zoe Gress of East Stroudsburg University before claiming a 2:21 pin of sixth-ranked Clarissa Agostini of Adrian College. Lange will wrestle second-ranked Grace Stem of Lock Haven in the semifinals.
A third-place finisher in the national tournament last season, top-ranked 155-pounder Marlynne Deede (SR, Springville, Utah/Springville HS) went 2-0 on the day and will advance to the semifinals. Deede scored a 15-4 technical fall over Paige Maher of Simon Fraser University in her first bout of the day and secured a 9-3 decision over eight-ranked Madison Sandquist of Sacred Heart. Deede will wrestle fourth-ranked Tiffany Baublitz in the semifinal round.
Ranked fifth at 170 pounds, Brooklyn Hays (FY, Lindon, Utah/Pleasant Grove HS) is the fourth and final Auggie to advance to the semifinals. Hays scored a 57-second pin of Tabitha Breitrick of UW-Stevens Point in her opening bout before securing a 6-2 decision over fourth-ranked Annabelle Helm of Gannon University. Hays will wrestle top-ranked defending national champion Yelena Makoyed of North Central in the semifinals.
Gabrielle Torgerson (SR, Spooner, Wis./Cumberland HS) finished the day 3-1 and is still alive for a chance at third place at 123 pounds. She opened the day with a 12-0 technical fall over Alejandra Perez of Northern Michigan before falling to fourth-ranked Sofia Macaluso of East Stroudsburg in a 10-5 decision. In the consolation bracket, Torgerson earned a 2:48 pin of Hania Halverson of Colorado Mesa, a 7-0 decision over Catherine Bertrand of Presbyterian, and a 5:28 pin of seventh-ranked Melanie Mendoza of King University. By virtue of her three consolation bracket-wins, Torgerson secures All-American status as a top-eight finisher and will wrestle for a chance to move as high as third in the consolation wrestlebacks tomorrow.
Autumn Flanigan (JR, Troy, Mo./Troy Buchanan HS) went 3-2 on the day for Augbsurg. She opened the day with a 7-0 decision over Elizabeth Miller of Colorado Mesa before falling to third-ranked Montana Delawder of King University via 13-2 technical fall in the round of 16. Flanigan went on to secure two straight falls, a pin of SierraMarie Miller of Presbyterian in 2:45 and a 1:25 pin of Anika Gotlieb of Minot State, in the consolation bracket before dropping a 6-4 decision to Alexandra Fitzgerald of Sacred Heart in the blood round.
Ellisa Jimenez (FY, Cathedral City, Calif./Xavier College Preparatory HS) went 2-2 on the day at 143 pounds, falling via pin to Poorna Babu of Texas Women’s University in the first round before earning back-to-back sub-minute pins of Shelsy Renous of Limestone University and Anna Strand of UW-Stevens Point in the consolation bracket. Her 2023 season came to an end when fifth-ranked Kendall Bostelman of North Central (Ill.) secured a 49-second victory via fall in the blood round
Tateum Park (JR, Davenport, Iowa/Davenport North HS) finished the day 0-2 at 116 pounds.
Check out Auggies Women’s Wrestling at athletics.augsburg.edu.
