OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. --- The Wayland Baptist women's wrestling team improved its 2011 record to 3-4 on Sunday with two more wins against ranked opponents. The #9 Pioneers edged out #5 Lindenwood, 21-19, and defeated #13 Waldorf College, 37-2, at Abe Lemons Arena on the campus of Oklahoma City University.
The contest against Lindenwood came down to the final weight class, and WBU sophomore Angela Vyborny, a transfer from Lindenwood, got a pin 50 seconds into her 191 pound bout to give the Pioneers the victory.
WBU sophomore Akira Pena picked up five points right off the bat against the Tigers with a forfeit win at 101 pounds. Junior Ofelia Valdez followed with a 3-3, 4-0 decision in the 109 pound class over Allison Woodruff, and the Pioneers went up 8-1.
Lindenwood closed the gap to one with a decision and a technical fall in the next two classes, but freshman Tarykia Mensah took a 2-0, 4-1 decision at 130 pounds to widen the margin to 12-9.
LU took the lead with two of their highly-decorated wrestlers in the next two matches. Rachael Shannon, the #5 wrestler at 136 pounds and a Junior Pan Am Champion, won by decision over WBU's Jeneisha Wood, and WCWA All-American Tanya Kusse narrowly beat freshman Tamrya Mensah, 1-0, 3-2 in the 143 pound class.
Wayland freshman Valerie Rosales tied it at 16 with a 1-0, 0-1, 1-0 decision at 155, but Lindenwood moved back in front, 19-16, with a 2-0, 1-0 decision over Brenda Mendoza at 170.
The Pioneer women won four of their bouts against Waldorf by forfeit and four by decision. Samantha Gonzales picked up a 7-3, 3-2 decision at 123 pounds, Woods won, 0-3, 2-1, 4-0, Tamrya Mensah took a 1-0, 3-0 decision at 143, and Mendoza captured a 4-0, 6-0 victory. The lone pin of the dual came at 130 pounds where Tarkyia Mensah nailed her 130 pound opponent 53 seconds into the match.
Wrestling against the Lindenwood Gold team, the Wayland women won by forfeit in six classes and by an injury default in another. Tarkyia Mensah and Woods each won by decision, and Gonzales got a pin 54 seconds into the second period of her match against Denise Yanez.
The WBU women next compete in the Missouri Valley Open on Nov. 5 in Marshall, Mo.
