LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Wayland Baptist came up just short in its first match but won its next two in impressive fashion as the sixth-ranked Pioneers finished in fifth place at the 2020 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships held here Friday and Saturday.
Wayland, which won the inaugural NAIA title at this event last year, lost its first match Friday to Cumberlands, Ky., 24-22. But the Pioneers rebounded Saturday to log a pair of victories, first defeating Lyon, Ark., 29-17, before taking down rival Oklahoma City University, 30-15.
Twenty-five teams participated.
WBU coach
Aaron Meister was mostly happy with his team's performance, but upset at himself for a strategy decision that he said cost the Pioneers their first match.
Competing without their starter at 116 pounds and without any wrestler at 143, Meister opted not to shift his lineup to make up for the open weight.
"I felt we could win straight up without wrestling up, but we didn't," Meister said of the 24-22 loss to No. 7 Cumberlands in a match that saw each team win five matches. "That was my fault."
As disappointing as that loss was, the Pioneers didn't let it linger and they came back with two super performances Saturday. Meister said
Nina Pham,
Angelica Garcia,
Gabriela Ramos-Diaz,
Amanda Alvarado and
Desiree Zavala all bumped up a weight class to fill the open void.
In a consolation semifinal against No. 10 Lyon, Ark., Wayland won six of the 10 matches and prevailed with ease, 29-17. Then against ninth-ranked rival OCU, Wayland picked up seven victories and posted a 30-15 triumph.
"We bounced back (Saturday) and dominated our last two duals," Meister said. "Leaving with two wins is a good way to go home."
Meister said he could speak glowingly about many of his wrestlers, but he singled out
Caryssa Aguirre after she won both of her Saturday matches at 101 pounds. Against OCU, Aguirre faced Marissa Gregoire, who had beaten Aguirre earlier in the season, and won by tech fall, 14-4.
"At some point, each and every person stepped up for us. Caryssa came up with a really decisive win, and that set the tempo for us. It set the tone for the whole dual."
The results left Wayland with a 5-1 season record.
Fourth-ranked Menlo, Calif., edged second-ranked Campbellsville, Ky., in the championship, 22-19. Top-ranked Life, Ga., took third by defeating Cumberlands, 24-18, while in the seventh-place match Lyon topped eighth-ranked Providence, Mont., 27-17.
The Pioneers next compete Jan. 18 at the York Open in York, Neb.
2020 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships
Guaranteed Places
- 1st Place - Menlo College
- 2nd Place - Campbellsville
- 3rd Place - Life
- 4th Place - Cumberlands
- 5th Place - Wayland Baptist
- 6th Place - Oklahoma City University
- 7th Place - Lyon
- 8th Place - University of Providence
1st Place Match
- Menlo College defeated Campbellsville 22-19.
3rd Place Match
- Life defeated Cumberlands 24-18.
5th Place Match
- Wayland Baptist defeated Oklahoma City University 30-15.
7th Place Match
- Lyon defeated University of Providence 27-17.
Match #1 Champ. Round 1
Wayland Baptist received a Bye
Match #2 Quarterfinal
Cumberlands defeated Wayland Baptist 24-22
- 101 - Olivia Coyne (Cumberlands) over Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist) Dec 7-6
- 109 - Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist) over Jaine Stephens (Cumberlands) TF 12-2
- 116 - Madison Angelito (Cumberlands) over Angelica Garcia (Wayland Baptist) TF 10-0
- 123 - Gabriela Ramos-Diaz (Wayland Baptist) over Ashley Tobe (Cumberlands) TF 10-0
- 130 - Andrea Schlabach (Cumberlands) over Amanca Alvarado (Wayland Baptist) Fall 4:33
- 136 - Desiree Zavala (Wayland Baptist) over Bridgette Duty (Cumberlands) TF 10-0
- 143 - Ismileyna Valles (Cumberlands) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
- 155 - Kaylnn Albrecht (Wayland Baptist) over Kailee Godinez (Cumberlands) Fall 1:25
- 170 - Breanna Jennings (Wayland Baptist) over Jesse Kirby (Cumberlands) TF 14-4
- 191 - Angela Buenrrostro (Cumberlands) over Katerina Pena (Wayland Baptist) Fall 0:13
Match #3 Cons. Round 2
Wayland Baptist received a Bye
Match #4 Cons. Semi
Wayland Baptist defeated Lyon 29-17
- 101 - Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
- 109 - Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist) over Brianna Ribucan Leong (Lyon) Fall 1:42
- 116 - Mariah Spix (Lyon) over Angelica Garcia (Wayland Baptist) Dec 4-2
- 123 - Ashley Whetzal (Lyon) over Jasmine Davis (Wayland Baptist) TF 12-2
- 130 - Gabriela Ramos-Diaz (Wayland Baptist) over Jasmine Hernandez (Lyon) TF 11-0
- 136 - Amanca Alvarado (Wayland Baptist) over Alexandrea Banag (Lyon) TF 12-2
- 143 - Desiree Zavala (Wayland Baptist) over Skye Williams (Lyon) Fall 0:21
- 155 - Kaylnn Albrecht (Wayland Baptist) over Elissa Douglass (Lyon) TF 10-0
- 170 - Sierra Alfonso (Lyon) over Vanessa Ceja (Wayland Baptist) Fall 2:25
- 191 - Kelani Corbett (Lyon) over Breanna Jennings (Wayland Baptist) TF 10-0
Match #5 5th Place Match
Wayland Baptist defeated Oklahoma City University 30-15
- 101 - Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist) over Marissa Gregoire (Oklahoma City University) TF 14-4
- 109 - Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist) over Mariah Lomas (Oklahoma City University) TF 10-0
- 116 - Raven Guidry (Oklahoma City University) over Angelica Garcia (Wayland Baptist) Fall 2:27
- 123 - Monica Mendoza (Oklahoma City University) over Jasmine Davis (Wayland Baptist) Dec 7-4
- 130 - Gabriela Ramos-Diaz (Wayland Baptist) over Cierra Foster (Oklahoma City University) Dec 13-5
- 136 - Amanca Alvarado (Wayland Baptist) over Mattison Parker (Oklahoma City University) TF 10-0
- 143 - Desiree Zavala (Wayland Baptist) over Destiny Lyng (Oklahoma City University) Fall 2:38
- 155 - Kaylnn Albrecht (Wayland Baptist) over Sydney Freund (Oklahoma City University) Fall 4:03
- 170 - Breanna Jennings (Wayland Baptist) over Abigail Mainzer (Oklahoma City University) TF 10-0
- 191 - Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Oklahoma City University) over Olivia Ricci (Wayland Baptist) Fall 0:53
