MARSHALL, Mo. – The Colorado Mesa women's wrestling team competed in the largest collegiate women's tournament in the country at the Missouri Valley Open on Friday (Nov. 18) afternoon. The tournament features over 40 schools from all levels of collegiate wrestling from NJCAA, NAIA and NCAA schools.
The Mavericks had 17 wrestlers competing across ten of the 11 weights in the tournament and four are still alive with a possibility of placement. Of the 17 wrestlers competing, 11 of them won a match and seven of them won at least two matches.
At 101 pounds,
Jennesis Martinez finished her day with a 3-1 record. The Albuquerque native opened the day with a 7-3 win over Makayla Young of Indiana Tech 7-3 before falling by technical fall 11-0 to unattached wrestler Sterling Dias. Dias is currently on the roster at the University of Iowa but each Hawkeye wrestler is wrestling unattached this season.
Martinez rebounded with a pair of big wins. She earned a pin of Zoe Omura of Midland followed by an 11-0 technical fall win over Hannah Michael of Grand View.
She is scheduled to face Jolie Lucas of Texas Wesleyan in her first bout tomorrow.
The Mavericks have a pair of wrestlers alive at 130 pounds in freshman
Hailey Chapman and redshirt sophomore
Lizzie Miller.
Chapman opened the day with a pin of Brianna Miller of Hastings at just 24 seconds before falling to Angela Vitiritti of Campbellsville on criteria 4-4.
She bounced back with three straight wins beginning with a 4-0 win over Jacqueline Ghent of Campbellsville followed by a 15-3 tech fall win over Allysse Pirro of Indiana Tech. She finished her day with a 10-0 technical fall win over Destiny Campbell of Iowa Wesleyan.
The Lake Arrowhead, Calif. native is scheduled to face Marquesi Haintz of Simon Fraser in her first match tomorrow.
Miller, wrestling in her home state, opened with a pin of Berlin Kiddoo of Central Methodist in 2:46 before a 4-3 setback to Destiny Campbell of Iowa Wesleyan.
The El Dorado Springs, Mo. native picked up three straight wins in the consolation bracket beginning with a 10-0 technical fall win over Mykenzie Clark of Misouri Valley College followed by a 10-4 decision over Rontaysia Payne who was wrestling unattached. She closed out the day with a 10-6 decision of Charmayne Delong of Indiana Tech.
She is slated to face unattached wrestler Adrienna Turner in her first bout tomorrow.
At 191 pounds, sophomore
Jayleen Sekona reached the quarterfinals before falling to Lessly Sandoval of the University of Saint Mary by fall at 5:27. Sekona opened the tournament with a pin of Natalia Villegas of Grand View at 5:10 followed by a 11-0 technical fall win over Christina Page of Friends.
Sekona awaits the winner of Alyssa Arana of Emmanuel and Madeline Welch of Life University for a placement spot.
The tournament will conclude tomorrow with matches beginning at 10am mountain.
NOTE:
Redshirt junior
Marissa Gallegos finished as the runner-up at the Bill Farrell International today in New York at the New York Athletic Club. The event is a senior international event.
Gallegos opened with a pin of Altyn Shagayeva of Kazakhstan at 2:28 after leading 4-0 when the pin occurred. She followed that up with a 3-0 victory over second-seeded Alisha Howk of Sunkist Kids to reach the final.
The Denver native fell to Samantha Stewart of Canada in the final 7-1.
