Three wrestlers from Sacred Heart earned All-American honors at the national championship meet. From left, Temi Sanusi, Madison Sandquist, Jacklyn Smith and head coach Paulina Biega. (Photo courtesy Sacred Heart University)
The initial season for the Sacred Heart women’s wrestling team is complete and the Pioneers finished the year with a top 15 finish at the national championship meet and three All-American wrestlers.
Freshman Madison Sandquist finished third at 143 pounds on Saturday at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship at Adrian College in Michigan while Temi Sanusi (143) and Bridgeport’s Jacklyn Smith (170) each finished eighth.
Sacred Heart finished 14th with 30½ points in the field of 32 teams. McKendree University (Illinois) won their third consecutive national championship.
“As a brand-new program, I approached this year without any expectations as how it needed to look,” Sacred Heart head coach Paulina Biega said. “We had to establish a team culture, who we want to be and there were no upperclassmen to guide the team. It was challenging, but also rewarding and full of growth. The only expectation I had for us was to keep getting better and to give each other a chance and that expectation was met.”
Sacred Heart posted a 6-4 dual meet record this season. Sandquist and Ashley Reed both two tournament championships with Reed winning the Northeast Regional title in February.
“The team has made a lot of progress,” Biega said. “Everyone has gotten better in one way or another. For some of the progress is more visible than in others, but no doubt everyone has gotten better. They have become not only better wrestlers, but also better teammates.”
Sandquist, the freshman from Humble, Texas, won her first two matches of the tournament before losing to top seed Alara Boyd of McKendree University in the quarterfinals by technical fall. But Sandquist (27-7) won her next four matches to finish third.
Sandquist beat Avia Bibeau of East Stroudsburg in the consolation semifinals by technical fall, 10-0 in 4:34 and then pinned No. 3 seed Kaylee Lac of Colorado Mason in 5:19. It was Sandquist’s team-leading 12th pin of the season.
It was a bit of revenge for Sandquist, who lost to Bibeau in the finals of the Northeast Regional two weeks ago.
Sanusi and Smith both went 2-3 in the tournament to earn All-American honors.
“It was an amazing two days of wrestling,” Biega said. “Each match was a battle. There were no easy (matches). We made huge progress this year but we are just getting started. The sky is the limit for this program.”
All nine wrestlers on the Pioneer squad will return next year.
National tournament results
(8) Madison Sandquist (143)
def. Gianna Anaya, Emmanuel College, 7-0
pin Clara Scagiloni, Simon Fraser Univ. (BC), 0:28
Quarterfinals: Lost (1) Alara Boyd, McKendree, tech fall, 10-0 in 2:13
pin Kya Rybachek, Augsburg University (Minn), 4:48
dec. Kim Nunez, North Central College (Illinois), 11-7
dec. Avia Bibeau, East Stroudsburg, tech fall, 10-0, 4:34
Third place: pin Kaylee Lac, Colorado Mason, 5:19
Temi Sanusi (143)
def. Julianna Moreno, Lindenwood University (Missouri), 9-2
Quarterfinal: Lost (2) Ashlynn Ortega, King University (Tenn.), tech fall, 10-0 in 0:52
def. Erica Schroeder, Colorado Mesa Univ., 8-4
Lost to Kaylee Lacy, Colorado Mesa Univ., tech fall, 10-0 in 1:19
Seventh place: lost Kim Nunez, North Central College, 3-1
Jacklyn Smith (170)
Lost Joye Levendusky, McKendree University, tech fall, 10-0 in 2:08
pin Brianna Simsic, East Stroudsburg, 0:21
def. Tabitha Breitrick, Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 6-2
Lost Grace Kristolf, McKendree University, 2:31
Seventh place: lost Tatum Heikkila, Colorado Mesa University, 7-3
(6) Ashley Reed (191)
pin Tayanna Labady, Elmira College, 5:00
Second round: Lost Jayleen Sekona, Colorado Mesa University, 6-0
lost Sydni Scott, William Jewell College (Missouri), 8-4
2022 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship
At Adrian, Michigan
Team results: 1. McKendree University (Illinois) 188, 2. King University 166, 3. Simon Fraser University (British Columbia)145½ .4. North Central College (Illinois) 128, 5. Colorado Mesa University 89, 6. Augsburg University 82, 7. Tiffin University (Ohio) 75½, 8. Adrian College 42½, 9. Emmanuel College and Gannon University 38½, 11. Lindenwood University 38, 12. Limestone College 32½, 13. East Stroudsburg University 31½, 14. Sacred Heart 30½, 15. Presbyterian College 29½, 16. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 27, 17. New Jersey City University 22, 18. Elmira College 11, 19. William Jewell College 9, 20. Trine University 5½, 21. Albion College 5, 22. Lock Haven University 4½, 23. Delaware Valley University and Emory and Henry College 3, 25. Schreiner University 2½, 26. Chadron State College 1
Individual results
101
Final: Olivia Shore (Tiffin) tech fall Angelina Gomez (Emmanuel College) 11-0 in 4:40; Third place: Lizette Rodriguez (McKendree) dec. Jaclyn McNichols (King) 4-1; Fifth place: Samantha Miller (Presbyterian College) pin Maddie Mackenzie (Simon Fraser) 6:00; Seventh place: Brooke Thurber (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) dec. Katerina Pendergrass (Gannon) 8-7
109
Final: Emily Shilson (Augsburg University) tech fall Sydney Petzinger (North Central College) 11-2, 2:42; Third place: Samara Chavez (King) dec. Natalie Reyna (McKendree) 11-6; Fifth place: Danielle Garcia (King) pin Alexia Seal (Simon Fraser) 5:26; Seventh place: Julianne Moccia (Gannon) pin Angelina Graff (North Central College) 3:49
116
Final: Karla Godinez-Gonzalez (Simon Fraser) dec. Felicity Taylor (McKendree) 3-1; Third place: Sage Mortimer (King) pin Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian College) 2:41; Fifth place: Gabriela Ramos Diaz (Limestone College) tech fall Kendra Ryan (North Central College) 12-2, 5:53; Seventh place: Mateah Roehl (North Central College) tech fall Ainslie Lane (Presbyterian College) 11-1 in 2:20
123
Final: Alexandra Hedrick (Simon Fraser) pin Cheyenne Sisenstein (King) 5:49; Third place: Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa University) pin Cayden Condit (Lindenwood University) 1:25; Fifth place: Amani Jones (North Central College) dec. Melanie Mendoza (King) 7-6; Seventh place: Asia Nguyen-Smith (North Central College) dec. Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg University) 10-6
130
Final: Cameron Guerin (McKendree) tech fall Niya Teresita Gaines (North Central College) 10-0, 1:49; Third place: Lauren Mason (Simon Fraser) tech fall Mia Macaluso (East Stroudsburg) 10-0, 3:17; Fifth place: Solana Mottola (Tiffin) dec. Claire DiCugno (Colorado Mesa University) 4-2; Seventh place: Montana Delawder (King) dec. Anya Knappenberger (Gannon) 13-4
136
Final: Zoe Nowicki (Adrian College) dec. Blanche `Nina` Kemu Makem (Augsburg University) 4-0; Third place: Ana Luciano (King) dec. Skye Realin (McKendree) 9-4; Fifth place: Emmily Patneaud (McKendree) dec. Holly Beaudoin (Colorado Mesa University) 8-4; Seventh place: Sara Sulejmani (North Central College) pin Lana Perez (Gannon) 4:26
143
Final: Ashlynn Ortega (King) dec. Alara Boyd (McKendree) 3-0; Third place: Madison Sandquist (Sacred Heart) pin Kaylee Lacy (Colorado Mesa University) 5:19; Fifth place: Avia Bibeau (East Stroudsburg) pin Riley Aamold (North Central College) 0:23; Seventh place: Kim Nunez (North Central College) dec. Khadijah Sanusi (Sacred Heart) 3-1
155
Final: Alyvia Fiske (Simon Fraser) dec. Kayla Marano (McKendree) 3-2; Third place: Marlynne Deede (Augsburg University) tech fall Nyla Burgess (Adrian College) 10-0, 2:15; Fifth place: Tiera Jimerson (North Central College) dec. Taylor Hites (Tiffin) 8-0; Seventh place: Tiffani Baublitz (King) pin Skylah Chakouian (Elmira College) 1:06
170
Final: Yelena Makoyed (North Central College) tech fall Joye Levendusky (McKendree) 11-0 in 3:34; Third place: Emily Cue (Simon Fraser) dec. Grace Kristoff (McKendree) 4-1; Fifth place: Cheyenne Bowman (King) dec. Jade Herzer (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) 3-0; Seventh place: Tatum Heikkila (Colorado Mesa University) dec. Jacklyn Smith (Sacred Heart), 9-3
191
Final: Sydnee Kimber (McKendree) pin Jaycee Foeller (McKendree) 1:18; Third place: Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa University) dec. Nia Crosdale (King) 4-1; Fifth place: Cristina Santoyo (Emmanuel College) pin Katja Osteen (Simon Fraser) 3:59; Seventh place: Sandra Guerrero (New Jersey City University) pin Journey Land (Limestone College) 1:07
Coach of the year: Joe Horton, North Central
Outstanding wrestler: Cameron Guerin (130), McKendree
2022 NCWWC national tournament (brackets and results) via TrackWrestling
