With five All-Americans, Sacred Heart finishes seventh at nationals

In their second year as a varsity program, Sacred Heart finished seventh at the NCWWC meet in Iowa. (Photo courtesy Sacred Heart Athletics)

Five Sacred Heart wrestlers earned All-American honors as the second-year Pioneers women’s wrestling program finished seventh at Saturday’s National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) meet in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Plymouth native Cara Broadus finished fourth at 170 to lead No. 9 Sacred Heart. Alexander Fitzgerald (130) and Jacklyn Smith (191) earned All-American honors by finishing seventh while Aaliyah Payne-Parris (101) and Madison Sandquist (155) each finished eighth.

Smith and Sandquist earned All-American honors for the second straight year.

Sacred Heart finished seventh with 57 points. North Central, a Division III school in Illinois, won their first NCWWC title with three individual champions and 15 All-Americans, beating No. 1 King, 198-163. Rounding out the top five was McKendree with 147½, Colorado Mesa with 108 and Augsburg with 87½.

McKendree won the tournament in their first three years of the competition. Emily Shilson (109) and Sydnee Kimber (191) became the first four-time NCWWC champions.

Broadus, the No. 6 seed at 170 pounds, bounced back from her setback in the quarterfinals by winning her next three bouts, to place fourth. She first beat No. 7 Jewel Gonzalez of Gannon with a 10-0 tech fall before besting No. 5 Brooklyn Hays of Augsburg by a decision in the consolation semis. Unfortunately, Broadus lost to No. 3 Emily Cue of Simon Fraser in the third-place match by pin in 48 seconds.

On day one of the tournament, Broadus beat Limestone’s Journey Land, 14-4, before falling to No. 3 Emily Cue of Simon Fraser in the quarterfinals. But Broadus earned All-American honors with a 16-6 win over Texas Women’s Aubrey Yauger.

After being named an All-American for the first time, No. 8 Fitzgerald finished the event in seventh at 130 pounds. She started day two of the tournament with setback against No. 5 Hailey Chapman of Colorado Mesa before pinning No. 6 Lillian Sherer of Lock Haven in 5:41 in the seventh-place match.

Fitzgerald began the tournament with a 36-second pin of Limestone’s Hannah Mains in her opener and Augsburg’s Autumn Flanigan in her first consolation round bout. Fitzgerald’s lone setback came in the quarterfinals against No. 1 Alexis Janiak of Aurora.

Joining Fitzgerald with a seventh-place showing in the event was Smith at 191 pounds. Smith suffered a setback to No. 5 Jayleen Sekona of Colorado Mesa. She bounced back in the seventh-place match by pinning Mount Olive’s Jada Arnold.

On day one, Smith pinned Tiffin’s Alexia Swisher in 20 seconds but fell to No. 1 Kimber in the quarterfinals. In the consolation bracket, Smith earned All-American honors with a 6-5 win over No. 6 Nia Crosdale of King.

No. 8 Sandquist capped her second national championship appearance by finishing eighth. However, she faced a gauntlet in her two matches on day two, suffering losses to North Central’s No. 5 Malea Palahniuk and No. 2 Tiera Jimerson, both by decision.

Sandquist went 2-1 on the first day of the tournament with a 10-0 win by tech fall over Presbyterian’s Isabella Badon, a loss to No. 1 Marlynne Deede of Augsburg in the quarterfinals and a win by pin over Gannon’s Stephanie Floor in 5:49.

No. 8 Payne-Parris wrapped up her first national championship by taking eighth place at 101. The first year suffered a pair of losses in day two of the tournament, to No. 5 Samantha Miller of Presbyterian and Isabella Morales of Colorado Mesa. On Friday, she was 2-1 with wins over Kinsey Smith of Chadron (pin 1:44) and Chloe Kitagawa of Gannon to clinch a top-eight finish. Her lone loss came to No. 1 Jessica Corredor of King in the quarters.

2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC)
At Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Team results (top 20) – 1. North Central (Illinois) 198, 2. King University 163, 3. McKendree University 147½, 4. Colorado Mesa University 108, 5. Augsburg University 87½, 6. Simon Fraser University 86½, 7. Sacred Heart 57, 8. East Stroudsburg University 50, 9. Presbyterian 44½, 10. Gannon University 39, 11. Lock Haven University 38½, 12. Northern Michigan University 35, 13. Adrian College 31½, 14. Emmanuel College 24½, 15. Elmira College 23½, 16. Aurora 21, 17. Tiffin University 17½, 18. New Jersey City University 17, 19. Wisconsin Stevens Point 17, 20. Lindenwood University 16. There were 37 teams competing.
Individual results
101
Final: Madison Avila (North Central) dec. Jenavi Alejandro (Tiffin Univ.), 5-3
3. Lizette Rodriguez (McKendree) tech fall Jennesis Martinez (Colorado Mesa), 11-1
5. Samantha Miller (Presbyterian) dec. Jessica Corredor (King), 10-8
7. Isabella Morales (Colorado Mesa) tech fall Aaliyah Payne-Parris (Sacred Heart), 11-0
109
Final: Emily Shilson (McKendree) pin Sage Mortimer (King), 3:46
3. Dianna Holmes (King) dec. Sydney Petzinger (North Central), 19-12
5. Kendra Ryan (North Central) tech fall Kaelani Shufeldt (Lock Haven), 15-4
7. Cassy Lopez (Presbyterian) pin Pauline Granados (McKendree), 1:53
116
Final: Jaslynn Gallegos (North Central) pin Samara Chavez (King), 3:35
3. Victoria Seal (Simon Fraser) tech fall Danielle Garcia (King), 11-0
5. Payton Stroud (McKendree) tech fall Emily Klein (East Stroudsburg), 10-0
7. Rose Ann Marshall (Wisconsin Stevens Point) tech fall Samantha Larsen (Gannon), 12-0
123
Final: Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa Univ.) dec. Amani Jones (North Central), 7-2
3. Mia Macaluso (East Stroudsburg) pin Jennifer Soto (McKendree), 2:05
5. Vayle-Rae Baker (King) dec. Sofia Macaluso (East Stroudsburg), 11-11
7. Naomi Henry (New Jersey City) dec. Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg), 3-2
130
Final: Cameron Guerin (McKendree) dec. Alexis Janiak (Aurora), 9-0
3. Marquesis Haintz (Simon Fraser) tech fall Montana Delawder (King), 12-2
5. Sara Sterner (North Central) dec. Hailey Chapman (Colorado Mesa), 6-0
7. Alexandra Fitzgerald (Sacred Heart) pin Lillian Sherer (Lock Haven), 5:41
136
Final: Ana Luciano (King) dec. Yele Aycock (North Central), 8-7
3. Paige Wehrmeister (Presbyterian) dec. Diana Dzasezeva (Northern Michigan), 7-0
5. Nina Makem (Augsburg) tech fall Holly Beaudoin (Colorado Mesa), 13-2
7. Viktorya Torres (King) pin Salome Walker (North Central), 5:52
143
Final: Katie Lange (Augsburg) dec. Ashlynn Ortega (King), 8-6
3. London Houston (North Central) tech fall Grace Stem (Lock Haven), 10-0
5. Lili Ujfalvi (Gannon University) pin Kendall Bostelman (North Central), 4:02
7. Zoe Gress (East Stroudsburg University) pin Clarissa Agostini (Adrian College), 1:49
155
Final: Marlynne Deede (Augsburg) dec. Dalia Garibay (Colorado Mesa), 6-2
3. Tiffani Baublitz (King) pin Malea Palahniuk (North Central), 1:23
5. Lydia Krauss (Northern Michigan) tech fall Nyla Burgess (Adrian College), 10-0
7. Tiera Jimerson (North Central) dec. Madison Sandquist (Sacred Heart), 9-4
170
Final: Yelena Makoyed (North Central) pin Cheyenne Bowman (King), 3:49
3. Emily Cue (Simon Fraser) pin Cara Broadus (Sacred Heart), 0:48
5. Alexandra Castillo (McKendree) won by injury default over Brooklyn Hays (Augsburg)
7. Jewel Gonzalez (Gannon) dec. Annabelle Helm (Gannon), 2-1
191
Final: Sydnee Kimber (McKendree) pin Traeh Haynes (North Central), 5:27
3. Brittyn Corbishley (North Central) pin Sara Lake (Lindenwood)
5. Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa) won by injury default over Katja Osteen (Simon Fraser)
7. Jacklyn Smith (Sacred Heart) pin Jada Arnold (Mount Olive)
Outstanding wrestler: Yelena Makoyed, North Central (170)
Outstanding coach: Joe Norton, North Central
Brackets and results: TrackWrestling.com