From the moment Joe Norton took the North Central head coaching job and started the program four years ago, he’s been preaching greatness and aiming for being on top. 

Saturday night at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, that moment arrived. Now on the wrestling schedule page of the school’s athletic website, the results for NCWWC National Championship reads “1st Place of 37 teams.”

“We want to win national titles every single year,” Norton said in a FloWrestling interview after the final match, reflecting on the fact that North Central is a D3 program. “We want to win all 10 weight classes every single year, so that’s the goal. I don’t care what division we are and what division we’re competing against, whoever steps on the line across from us, we want to beat ’em.”

In all, the Cardinals landed 15 All-Americans and three champions. They took first with 198 points, finishing 35 ahead of second-place King, while returning three-peat champ McKendree took third with 147.5 points. The Bearcats won the event in each of the previous three years since it started in 2020.

The finals were marked by highly competitive matches and historic performances, especially by McKendree’s Emily Shilson, who became a five-time college national champion (her fourth NCWWC title), and Sydnee Kimber, who also became a four-time national champion, joining the ranks of Emily Webster, Victoria Anthony, Helen Maroulis, Kayla Miracle, and of course the aforementioned Shilson. 

Shilson finished her fourth season with a 54-0 career record, only going the distance twice. Meanwhile, McKendree’s Cameron Guerin and North Central’s Yelena Makoyed became three-time national champions. North Central’s Madison Avila (101) and Jaslynn Gallegos (116), Colorado Mesa’s Marissa Gallegos (123), King’s Ana Luciano (136), and Augsburg’s Katie Lange (143) and Marlynne Deede all won their first national titles. Ana Luciano and Marlynne Deede are seniors.

Here’s a weight-by-weight recap of the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships and a look at how pre-tournament favorites and dark horses performed.

101

After falling to Madison Avila in the semis 9-0, #1 seed Jessica Corredor did the semi slide the to sixth. Still an All-American performance, but the fact that she took three losses demonstrates how deep this group was. The finals was a battle of freshman, as eventual champion Avila had to stave off an early 3-0 lead by Tiffin freshman Jenavi Alejandro to score five unanswered points in the second period for a 5-3 win. Sixth-seeded Alejandro was the Cinderella of the tournament, taking out #2 seed Lizette Rodriguez (Bernardo) 6-6 in a dramatic semifinal to make the final.

Preview prediction: “Rodriguez…can do it.” After losing to Alejandro, Rodriguez scored two straight technical falls on the backside to take third.

Preview dark horse: “#6 seed Jenavi Alejandro from Tiffin, a talented freshman who has nothing to lose and has had some big wins this year.” Not bad! Almost won it all.

109

For a moment, it looked like Sage Mortimer would pull the upset, throwing Shilson to her back early in the match. Shilson barely escaped disaster. After that scare, the Bearcat put on a workman-like performance, chipping away at the lead with leg attacks and counters until she took the lead and scored the fall at 3:46 in the second. King’s Dianna Holmes took third over North Central’s Sydney Petzinger.

Preview prediction: “Shilson.” Though it seemed like the obvious pick, it almost didn’t happen as Shilson escaped 9-8 against Holmes in the semi.

Preview dark horse: “Look for a deep run from unseeded Presbyterian senior Cassy Lopez.” She ended up claiming a podium spot, winning her seventh-place match over 2020 national champion Pauline Granados.

116

Until Jaslynn Gallegos hit the match-winning move at the 3:35 mark, it was all Samara Chavez. In fact, Chavez held an 8-1 lead at the break. Early in the second, a scramble turned into a massive throw for Gallegos to win the match by fall. Both Gallegos and Chavez upset higher seeds in the semis to make the final, with #3 seed Gallegos defeating #2 seed Payton Stroud 10-0, and #4 seed Chavez taking out the #1 seed Victoria Seal 12-2. Seal placed third, beating King’s Danielle Garcia.

Preview prediction: “Gallegos breaks through and gets her first title.” After placing fourth, third, and fourth, it was sweet victory for Gallegos.

Preview dark horse: “University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Rose Ann Marshall is compelling and could do damage on the backside.” Unseeded Marshall went 4-1 on the backside and took seventh. 

123

You could see how much winning a national title meant to Marissa Gallegos. After placing third in 2020, second in 2021 and third last year, she’d knew the pain of being close. This time she got there, outscoring a competitive Amani Jones 7-2 for the title. The Macaluso sisters from East Stroudsburg — Mia and Sofia — were both at this weight, and each ended up on the podium, with Mia taking third and Sofia sixth.

Preview prediction: “Gallegos.” She’s still just a junior and will have a shot at another one next year.

Preview dark horse: “Look for #8 seed Jennifer Soto from McKendree to outperform her seed. She’s just too good.” Soto took fourth, taking down Vayle Baker in the consi semi 10-0 to make the third-place match, where she lost to Mia Macaluso.

130

It’s always fun when a rivalry plays out on the national stage at the end of the season. The Guerin-Janiak series was 2-1 in favor of Janiak going into nationals, with Janiak having won their last match only two weekends ago 10-6 in the regional finals. It was fitting that these two hit again in the finals, with the freshman sensation earning an opportunity to stand in the way of Guerin winning her third straight national title. In the end, Guerin and the McKendree staff cracked the code and put together a dominating performance for the 9-0 win. This time, it seemed Janiak had no answers for Guerin’s funky offense and counters. Guerin only gave up one point in the national tournament. Seventh-seeded Marquesis Haintz outperformed her seed to take third over King’s Montana Delawder. Except for her loss to Guerin, Haintz outscored her opponents 55-2 at the NCWWC.

Preview prediction: “Guerin cracks the code and flips the script against Janiak.” Guerin was ready for the rematch.

Preview dark horse: “Colorado Mesa freshman Hailey Chapman.” Chapman took sixth. Quite an accomplishment for the freshman in a tough weight class.

136

This was one of the most exciting weight classes to watch, a tangle of elite college wrestlers with a history of rivalry that culminated in King’s Ana Luciano winning her first national title. After placing fourth in 2020, second in 2021, and third in 2022, including a razor thin 1-1 loss in the finals in 2021 to McKendree’s Brenda Reyna, it was sweet victory for redshirt senior Luciano, who couldn’t contain her excitement when her victory was official after a failed challenge by the North Central corner. She defeated a fierce opponent in North Central’s Yele Aycock, who won one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament in her semifinal against #2 seeded Nina Makem, scoring as time expired over a familiar opponent to punch her ticket to the finals. The matchup against Luciano didn’t lack theatrics either, as Luciano held onto an 8-8 criteria lead for the win. Makem lost again in the consi semis to Diana Dzasezeva, but landed in fifth with a win over Colorado Mesa’s Holly Beaudoin. The talented Presbyterian freshman Paige Wehrmeister took third over Northern Michigan’s Diana Dzasezeva.

Preview prediction: “Luciano finally beats Makem for her first national title. She’s gone fourth, second, third and now…first?” Got the important part right, Luciano finally breaks through to win it all.

Preview dark horse: “Gannon junior Lana Perez is pretty dang good and always seems to be in the shadows. She could pull some surprises. Keep an eye on her.” Perez went out in the blood round to King’s Viktorya Torres.

143

Katie Lange didn’t wrestle at nationals last year due to injury. Even this year, she seemed to be nursing something, wearing an elbow brace all season. But that didn’t stop her from putting together her best tournament to date as a college wrestler, upsetting returning national champion Ashlynn Ortega 8-6 for a national title. #3 seeded Lange also took care of the #2 seed in the semis, earning a 10-4 win over freshman hammer Grace Stem. North Central’s London Houston put together a stellar tournament as well, outperforming her #4 seed and placing third over Stem. Other than her loss to Ortega, Houston outscored opponents 40-0.

Preview prediction: “Katie Lange pulls the upset and wins it all. As noted, she can beat anybody.” Lange beat the #6 seed, #2 seed and #1 seed to win the title.

Preview dark horse: “Chadron’s Kayley Garcia all day!” A swing and a miss on that one, though Garcia was competitive but lost two decisions. The freshman will be back and is someone to watch in the future.

155

Marlynne Deede didn’t have an easy out in any round, winning 15-4 in the Round of 16 over Paige Maher, 9-3 in the quarters over #8 seed Madison Sandquist, 11-6 in the semis over #4 Tiffani Baublitz, and 6-2 in the finals over Colorado Mesa’s #3 seeded Dalia Garibay. Deede’s steady, effective attacks and solid defense served her well, earning her first national title after taking sixth in 2020, and third in both 2021 and 2022. Garibay had beaten the Cinderella of the bracket in the semis 9-6, #7 seed Nyla Burgess, who had upset #2 seed Tiera Jimerson by fall in the quarters. King’s Baublitz came back in the consis to take third over North Central’s Malea Palahniuk.

Preview prediction: “Deede gets her first national title.” It was Augsburg’s second national title in a row on the evening, as Katie Lange won the weight class right before Deede’s match.

Preview dark horse: “UWSP’s Jade Herzer is unseeded and was an All-American last year.” Herzer lost to #2 Jimerson on the frontside 7-1 and Northern Michigan’s Noelle Gaffney on the backside 4-2. 

170

Yelena Makoyed did what we thought she might, though it was still impressive to watch. Her opponent in the finals, King’s undefeated Cheyenne Bowman, was the one wrestler in the NCAA we thought could give Makoyed a match, and for good reason. Last year she split with Makoyed, losing 5-5 and winning the second one 9-6. But we’ve all watched the ascension of Makoyed to #1 on the Senior level, winning gold at every Senior international tournament she’s entered over the last year. In the finals, she showed again why she’s ranked #13 in the world in UWW rankings. With steady, crafty, and powerful attacks, she dominated the match, earning a fall early in the second period. Makoyed was up 9-0 at the time of fall. The Cardinal is now a three-time champ and went unscored on in the tournament. Bowman otherwise had a solid tournament, defeating #3 seed Emily Cue 13-2 in the semis. Cue placed third for the third straight time, earning the same spot on the podium in 2020, 2022, and now 2023. Simon Fraser didn’t compete in 2021.

Preview prediction: “Bowman gets by Cue in the semi, but falls to Makoyed in the finals.” Bowman and Cue had never hit before this tournament.

Preview dark horse: “University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point’s Tabitha Breitrick won her regional…she could upset the apple cart at this weight.” Breitrick went two and out. Tough weight class.

191

North Central’s Traeh Haynes was cruising in the final against returning national champion Sydnee Kimber, up 6-2 early in the second. Haynes handed Kimber her first college loss since 2019 at the regional two weekends previous, and it was looking like the sophomore might do it again. Then Kimber turned up the heat, putting a few points up on the board before hitting the match-ending headlock. The Bearcat stood up and raised four fingers, one of only six women in women’s college wrestling history who can do that. Haynes’ teammate Brittyn Corbishley, who she’d beaten in the semi 4-4, came back to take third over Sara Lake.

Preview prediction: “Kimber joins the ranks of the four-time national champions.” Webster, Anthony, Maroulis, Miracle, Shilson…Kimber. 

Preview dark horse: “Ozark freshman Rewa Chababo has been pretty tough this year. She could outperform her #7 seed.” Chababo went out in the blood round.

All matches can be replayed on FloWrestling.