North Central coach Joe Norton has the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships on his mind. The Cardinals held a commanding lead entering the semifinals but Iowa had a tournament for the ages, sending nine to the finals while North Central won three of 11. 

The Hawkeyes eventually won by six when Kylie Welker defeated Yelena Makoyed in the tournament's last match. 

Norton’s squad holds a 3.5-point lead over Iowa entering this year's semifinal round, with McKendree eight points back. 

Iowa is still the favorite with 10 semifinalists compared to seven for North Central and McKendree. The Hawkeyes are virtually unbeatable at 145, 160, and 180, with Senior World medalists Macey Kilty, Kennedy Blades, and Kylie Welker gunning for titles. 

That leaves North Central, McKendree, and upstart Grand Valley State chasing Iowa entering the final day of competition. Iowa is guaranteed a champion at 180 with a Hawkeye vs Hawkeye match-up. 

“We can’t get too high and too low with the downs,” Norton said. “Our women battled adversity amazingly today. That quarterfinal round was really, really fun. We won all but two matches. They did a really good job. We just have to punch through tomorrow morning. 

“We have to make sure we’re on the podium at every weight. We have to win in the semifinals. I try to remind myself to have fun. It’s going to be stressful.”

Overall, it was an impressive day for a North Central team that stumbled at the lightest and heaviest weights. Returning national champ Maddie Avila (103) fell in the second round, as did returning finalist Traeh Haynes (207) in the first. 

Iowa lost quarterfinal matches at 110, 124, 131, 138, and 207, but it won’t sting the Hawkeyes much. Two weights have multiple wrestlers, and five are alive for third. 

McKendree had an impressive quarterfinal round, winning two head-to-head matches with Iowa. 

Below are team scores, semifinal matchups, and top four team scenarios. 

Top 10 Teams (after quarters)

1. North Central College  — 111.0
2. Iowa — 107.5
3. McKendree University — 103.0
4. Grand Valley State —  81.5
5. Presbyterian — 65.5
6. King University — 53.0
7. Sacred Heart — 39.0
8. Colorado Mesa University — 34.0
9. Lindenwood University — 31.0
10. Emmanuel University — 30.0

Semifinals Matchups

103 Pounds
#1 Rianne Murphy (Iowa) vs #4 Olivia Shore (Otterbein)
#3 Sterling Dias (Iowa) vs #2 Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree University) 

— Olivia Shore was a 2022 NCWWC champion for Tiffin. Murphy is the top seed. The two have never wrestled each other in college.
— Tedesco defeated Dias, 6-3, at the 2025 NWCA National Duals in January. Dias is a returning NCWWC finalist. 

110 Pounds
#1 Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) vs #4 Kendra Ryan (North Central College)
#3 Samara Chavez (King University) vs #2 Ava Bayless (Iowa) 

— Mortimer, a two-time All-American (3rd-2nd) has two wins over Ryan, a three-time All-American (6th-5th-4th), this season: a tech at regionals and 9-2 in the dual.
— Bayless, a returning NCWWC champ, and Chavez, a three-time All-American (3rd-2nd-3rd), have never met in college

117 Pounds
#1 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) vs #4 Clare Booe (King University)
#3 Sydney Petzinger (North Central College) vs #7 Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel University)

— Gonzalez, a returning NCWWC finalist, and Booe met in the best-of-three U20 World Team Trials finals. Booe won the first 7-6 and Gonzalez won the next two by tech.
— This is the first college meeting between Petzinger, a three-time All-American (2nd-4th-4th), and Turnwall, a seventh-place finisher at the 2024 nationals.

124 Pounds
#1 Amani Jones (North Central College) vs #5 Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State)
#3 Shelby Moore (McKendree University) vs #10 Alex Fitzgerald (Sacred Heart) 

— Jones, a 2024 NCWWC champion, is 4-0 against Blasko this season: 5-2, 10-6, Fall (2:48), and 10-4.
— Moore, a returning All-American (4th), has a 2-0 career college record against Fitzgerald, a two-time All-American (7th-5th): a fall and a tech.

131 Pounds
#1 Alexis Janiak (Aurora) vs #5 Viktorya Torres (McKendree University)
#3 Alex Szkotnicki (McKendree University) vs #2 Sara Sterner (North Central College) 

— This is the first college meeting between Janiak, a two-time All-American (2nd-3rd), and Torres, a three-time All-American (5th-7th-3rd)
— Sterner, a two-time All-American (5th-4th), is 3-0 against Szkotnicki: Fall (2:20), 4-3, and 5-0

138 Pounds
#1 Katie Lange (Grand Valley State) vs #4 Paige Wehrmeister (Presbyterian)
#2 Haylie Jaffe (McKendree University) vs #7 Taylor Graveman (North Central College) 

— Katie Lange was a 2023 NCWWC champion for Augsburg. Wehrmeister finished third at the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships.
— Jaffe teched All-American (7th) Graveman at the 2024 Adrian Invite.

145 Pounds
#1 Macey Kilty (Iowa) vs #4 Aine Drury (King University).
#3 Bella Mir (North Central College) vs #2 Reese Larramendy (Iowa).

— Kilty defeated Drury, a 2024 NCWWC finalist, in the best-of-three 2024 Senior World Team Trials, 2 matches to 0. Kilty won a bronze medal at the World Championships later that year.
— Mir and Larramendy were teammates at Iowa last season. Larramendy finished first at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (143 pounds), and Mir finished fifth (155 pounds).

160 Pounds
#1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) vs #4 Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg University)
#3 May Cuyler (Presbyterian) vs #2 Kaylynn Albrecht (McKendree University) 

— Blades is a 2024 Olympic silver medalist. Baublitz was a two-time All-American for King (7th-3rd).
— Albrecht was a 2023 NAIA champion for Baker. Cuyler has one loss to an NCAA opponent this season (Cheyenne Bowman of King).

180 Pounds
#1 Kylie Welker (Iowa) vs #4 Naomi Simon (Iowa)
#3 Shenita Lawson (North Central College) vs #2 Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) 

— Welker is a returning NCWWC champion and 2024 World bronze medalist. Simon is a 2024 U20 World bronze medalist. Welker teched Simon at the regional.
— Nauss is 2-1 against Lawson, a two-time All-American (5th-4th) this season. Lawson won the first match 9-7, and the Nauss won the next two by tech. 

207 Pounds
#1 Jaycee Foeller (Iowa) vs Maria Aiono (Presbyterian)
#3 Sara Lake (Lindenwood University) vs #2 Tristan Kelly (McKendree University).

— Foeller is a returning three-time national finalist (2nd-2nd-2nd). She's never faced Alono.
— Kelly finished third at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships twice. Kelly is 2-0 with two techs against Lake, a two-time All-American (4th-6th).

North Central Semifinalists (7)

110: Kendra Ryan
117: Sydney Petzinger
124: Amani Jones
131: Sara Sterner
138: Taylor Graveman
145: Bella Mir
180: Shenita Lawson

Alive For Third (6)
103: Maddie Avila
103: Brianne Graves
145: Sydney Perry
160: Tiera Jimerson
180: Brittyn Corbisley
207: Traeh Haynes

Iowa Semifinalists (10)

103: Rianne Murphy
103: Sterling Dias
110: Ava Bayless
117: Brianna Gonzalez
145: Macey Kilty
145: Reese Larramendy
160: Kennedy Blades
180: Kylie Welker
180: Naomi Simon
207: Jaycee Foeller

Alive For Third (5)
110: Emilie Gonzalez
124: Cali Leng
131: Emmily Patneaud
138: Nanea Estrella
207: Alivia White

McKendree Semifinalists (7)

103: Gabby Tedesco
124: Shelby Moore
131: Alex Szkotnicki
131: Viktorya Torres
138: Haylie Jaffe
160: Kaylynn Albrecht
207: Tristan Kelly 

Alive For Third (4)
110: Samantha Miller
117: Norah Swaim
145: Savannah Gomez
180: Lydia Krauss

Grand Valley State Semifinalists (4)

110: Sage Mortimer
124: Aspen Blasko
138: Katie Lange
180: Sabrina Nauss

Alive For Third (5)
117: Ana Malovich
131: Hannah Palise
145: Emily Medford
145: Skylar Little Soldier
160: Elleni Johnson