(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 23)- Freshman Kayla Walker (San Jose, Calif., Pioneer), sophomore Jasmine Bailey (Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City West) and junior Olivia Seppinni (Rocklin, Calif., Rocklin) all won their weight classes and were joined by 13 other Bearcats on the medal stand at the Bearcat Open on Saturday.

The Bearcats will return to the mat on Feb. 12-13 when they finish their collegiate season at the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Walker posted a 3-0 record on the day to win the 101-pound weight class. Walker posted a 10-0 tech fall win over Cecilia Saavedra in her opening match, before edging Juliana Olivo in a 14-12 decision. Walker went on to pin Maria Ahumada in 3:04 in the championship match to claim the title.

Bailey earned bonus points in all four of her matches at 136 pounds. Bailey won her first three matches by tech fall, before pinning teammate Cassy Herkelman (Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cedar Falls) in the championship match to win the championship.

Seppinni pinned her first opponent in 1:43, and followed with a 12-2 tech fall win in the semifinals to reach the 143-pound finals. She edged teammate Alexis Porter (Ballston Lake, N.Y., Shenendehowa High School) in the finals by decision, 6-4, to win the championship.

Other top finishers for McKendree were junior Tayler Resuriz (League City, Texas, Clear Falls) as runner-up at 109 pounds, and juniors Arielle Hernandez (Cicero, Ill.) (109 pounds), Lindsey Spjut (Montgomery, Texas, The Woodlands) (116 pounds), and Gabby Weyhrich (Fremont, Neb., Fremont) (130 pounds) in third place. Fourth place finishers were sophomores Alyssa Gonzalez (Vallejo, Calif., Benicia) (116 pounds) and Megan Black (Batavia, Iowa, Eddyville-Balcksburg-Fremont) (123 pounds), and freshman Shannon Henry (Staten Island, N.Y., Curtis) (136 pounds), while freshman Dominique Mendoza (Corona, Calif., Santiago) (109 pounds) and Hailee Lilly (Sanford, N.C., Lee County) (116 pounds) finished in fifth place. Freshman Alexia Ward (Portland, Ore., Westview) finished in seventh place at 130 pounds, and junior Diana Nevarez (El Paso, Texas, Bel Air) rounded out McKendree's finishers with an eighth place finish at 130 pounds.


Individual Results

101- Kayla Walker, 1st Place (3-0)
109- Tayler Resuriz, 2nd Place (2-1)
109- Dominique Mendoza, 5th Place (2-2)
109- Arielle Hernandez, 3rd Place (3-1)
116- Alyssa Gonzalez, 4th Place (5-2)
116- Zamantha Mulder (0-2)
116- Susie Fozo (2-2)
116- Hailee Lilly, 5th Place (4-2)
116- Leila Vazquez (0-2)
116- Lindsey Spjut, 3rd Place (5-1)
123- Brianna Andazola (1-2)
123- Megan Black, 4th Place (3-2)
130- Diana Nevarez, 8th Place (3-3)
130- Isabella Fuentes (2-2)
130- Gabby Weyhrich, 3rd Place (5-1)
130- Alexia Ward, 7th Place (4-2)
130- Camyla Hernandez (0-2)
136- Shannon Henry, 4th Place (2-2)
136- Jasmine Bailey, 1st Place (4-0)
136- Cassy Herkelman, 2nd Place (3-1)
143- Olivia Seppinni, 1st Place (3-0)
143- Alexis Porter, 2nd Place (3-1)
155- Alexandria Glaude (1-2)
155- Emma Mooneyham (0-2)