The No.1 McKendree University women's wrestling team will begin its postseason in Tiffin, OH, at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) on Saturday, Mar. 6.
No.1 McKendree was the host of the NCWWC Southwest Regional Qualifier Tournament back in late February, where the Bearcats took first overall, won each weight class, and had 15 wrestlers qualify for this weekend's championship.
In the inaugural 2020 Cliff Keen NCWWC Championship,
Sam Schmitz and his team took the championship title with the addition of five individual champions. Those returners from last season's championship team include No.2
Pauline Granados (Rialto, CA/Carter), No.6
Natalie Reyna (Hesperia, CA/Whittier), No.7
Carly Valleroy (St. Louis, MO/Mehlville), No.1
Felicity Taylor (Spillville, IA/South Winneshiek), No.4
Payton Stroud (Buckley, WA/White River), No.1
Emma Bruntil (Acme, WA/Mount Baker Senior), No.2
Alara Boyd (Muncie, IN/Yorktown), No.2
Joye Levendusky (Avon, NY/Avon), and No.1
Sydnee Kimber (Sitka, AK/Mt. Edgecumbe ).
Granados, Bruntil and Kimber are three of the five returning National Champions. Taylor and Boyd finished second; Levendusky finished fourth; Reyna finished seventh; and Stroud finished eighth.
No.1 McKendree will compete along No.9 Adrian College (12), Augsburg University (13), No.4 Colorado Mesa University (12), Delaware Valley (1), No.3 Emmanuel College (9), Ferrum College (4), Fontbonne University (1), No.10 Gannon University (8), Iowa Wesleyan (5), King University (14), Lakeland University (2), T-No.12 Limestone University (4), T-No.12 Lindenwood University (7), No.15 New Jersey City University (3), No.6 North Central College (13), No.8 Presbyterian University (6), No.11 Schreiner University (2), No.7 Tiffin University (14), Trine (1), Westminster University (1), and T-No.12 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (6).
*(number of qualifiers)
Those unable to be in attendance can catch all of the action and view the official brackets,
here.
