2020 WCWA Nationals Recap: Nette Back-to-Back National Champion, Campbellsville Wins Second Title
Campbellsville won their second WCWA national championship in three seasons. Photo courtesy of Campbellsville Tigers Women’s Wrestling.
by Derek Levendusky, AWW staff writer
MARIETTA, GA – When the dust settled on the 2020 WCWA Nationals, Campbellsville had run away with the team title, landing 13 All-Americans and 3 national champions, including 130-pound Abby Nette who won her second straight.
After transferring from Emmanuel to Campbellsville last season, Nette, a senior, picked up where she left off, going undefeated this season, winning Senior Nationals in December, and finishing it off with back-to-back WCWA national titles. Also winning national titles for Campbellsville were 170-pound Mariah Harris and 191-pound Alexandra Castillo. The Lady Tigers had 8 total finalists.
“This team has been a coach’s dream,” said Campbellsville head coach Lee Miracle. “They understand the process. They understand the importance of focusing on getting better and not focusing on winning and losing. Each practice they get better. Each match they get better.”
Miracle looks back to the intensity of the pre-season where their national title run began. “They have improved consistently from the beginning. From the time they went through Coach Biega’s 5-week pre-season SEAL training to where they are now is just incredible—great kids coming together as a family to fight for one goal, a national title.”
The 170-pound bout featured a battle of teammates as Mariah Harris defeated Kenya Sloan by fall at the 4:01 mark. This was a rematch of the Tornado Open finals a few weeks ago, when Sloan bested her teammate 10-3.
2019 WCWA Champion Jayden Laurent of Lakeland, the other back-to-back hopeful, fell short with a loss to Oklahoma City’s Rachel Watters in the 155-pound final.
Augsburg freshmen put their program on the map as 109-pound Emily Shilson won the school’s first-ever national title, while 123-pound Vayle Baker and 130-pound Gabby Skidmore both took 2nd.
At 101 pounds, Esthela Trevino of NJCAA school Umpqua stopped the Cinderella run of Campbellsville’s unseeded McKenzie Bacich, who upset the #1 seed Ira Navarro 10-9 on Day 1, along with a win over #4 seed Esther Walker.
116-pound freshman champion Jaslynn Gallegos of Presbyterian dominated her way to the title without giving up a single point all tournament, capping off her convincing run with a 10-0 win over Campbellsville’s Katlyn Pizzo in 54 seconds.
At 123, Life sophomore Julia Vidallon got by another outstanding freshman, Vayle-Rae Baker of Augsburg 5-2. Vidallon, the #2 seed, had beaten Tiffin’s Savannah Stacks in the semis, 9-3.
At 136, Adrian sophomore Zoe Nowicki scored a fall at the 2:07 mark over Aliyah Yates from Big Bend to win the title. When the referee called the fall, Nowicki thrust her arms out with double-clenched fists in celebration, shouting for joy, her team joining her with cheers from the stands.
At 143, freshman Morgan Norris of Presbyterian won a tight 2-1 decision over Campbellsville’s Gabrielle Garcia. Norris was a 2018 Cadet World team member for the United States.
Campbellsville won by an unthinkable margin over the #2 team, scoring 230 points to Life’s 113. This is Campbellsville’s second title in three years, winning their first in 2018.
All national champions also earned a qualifying spot at the Olympic Team Trials in April.
2020 WCWA Nationals Team Race: Top 10 Teams
1. Campbellsville (230)
2. Life (113)
3. Jamestown (111.5)
4. Presbyterian (94)
5. Oklahoma City (92.5)
6. Augsburg (75)
7. Tiffin (72.5)
8. Umpqua (68.5)
9. Midland (59.5)
10. Adrian (56.5)
Top 8 Results: Finals & All-Americans
101 pounds
Finals: Esthela Trevino (Umpqua) over McKenzie Bacich (Campbellsville) 2-2 criteria
All-Americans
1. Esthela Trevino (Umpqua)
2. McKenzie Bacich (Campbellsville)
3. Esther Walker (Midland)
4. Madison Brown (Texas Wesleyan)
5. Ira Navarro (Southwestern Oregon CC)
6. Cecilia Saavedra (Grays Harbor)
7. Kayla Rogers (Big Bend)
8. Chrystal Raine (Gannon)
109 pounds
Finals: Emily Shilson (Augsburg) over McKayla Campbell (Campbellsville) by tech fall 11-0
All-Americans:
1. Emily Shilson (Augsburg)
2. McKayla Campbell (Campbellsville)
3. Sugey Ceja (Tiffin)
4. Jessica DeHart (Eastern Oregon) vs. #1
5. Cassandra Lopez (Presbyterian)
6. Samantha Weeks (Jamestown)
7. Aylen Bivar (Texas Wesleyan)
8. Kory Phillips (Southwestern Oregon CC)
116 pounds
Finals: Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian) over Katlyn Pizzo (Campbellsville) by tech fall 10-0 0:54
All-Americans
1. Jaslynn Gallegos (Presbyterian)
2. Katlyn Pizzo (Campbellsville)
3. Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville)
4. Ashley Gooman (Midland) vs. #2
5. Aliyah Rollins (Missouri Baptist)
6. Jamayia Blackston (Jamestown)
7. Alexandra Magana (Texas Wesleyan)
8. Jazlyn Ruelas (Schreiner)
123 pounds
Finals: Julia Vidallon (Life) over Vayle-Rae Baker (Augsburg) 5-2
All-Americans
1. Julia Vidallon (Life)
2. Vayle-Rae Baker (Augsburg)
3. Kassidy Block (Adrian)
4. Adrianna Lopez (Campbellsville)
5. Savannah Stacks (Tiffin)
6. Allie Mahoe (Schreiner)
7. Isabella Badon (Presbyterian)
8. Kamille Beagel (Schreiner)
130 pounds
Finals: Abby Nette (Campbellsville) over Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg) 6-1
All-Americans
1. Abby Nette (Campbellsville)
2. Gabby Skidmore (Augsburg)
3. Alex Enriquez (Life)
4. Aysia Cortez
5. Tanalei Louis (Midland)
6. Serena Cervantes (Schreiner)
7. Mattison Parker (OKC)
8. Clarissa Archuleta (Texas Wesleyan)
136 pounds
Finals: Zoe Nowicki (Adrian) over Aliyah Yates (Big Bend) by fall 2:07
All-Americans
1. Zoe Nowicki (Adrian)
2. Aliyah Yates (Big Bend)
3. Jacqueline Parks (Jamestown)
4. Destiny Lyng (OKC)
5. Eunique Davis (Tiffin)
6. Randi Robison (Campbellsville)
7. Adelyhda Perez (Presbyterian)
8. Desiree Estrada (Jamestown)
143 pounds
Finals: Morgan Norris (Presbyterian) over Gabrielle Garcia (Campbellsville) 2-1
All-Americans
1. Morgan Norris (Presbyterian)
2. Gabby Garcia (Campbellsville)
3. Erica Sotelo (Life)
4. Sydney Freund (OKC)
5. Erin Redford (Eastern Oregon)
6. Grace Miller (Umpqua)
7. Adriana Orozco (Southwestern Oregon CC)
8. Mhina Oseitutu (Campbellsville)
155 pounds
Finals: Rachel Watters (OKC) over Jayden Laurent (Lakeland) 6-1
All-Americans
1. Rachel Watters (OKC)
2. Jayden Laurent (Lakeland)
3. Annabelle Helm (Gannon)
4. Alexia Foca (Campbellsville)
5. Taylor Hites (Tiffin)
6. Myranda Velazquez (Jamestown)
7. Dempsi Talkington (Eastern Oregon)
8. Emma Justo (Grays Harbor)
170 pounds
Finals: Mariah Harris (Campbellsville) over Kenya Sloan (Campbellsville) by fall 4:01
All-Americans
1. Mariah Harris (Campbellsville)
2. Kenya Sloan (Campbellsville)
3. Jordan Nelson (Life)
4. Jade Piper (Umpqua)
5. Alyssa Schrull (Jamestown)
6. Amara Devericks (Gannon)
7. Ashley Molina (Texas Wesleyan)
8. Sienna Lejeune (Umpqua)
191 pounds
Finals: Alexandra Castillo (Campbellsville) over Agatha Andrews (Jamestown) 8-1
All-Americans
1. Alexandra Castillo (Campbellsville)
2. Agatha Andrews (Jamestown)
3. Chi Chi Nwankwo (OKC)
4. Gabby Hamilton (Life)
5. Leilani Camargo-Naone (Midland)
6. Jessie Lee (Tiffin)
7. Kendall McGarity (Gannon)
8. Madlyen Narravo (Central Methodist)