NWCA National Duals Preview: NCAA & NAIA Divisions, McKendree Seeking Back-to-Back Titles

by Derek Levendusky, AWW staff writer

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Multi-Divisional National Duals are this weekend, an event that will feature 92 teams from the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA in both men’s and women’s divisions. For the first time, the NWCA will host NCAA & NAIA divisions for women, which will bring in every top 10 NCAA team and 8 of the top 10 NAIA teams. 

NCAA Division
The NCAA division will include powerhouse McKendree, the returning champions, who are aiming for back-to-back titles. They’ll square off with other elite college programs in the Kentucky Exhibition Center in Louisville, Kentucky this Friday and Saturday.

The top 4 seeds are #1 McKendree, #2 Simon Fraser, #3 King and #4 Emmanuel. Barring an upset, this sets up Friday semis with McKendree vs. Emmanuel and Simon Fraser vs. King.

McKendree coach Sam Schmitz is at ease. “Our main goal is to get our kids qualified this year for the Olympic Trials,” he commented. “This event is another chance to get back on the mats and show off how hard our girls are working.”

McKendree’s lineup features top-ranked women from top to bottom, including U.S. Open winner Emma Bruntil at 136, WCWA National Champion Alex Glaude at 155, WCWA National Finalist Felicity Taylor at 116, and All-Americans Theresa Rankin (116), Alexia Ward (123), Joye Levendusky (155), and Kori Bullock (170). The depth continues with junior national teamer Andrea Sennett as a backup at 170, freshman rising star Alara Boyd at 143, and #2 NCAA ranked Sydnee Kimber at 191.

#2 seed Simon Fraser is also bring a top-tier lineup which includes #1 ranked Alexia Seal at 109, #1 ranked Alex Hedrick at 123, #2 ranked Lauren Mason at 130, #3 ranked Nicole Depa at 136, #2 ranked Final X Finalist Alyvia Fiske at 155, and #1 Emily Cue at 170.

#3 King is also loaded and could sneak up on SFU in the semi, as they’re bringing a star team. #2 ranked All-American Cheyenne Sisenstein is at 123, #1 ranked All-American Allison Petix has the spot at 130, Olympic Trials qualifier #1 ranked Ashlynn Ortega is at 143, and All-Americans are Ana Luciano and Nia Crosdale are at 143 and 170, respectively.

Last year featured a finals battle between McKendree and King in a bracket that featured both the NCAA and NAIA teams, with the Bearcats prevailing 24-17. The title match came down to the final bout, when eventual national champion Destane Garrick sealed it with a 6-2 win over Nia Crosdale. King would love to get back to the finals, but as the #3 seed, it will be a tall task to get through a stacked Simon Fraser squad, who was not at the event last year. SFU took 2ndover King (5th), Emmanuel (4th)  and McKendree (3rd) at WCWA Nationals last year.   

#4 seed Emmanuel will be competitive, but is bringing a young squad. Many of their top stars will not be in the lineup, including All-American Kayla Marano (155), and 2019 WCWA National Finalists Felicity Bryant (143) and Kaylee Seabolt (191). Their top-ranked wrestler attending NWCA Duals this weekend will be #7 ranked Julia Padilla at 136. Don’t expect to see them get by a loaded team like McKendree if they meet in the semis. 

The NCAA division will also feature new programs North Central, Augsburg, and Presbyterian (a restart), all of whom are sending out ranked wrestlers to the mats. Augsburg’s squad includes young star Emily Shilson at 109, while North Central’s lineup has freshman phenom Yelena Makoyed at 170, a competitor that just qualified for the Olympic Team Trials at Senior Nationals.

First round matchups:
#1 McKendree gets a bye
#9 Augsburg vs. #8 Presbyterian
#5 Colorado Mesa vs. #12 Limestone
#13 North Central vs. #4 Emmanuel
#3 King vs. #14 Schreiner
#11 MacMurray vs. #6 Gannon
#7 Adrian vs. #10 Ferrum
#15 Tiffin vs. #2 SFU

AWW NCAA Team Rankings (December)
1. McKendree (180) (1)
2. Simon Fraser (133) (2)
3. King University (113) (4)
4. Emmanuel College (74) (3)
5. Augsburg University (40) (NR)
6. Colorado Mesa (34) (6)
7. North Central (21) (7)
8. Presbyterian (16) (NR)
9. Adrian (16) (10)
10. Tiffin (17) (5)
11. UW-Stevens Point (16) (NR)
12. Ferrum (10) (8)
13. MacMurray (10) (9)
14. Schreiner (6) (7)
15. Gannon (4) (NR)
15. Lindenwood (4) (11)
17. Lakeland (1) (12)

Top 4 Seeds’ Lineups (with individual rankings)

#1 McKendree
101 Granados, Pauline, FR #3
109 Reyna, Natalie, SO #7
109 Valleroy, Carly, SO #4
116 Taylor, Felicity, SO #1
116 Rankin, Theresa, JR #4
123 Ward, Alexia, SR #3
130 Stroud, Payton, FR 
130 Murray, Shaina, FR 
136 Bruntil, Emma, FR #1
143 Boyd, Alara, FR #3
155 Glaude, Alexandria, SR #1
155 Levendusky, Joye, SO #3
170 Bullock, Korinahe, JR #1
170 Sennett, Andrea, JR #3
191 Kimber, Sydnee, SO #2

#2 Simon Fraser
109 Seal, Alexia, JR #1
109 Bhatha, Jocyln, FR
109 McCrae, Ciara, SR #5
116 Godinez-Gonzalez, Karla, JR
123 Hedrick, Alexandra, JR #1
130 Mason, Lauren, SR #2
136 Depa, Nicole, SR #3
143 Godinez-Gonzalez, Ana, JR
143 Brinkac, Sara, SO #5
155 Fiske, Alyvia, JR #2
155 Horne, Alison, SR #7
155 Rogers, Chloe, SR #6
170 Cue, Emily, SO #1
170 Trudel, Rebekah, JR #6
191 Woldring, Serena, SO #4

#3 King
101 Gomez, Ashly, SO
101 Hernandez, Lesly, SO
109 Gould, Aleeah, SR #6
123 Dubose, Phoenix, FR #6
123 Sisenstein, Cheyenne, SO #2
130 Petix, Allison, JR #1
130 Lowe, Hayden, SO
136 Aceval, Alyssa, SO #3
136 Gathings, Amy, SO
143 Ortega, Ashlynn, SO #1
143 Luciano, Ana, SO #4
155 Cancelleri, Hailey, SO #9
170 Crosdale, Nia, SO #5
191 Espinoza, Victoria, JR
191 Heidelberg, Tavi, FR

#4 Emmanuel
101 Washington, Iesha, SR
109 Garcia, Clare, SO
116 Lamey, Britney, FR
123 Gutierrez, Victoria, SR
123 Se, Emily, FR #10
130 Gaines, Niya, FR #8
136 Padilla, Julia, SO #7
136 Hollins, Passion, SR
143 Jimenez, Paulina, FR
155 Lara, Ophelia, SR
170 Arevalo, Elvira, SR
191 Umu, Roxie, FR
191 Santoyo, Cristina, FR

NAIA Division
The NAIA is sending its top programs, with Campbellsville getting the #1 seed, and Life at #2. Expect WCWA National Champions Menlo College to have something to say about who wins this at the #3 seed, with the perennially tough Wayland Baptist aiming for the upsets at the #4 spot. 

The bracket is set up for potential semis with #1 Campbellsville vs. #4 Wayland Baptist and #3 Menlo vs. #2 Life University. Don’t be surprised if Menlo pulls the upset over Life, as they are not just coming for mat time with a lineup that includes 2019 WCWA & NAIA Champion Alleida Martinez (109), Senior Nationals Finalist Tiana Jackson (123), 2019 WCWA & NAIA National Champion Solin Piearcy (143), #2 ranked Marilyn Garcia at 155, and Senior Nationals Champion Precious Bell at 170. Life’s squad will include All-American Faye Cherrier at 101, Erica Sotelo at 136, and freshman phenom Peyton Prussin at 116.

#1 seed Campbellsville’s lineup includes 2019 WCWA National Finalist McKayla Campbell, and All-Americans Charlotte Fowler (123), Alexia Foca (155), Kenya Sloan (170), and Mariah Harris (170).  

Round 1 matchups:
#1 Campbellsville vs. bye
#9 Midland vs. #8 Lyon
#5 Cumberlands vs. bye
#4 Wayland Baptist vs. bye
#3 Menlo vs. bye
#6 Oklahoma City vs. bye
#7 University of Providence vs. #10 Missouri Valley
#2 Life vs. bye

NAIA Team Rankings (November):
1. Menlo College (116)
2. Campbellsville University (74)
3. Life University (73)
4. Oklahoma City (62)
5. Wayland Baptist (61)
6. Jamestown (49)
7. Southern Oregon (47)
8. Cumberlands (39)
9. Lyon (30)
10. Grand View (27) & Midland (27)
12. East Oregon (27)
13. Missouri Baptist (20)
14. Missouri Valley (18)
15. University of Providence (9)
16. Central Christian (6)
17. Waldorf (5)
18. Ottawa (4) & Simpson (4)
20. St. Mary (1)

You can follow along with the action on TrackWrestling.