EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Behind a record-setting day, the Ursinus College women's wrestling team qualified six wrestlers for the NCWWC National Championships after competing at the Region II Championships on Sunday.
Junior
Kalli Roskos (124lbs) and sophomore
Cloe Charlesworth (145lbs) became the first two Ursinus wrestlers to win Regional Championships with first-place finishes in their respective weight classes. Meanwhile, sophomores
Mandy Gavares (103lbs),
Stacy Bloomfield (131lbs),
Emma Matera (160lbs) and first-year
Olivia Guy (110lbs) each qualified for the national tournament by placing second.
Roskos, Charlesworth, and Matera will all make their second appearance at the National Championship, while Gavares, Bloomfield, and Guy will make their career debuts on the National stage. Director of Wrestling
Joe Jamison and his coaching staff were awarded the Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year Award in Region II.
"I'm incredibly proud of how we competed today," Jamison said. "Everyone wrestled with incredible courage and showed a ton of heart out there today. Sending six women to the national tournament in just our third season is incredible, and we turned a lot of heads today by putting six into the finals. We're very much looking forward to getting out there."
No. 22 Ursinus finished third as a team totaling 127 team points and ranking first among Division III teams. No. 14 Lock Haven University of Division II won the team title with 155.5 total points, while No. 17 East Stroudsburg University (148.5) took second place. York College (118.5), Delaware Valley (68), and Marymount (42) rounded out the top-six teams of the 11-team field.
Roskos opened with a first period fall over Misericordia's Alyssa Landrum and advanced to the finals by defeating Lock Haven's Isabella Devito via a 7-0 decision. In the finals, Roskos upset the top seed, East Stroudsburg's Waverly Kanelong, 3-2 on criteria. Meanwhile in the 145-pound bracket, Charlesworth shined in her return to the mat by recording four victories by fall to secure her regional championship. She opened with a 51-second fall over Alvernia's Kathryn Berger, before defeating the No. 3 seed Angelina Hiller of East Stroudsburg via a fall at the 2:08-mark to reach the semi-finals. Next, Charlesworth pinned the No. 2 seed Marissa Rumsey at the 1:17-mark to clinch her national championship berth. In the finals, Charlesworth faced an early 4-0 deficit but battled back and lead 11-6, before pinning ESU's Selina Moore with 35 seconds remaining in the contest.
Gavares shined for the Bears at 103 pounds finishing with a 2-1 record and earning a second-place finish. She opened with a 49-second fall over McDaniel's Bayleigh Perdue and advanced into the finals with a fall at the 1:41-mark against Delaware's Valley's Jesenia Camargo. It was the third meeting between Gavares and Camargo with each wrestler winning one matchup. In their most recent matchup in the Bears' dual meet against the Aggies, Gavares recorded a 14-11 victory by decision. Unfortunately, in the finals Gavares fell by fall against East Stroudsburg's Olivia Klein.
In the 110lb weight class, Guy became the fifth Ursinus wrestler to ever qualify for the national tournament in their rookie season. As the No. 3 seed, Guy opened with a 58-second fall over Misericordia's Alexis Deagle to reach the semifinals. Against the No. 2 seed Alanna Barberio of ESU, Guy jumped out to an early 7-2 lead before earning an 11-8 victory to make the finals. Guy fell by fall in the finals against ESU's Emily Klein to place second overall.
Bloomfield recorded a 10-0 victory by technical superiority over McDaniel's Krista DiPalma to open her day, before advancing to the semifinals with a 10-0 victory over Lock Haven's Lydia Knarr. In the semifinals with the match tied at four and 30 seconds remaining, Bloomfield tallied the go-ahead takedown for a 6-4 decision over ESU's Zoe Gress. Bloomfield fell by an 8-2 decision in the finals against ESU's Jackeline Ramos to place second at 131lbs.
At 160lbs, Matera became just the second Bear to qualify for the National tournament in each of her first two seasons. She collected a fall at the 1:02-mark over York's Ashley Knapp to start her tournament, before using an 8-4 decision against Lock Haven's Avry Ryhal to reach the championship bout. In the finals, Matera fell by fall against fifth ranked nationally Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg.
First-year
Emma Sagi (138lbs) and sophomore
Gianna Perez (180lbs) rounded out the Bears' lineup, each placing fifth in their respective weight classes. Sagi opened with a fall over Muhlenberg's Ella Pomeranz, before collecting a 14-4 victory against Delaware Valley's Olivia Ball. In the semifinal round, Sagi dropped an 8-4 decision against the top-seed ESU's Ruth Ansah, before falling via a 14-9 decision against Lock Haven's Lauren Jackson. In the fifth-place bout, Sagi pinned Delaware Valley's Olivia Ball. Perez fell in her opening bout against Alvernia's Macenzie Hunter but responded with a 10-0 victory against Misericordia's Sarah Lynn to reach the consolation semifinals. After dropping her next bout, Perez finished fifth by defeating Delaware Valley's Emma Helverson via a fall at the 1:33-mark.
The Bears return to action on Friday, March 7th, as they will compete at the NCWWC National Championship in Coralville, Iowa.