HENNIKER, N.H. (January 4, 2025) – The Golden Bears returned to action on Saturday with a dual meet against New England College in New Hampshire. The Pilgrims would jump out to an early lead, but pinfall victories from Linda Holeman and Tanya Teneva led the Golden Bears to a 31-19 victory.

How it Happened: 

The Golden Bears started 2025 with a dual against the New England College Pilgrims. Alexis Dobson earned the Pilgrims the first five points of the day with a win via forfeit in the 103 lb. weight class. Claudia King would then get a win via forfeit for WNE in the 110 lb. weight class. Madeline Li earned four points for NEC with a 12-2 technical fall victory over Janieliz Cotto in the 117 lb. weight class. Linda Holeman gave the Golden Bears the lead with a pinfall victory at 0:23 versus Olivia Delegas in the 124 lb. weight class. Jaclyn Dehney flipped the script once again for the Pilgrims with a pinfall victory at 0:49 in the 131 lb. weight class against Jaden Coppins. Tanya Teneva would give the lead back to WNE with a pinfall victory at 0:15 versus Orla King in the 138 lb. weight class. Karime Camarena-Tejeda won the 145 lb. weight class match for NEC via pinfall versus Kendall Branchaud. Then, WNE would end the dual with three wins via forfeit to lock up the victory. Atiyana Williams, Mikayla Maloy, and Samantha Rabkin each claimed forfeit victories in the 160 lb. weight class, 180 lb. weight class, and 207 lb. weight class matches, respectively. The Golden Bears defeated the Pilgrims 31-19

Results: W, 31-19

103 – Alexis Dobson (NEC) over WNE (Forfeit)

110 – Claudia King over NEC (Forfeit)

117 – Madeline Li (NEC) over Janieliz Cotto (WNE) – TF 12-2

124 – Linda Holeman (WNE) over Olivia Delegas (NEC) – Fall 0:23

131 – Jaclyn Dehney (NEC) over Jaden Coppins (WNE) – Fall 0:49

138 – Tanya Teneva (WNE) over Orla King (NEC) – Fall 0:15

145 – Karime Camarena-Tejeda (NEC) over Kendall Branchaud (WNE) – Fall 0:55

160 – Atiyana Williams (WNE) over NEC (Forfeit)

180 – Mikayla Maloy (WNE) over NEC (Forfeit)

207 – Samantha Rabkin (WNE) over NEC (Forfeit)

Coach's Corner:

Head coach Tyler Keane was asked to speak about what went right for the team today and how it feels to start 2025 with a win. "Starting the new year with a win is exactly what we needed to set the tone for 2025. This young, gritty team is hungry for more, and I'm excited to get back in the room with them to keep building and chasing our goals. We're just getting started, and the best is yet to come," Keane answered.

Match-winner Linda Holeman was asked for a quote on what worked for Holeman during Holeman's match and how it feels to get the win. "It was a tough and gritty process, but I stayed focused and put in the work, I had the best support from my teammate Tanya, and I'm so grateful for her help and support. On the mat, I concentrated on staying aggressive and controlling the pace. It feels amazing to see the hard work pay off and to represent our team with a win," Holeman stated.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• The Golden Bears will host Delaware Valley University inside the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living Center on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, for their next match.