SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 30, 2025) – Ten members of the Western New England women's wrestling team have appeared in the opening NWCA-NCAA Women's Individual Region I Rankings, representing all ten weight classes. Of those ten Golden Bears include Gianna Hernandez (103 lbs.), Victoria Orender (110 lbs.), Hailey Laabs (117 lbs.), Linda Holeman (124 lbs.), Jazmene Molina (131 lbs.), Tanya Teneva (138 lbs.), Kendall Branchaud (145 lbs.), Atiyana Williams (160 lbs.), Mikayla Maloy (180 lbs.), and Samantha Rabkin (207 lbs.).

Gianna Hernandez ranks first overall in the 103 lb. weight class for the Golden Bears to begin the year. Hernandez is coming off a sophomore season in which she accumulated an 18-8 overall record, wrestling all but three matches in the weight class. Hernandez placed fourth at last season's NCWWC Region I event and was one of seven national qualifiers for the Western New England women's wrestling squad. 

Victoria Orender sits third in the 110 lb. weight class to start the season. Orender picked up 21 wins over 32 matches last season, wrestling at 110 in all but nine matches last season. Orender finished last season in sixth place at the regional event. The season saw the Byfield, Massachusetts, native accumulated a ten-match win streak for the Golden Bears and will look to continue that momentum heading into the winter season. 

Hailey Laabs sits at the top of the opening Region I rankings at 117 lbs. Laabs came up with nine wins for the Golden Bears last season, the majority coming in the 117 lb. weight class, where the rising sophomore impressed at the NCWWC regional event, taking fourth place overall and qualifying for the NCWWC National Championships, one of the seven Golden Bears to accomplish the feat and one of three first-year student-athletes for WNE to do so. 

Linda Holeman continues to impress for Western New England, ranking at the top of the 124 lb. weight class to begin the season. After a dominant campaign in 2024-25, Holeman will look to continue to reach the top of the NCAA stage this season, with sights set on the NCAA National Championships in March. Holeman won 31 matches and took just four defeats last season, finishing first at the regional event, the first women's wrestler in program history to capture a regional title, and won a pair of matches on the national stage last season. 

Jazmene Molina, a transfer from Utica University, was one of the top wrestlers overall last season, and comes to Western New England ranked first in the 138 lb. weight class. Molina recorded 32 wins for Utica last season, double the total of any other wrestler on Utica's roster. Molina finished in second place, behind Holeman, in the 124 lb. weight class at the NCWWC Region I event and went on to win a pair of matches on the national stage, becoming Utica's first-ever national qualifier. 

Tanya Teneva jumped onto the scene last season and impressed for the blue and gold right away, ranking second in the 138 lb. weight class to begin the year. Teneva rounded out last season with a 27-3 overall record, qualifying for the NCWWC National Championships in her first season of competition. Teneva took second at last year's regional event before picking up a win on the national stage. The Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, native will look to build off an impressive sophomore season heading into her junior campaign in 2025-26. 

Senior Kendall Branchaud ranks fourth overall in the 145 lb. weight class to begin the season. Branchaud finished in fourth place in last season's regional event, qualifying her for the national stage for the first time in her career. Branchaud is one of three Golden Bears to have been on the team since its inception and will look to build off a 15-win season from last year, beginning at the Princeton Open this coming Sunday. 

Atiyana Williams sits second overall for Western New England in the 160 lb. weight class in the opening Region I rankings of the season. Williams was tied for a team lead with 31 victories last season, while also leading the team with 23 fall victories. The Pemberton, New Jersey native wrestled her way into the NCWWC National Championships last season, finishing the regional event in third place and came up with a win on the national stage. Williams will look to continue her dominance on the mat this season after a successful first year in blue and gold. 

Mikayla Maloy ranks third in the 180 lb. weight class to start the season for Western New England. Maloy took sixth place to close out her campaign in 2024-25 at the NCWWC Region I event and won 15 matches overall during the season. Maloy turned up the heat following the turn of the calendar year in 2025, winning six matches overall for the WNE women's wrestling team, all coming in the 180 lb. weight class. 

Samantha Rabkin also sits third in the opening Region I rankings to begin the season, coming off an outstanding first year for Western New England. Rabkin notched 24 victories in her weight class last season, the most of any Golden Bear at 207 lbs. Rabkin finished the season in fifth place at the NCWWC Region I event and will look to improve on that mark in 2025-26. 

The Western New England women's wrestling team begins its 2025-26 campaign this Sunday, November 2, at the Princeton Open at Jadwin Gymnasium.