CORALVILLE, IOWA (March 7, 2025) – The Golden Bears arrived in Iowa for day one of the NCWWC National Championships. The group of seven wrestlers that WNE brought to Iowa was the largest number of wrestlers that the team has brought in the program's history. The season would end at the NCWWC National Championships, but not until WNE saw national wins for the first time in the 124 lb., 138 lb., and 160 lb. weight classes.
How it Happened:
Gianna Hernandez wrestled for the Golden Bears in the 103 lb. weight class. Hernandez was matched up with Jennesis Martinez from Colorado Mesa University in the first round. Hernandez fell to Martinez via pinfall at 2:00 in the opening round. Hernandez then faced the University of Mount Olive's Lilian Prendergast in the first round of the consolation bracket. Hernandez dropped the match via a 10-0 TF at 1:26. Linda Holeman took the mat, wrestling in the 124 lb. weight class. Holeman won the opening round match versus Augustana College's Sandie Pfeil via a pinfall at 1:38. Holeman then faced Lorianna Piestewa, who would defeat Holeman via a 13-3 TF at 4:06. Holeman entered the consolation bracket and immediately got another win. Holeman defeated Albion College's Jayla Oberst via a 16-4 TF at 3:28. Holeman concluded the day with a fourth match. This match was versus Annesley Day from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Day would defeat Holeman via an 8-4 decision. Holeman went 2-2 on the day and became the first WNE wrestler to earn a win in the 124 lb. weight class at the national championships.
Kendall Branchaud and Tanya Teneva wrestled for the Golden Bears in the 138 lb. weight class. Branchaud's opening match was against Paige Gershmel from Simpson College. Gershmel would defeat Branchaud via a TF (18-7) at 4:36. Branchaud would face Marissa Sanabria from Lindenwood University in the first round of the consolation bracket. Branchaud fell to Sanabria via a 10-0 TF at 3:41. Tanya Teneva was matched up with Aniyah Kelly from Wartburg College in the first round of the championship bracket. Kelly would defeat Teneva via decision, 14-5. Teneva picked up WNE's first win in the 138 lb. weight class at the national championships during the first round of the consolation bracket. Teneva defeated Fort Hayes State University's AshLynn Goodwin via a 10-0 TF at 4:17. However, Teneva would fall in the next round of the consolation bracket to Goodwin's teammate, Nichole Moore. The match was super close, but Moore would defeat Teneva via a slight 2-1 decision.
Atianna Williams wrestled in the 160 lb. weight class for the Golden Bears. Williams would draw Poorna Babu from Texas Woman's University in the first round of the championship bracket. Babu would win via a 17-6 TF at the end of the 6:00 match. Williams would move to the consolation bracket, where Williams would pick up WNE's first national tournament win at the 160 lb. weight class. Williams wrestled Clarissa Agostini from Grand Valley State University. Williams won via pinfall at 5:19 to move on to the next round of the consolation bracket. Williams then faced Kara Kuge from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Kuge would defeat Williams via a 10-0 TF at 5:30. Shalom Feliz-Lopez wrestled for the Golden Bears in the 180 lb. weight class division. Feliz-Lopez would face Colorado Mesa University's Alison Evans in the first round and would fall via TF (10-0) at 0:36. Feliz-Lopez would wrestle in the consolation bracket versus Tiffin University's Erin Martin. Martin defeated Feliz-Lopez via an 8-4 decision.
The Golden Bears' historic season concludes in Coralville, Iowa, with seven Golden Bears reaching the NCWWC National Championships. That is the most in program history.
