The Wildcats secured their fourth dual win of the season this past weekend, wrestling their way to the top with a 30-17 victory over UW- Oshkosh. Their record is now 4-3, and they are 2-0 at home, heading into this weekend’s match on a two-meet win streak.
In the 180-pound class, Mickaela Keane won by fall. Keane was dominant the entire match, ending it at 2:26 and bringing the team score to 5-0. Following Keane was Kailyn Garrett in the 207-pound class. Garrett tallied four points within the first few seconds of her match before a brief back-and-forth battle. She ultimately won by fall, pushing NMU’s lead to 10-0.
UW-Oshkosh then put a few points on the board due to forfeits. Before the break, Yu Sakamoto took the mat to prove why she is a world champion. She won her match quickly, securing a tech fall in 1:17 and bringing the score to 14-10.
Following the break, Sara Schroder lost her match to Titans wrestler Mya Delleree. This loss made the score an even 14-14. However, the tie was short-lived as NMU suffered another loss. After a long back-and-forth match between Sharon Leon and Annesley Day, Day was declared the winner, putting UW-Oshkosh ahead 17-14.
The Wildcats regained the lead through a series of forfeits in matches involving Alissa Caltagirone and Sophia Bassino, ultimately securing the 30-17 victory.
In the exhibition matches, Bassino secured another win, while Trinity Valentin lost to Paige Haaf at 2:43.
Interim head coach Dominic Damon said the team is feeling confident.
“We’re feeling great going into this weekend’s dual. We’re coming off a big win against UW-Oshkosh last Sunday, and we’re going to keep that momentum going through this week,” Damon said. “I’m very happy with the lineup we’re going to send out against GVSU. We’re gonna compete hard, wrestle fearlessly, and show everyone that we can contend with the best of the best.”
“As for the postseason, we haven’t put too much emphasis on that yet. We’re just taking things one match at a time, one day at a time, and focusing on the task at hand, which right now is our match on Saturday. When we come back on Monday, we’ll start our final preparations for regionals and nationals. I think we have a big group of girls that can make a deep run in the postseason, and I’m excited to see them prove me right.”
The Wildcats will compete in the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) Northwest Regional Qualifier, held in Adrian, Michigan. After regionals, the team will travel to Coralville, Iowa to compete for the NCWWC national title.
