By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

CORALVILLE, Iowa – After day one at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships there’s one heck of a race shaping up for the first-ever NCAA team title.

Photo Gallery: NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships Quarterfinals

As of Friday evening, McKendree is at the front of that race – nudging past two-time reigning national champion Iowa by 2.5 points.

The Bearcats sit at 94 team points following the conclusion of Session II at Xtream Arena, advancing nine athletes to Saturday morning’s semifinals with another still alive in the consolations.

Iowa (91.5 points) has seven semifinalists plus two more in the consolations.

Those nine Hawkeyes (and all 10 Bearcats) have each secured NCAA All-America status – along with 61 other athletes from around the country.

North Central (73.0), Grand Valley State (67.5) and Presbyterian (58.0) round out the top five with six, four and one wrestler(s) in the semifinals, respectively.

Here are a few more takeaways from a memorable (and historic) day in Coralville.

The cream (mostly) rises to the top 

Of the 40 wrestlers who punched their semifinal ticket on Friday night, the ‘unlikeliest’ seed among them was #7 Lorianna Piestewa at 124 pounds.

A 2025 U20 World Team Trials champion, the Colorado Mesa sophomore defeated the #2 seed, 2024 NCWWC runner-up Virginia Foard (King) via 8-5 decision – overcoming a 4-0 deficit in the process.

Besides Foard, every other #1 or #2 seed reached the semis (19 in total). So did seven #3 seeds, a half-dozen #4 seeds, and a smattering of #5 and #6 seeds.

Heavy hitters like Audrey Jimenez (110), Kennedy Blades (160) and Kylie Welker (180) – all members of the 2025 Senior World team – rolled through the competition.

They’ll be joined in the semifinals by other accomplished senior-level athletes like Brianna Gonzalez (117) and Xochitl Mota-Pettis (124) – both former U.S. Open champions.

Both Gonzalez and Mota-Pettis won entertaining quarterfinals via fall despite conceding a combined 15 points to their game opponents Icart Galumette (Delaware State) and Savannah Witt (Eastern).

U23 World Champions Sage Mortimer (110) and Yu Sakamoto (117) also advanced – but they too had firefights on their hands in the quarters.

Mortimer (Grand Valley State) won via 20-8 tech. fall over #7 Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg). And Sakamoto (McKendree) had to fight off her back just before intermission, then use a six-point second period to defeat Maddie Ripley (Western New England), 11-7.

Meanwhile, 131 pounds is shaping up about as well as wrestling fans could’ve hoped for.

Four-time national champion Cameron Guerin (McKendree) will face #5 Abigal Mozden (Mount Union) in one semifinal. And in the other, U20 World Team member Aubre Krazer (Lehigh) will do battle with three-time age-level World medalist Alexis Janiak (Aurora) – who also happens to be the reigning champ at the weight class.

One more semifinalist who also bears mentioning is Grand Valley State 103-pounder Rayana Sahagun – not only for her efforts on the mat, but for the bit of history she made.

Trailing 2023 NCWWC champ Madison Avila (North Central) by three points in the second period, Sahagun threw the Cardinal to her back for a come-from-behind win via fall. In so doing, Sahagun became the first NCAA All-American in women’s wrestling history.

Fans can catch Sahagun (and 79 other All-Americans) back in action when Session III gets underway Saturday morning at 10 a.m. (CT) – featuring the championship semifinals, consolations and medal matches.

2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships 

At Coralville, Iowa, March 6 

Team Standings 

1 – McKendree (94.0)

2 – Iowa (91.5)

3 – North Central (73.0)

4 – Grand Valley State (67.5)

5 – Presbyterian (58.0)

6 – King (33.5)

7 – Lehigh (31.0)

8 – Wartburg (30.5)

9 – Colorado Mesa (29.5)

10 – East Stroudsburg (26.5)

Semifinal Matchups 

103 pounds 

#1 Heather Crull (McKendree) vs #4 Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State)

#2 Valarie Solorio (Iowa) vs #6 Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy)

110 pounds 

#1 Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh) vs #5 Nyla Valencia (Iowa)

#2 Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) vs #6 Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian)

117 pounds 

#1 Yu Sakamoto (McKendree) vs #5 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa)

#2 Karissa Turnwall (Quincy) vs #3 Riley Rayome (North Central)

124 pounds 

#1 Sara Sterner (North Central) vs #4 Shelby Moore (McKendree)

#3 Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Quincy) vs #7 Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa)

131 pounds 

#1 Cameron Guerin (McKendree) vs #5 Abigal Mozden (Mount Union)

#2 Aubre Krazer (Lehigh) vs #3 Alexis Janiak (Aurora)

138 pounds 

#1 Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) vs #4 Lilly Luft (Iowa)

#2 Claire DiCugno (North Central) vs #3 Haylie Jaffe (McKendree)

145 pounds 

#1 Reese Larramendy (Iowa) vs #5 Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree)

#2 Bella Mir (North Central) vs #6 Annelise Obermark (Simpson)

160 pounds 

#1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) vs #4 Stella Steigler (King)

#2 Savannah Gomez (McKendree) vs #3 Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg)

180 pounds 

#1 Kylie Welker (Iowa) vs #4 Shenita Lawson (North Central)

#2 Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree) vs #3 Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays State)

207 pounds 

#1 Tristan Kelly (McKendree) vs #4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg)

#2 Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) vs #3 Caroline Ward (North Central)

Quarterfinal Results 

103 pounds 

#1 Heather Crull (McKendree) tech. fall #8 Alexis Winecke (Wisconsin-Stevens Point), 15-5

#5 Rayana Sahagun (Grand Valley State) FALL #4 Madison Avila (North Central), 5:11

#6 Trinity Pendergrass (Quincy) dec. #3 Mia Zuniga (Colorado Mesa), 12-4

#2 Valarie Solorio (Iowa) dec. #7 Genesis Ramirez (Aurora), 7-1

110 pounds 

#1 Audrey Jimenez (Lehigh) tech. fall Adriana Gomez (Colorado Mesa), 10-0

#5 Nyla Valencia (Iowa) dec. #4 Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree), 4-4

#6 Chloe Dearwester (Presbyterian) won by DQ #3 Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central)

#2 Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) tech. fall #7 Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg), 20-8

117 pounds 

#1 Yu Sakamoto (McKendree) dec. Maddie Ripley (Western New England), 11-7

#5 Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa) FALL Icart Galumette (Delaware State), 5:03

#3 Riley Rayome (North Central) dec. #6 Abigail Cooper (Lehigh), 9-4

#2 Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel) tech. fall #7 Shea Reisel (Dubuque), 11-1

124 pounds 

#1 Sara Sterner (North Central) tech. fall #8 Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian), 11-1

#4 Shelby Moore (McKendree) dec. #5 Aspen Blasko (Grand Valley State), 9-0

#3 Xochitl Mota-Pettis FALL #6 Savannah Witt (Eastern), 4:33

#7 Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa) dec. #2 Virginia Foard (King), 8-5

131 pounds 

#1 Cameron Guerin (McKendree) dec. #8 Kassey Daugherty (Presbyterian), 5-1

#5 Abigal Mozden (Mount Union) FALL #4 Karlee Brooks (Iowa), 1:48

#3 Alexis Janiak (Aurora) tech. fall Lindsey Rywolt (Bridgeport), 10-0

#2 Aubre Krazer (Lehigh) dec. Cassia Zammit (West Liberty), 3-2

138 pounds 

#1 Katerina Lange (Grand Valley State) dec. Aine Moffit (Augustana), 7-2

#4 Lilly Luft (Iowa) dec. #5 Jacinda Espinosa (Lindenwood), 4-1

#3 Haylie Jaffe (McKendree) dec. Sophia Ball (Aurora), 10-2

#2 Claire DiCugno (North Central) tech. fall #7 Kylie Rule (Wartburg), 11-1

145 pounds 

#1 Reese Larramendy tech. fall #8 Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian), 12-2

#5 Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree) tech. fall #4 Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan), 10-0

#6 Annelise Obermark (Simpson) tech. fall Alexandra Ford (Emmanuel), 12-1

#2 Bella Mir (North Central) tech. fall #7 Liv Wieber (Simon Fraser), 10-0

160 pounds 

#1 Kennedy Blades (Iowa) tech. fall #8 Keeley Kehrli (Simpson), 10-0

#4 Stella Steigler (King) tech. fall #5 May Cuyler (Presbyterian), 10-0

#3 Tiffani Baublitz (East Stroudsburg) tech. fall #6 Taylor Graveman (North Central), 12-2

#2 Savannah Gomez (McKendree) dec. Noelle Gaffney (Grand Valley State), 8-3

180 pounds 

#1 Kylie Welker (Iowa) tech. fall Azariah Moore (Lock Haven), 11-0

#4 Shenita Lawson (North Central) dec. Paige Maher (Simon Fraser), 4-2

#3 Isabella Renfro (Fort Hays State) FALL Mia Gaetjens (Adrian), 0:58

#2 Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree) dec. #7 Isabella Phillips (Gannon), 5-4

207 pounds 

#1 Tristan Kelly (McKendree) tech. fall #8 Maria Aiono (Presbyterian), 10-0

#4 Rewa Chababo (Wartburg) dec. #5 Katja Osteen (Iowa), 2-1

#3 Caroline Ward (North Central) dec. #6 Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa), 6-2

#2 Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State) FALL #7 Josephine Larson (Sacred Heart), 1:35

Statement released by Oscar Ramirez, chair of the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Committee

“Bout 167 of the 2026 NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships was a quarterfinals match at 110 pounds between No. 3 seed Kaelani Shufeldt of North Central (IL) and No. 6 seed Chloe Dearwester of Presbyterian. The North Central wrestler was called for brutality by the officials crew on the mat, which immediately triggers review by the jury. The jury upheld the brutality call on the mat, which results in a disqualification from the event by discretion of the officiating body and loss of all of the wrestler's team points by rule.”