Cory Hansen
The Oklahoma City University (OCU) Stars women’s wrestling team traveled to Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas on Saturday, February 10 to compete in the Wildcat Duals. The stars shined on the day, going a perfect 4-0 as a team, including two wins over top 20 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) teams. Presley McCandlish and NAIA’s top ranked 116 pounder Avery Ashley led OCU, each going 4-0 on the day.
(9) OCU 38 Avila 9
Sofia Abramson got the day started with a bang by scoring a 14-4 technical fall at 106 pounds. After Eliana Martinez received a forfeit for the Stars at 109 pounds, Avery Ashley picked up a dominant 10-0 tech fall at 116. At 123 pounds, Wachipi Hamelryck picked up OCU’s first pinfall of the day. After Avila picked up their only victory of the dual with a pinfall at 130, Natalia Posada got the Stars right back on track with a thrilling 6-6 criteria victory at 136 pounds. Makayla Munoz and Presley McCandlish had much less exciting victories for the Stars with 10-0 and 12-2 tech falls at 143 and 155 pounds respectively. After Rayleigh Fisher received a forfeit at 170 pounds, Ryann Rumsey finished the opening dual of the day in style by scoring a 13-1 tech fall for the Stars at 191 pounds.
(9) OCU 29 (17) University of Saint Mary 18
OCU’s second dual of the day against the University of Saint Mary (USM), was also their toughest dual of the day. Sofia Abramson opened the competition by receiving a forfeit at 101 pounds. True to the back and forth nature of this battle, USM scored a 10-0 tech fall at 109, which was followed by Avery Ashley scoring a 12-0 tech fall for the Stars. OCU would receive forfeits in three of the next four matches, Wachipi Hamelryck at 123, Bryce White at 130, and Makayla Munoz at 143 pounds, while USM picked up a fall in the middle at 136 pounds. At 155 pounds Presley McCandlish finished the scoring for the Stars by earning a pinfall, before USM picked up a pinfall of their own at 170 and a 10-0 tech fall to close the dual at 191 pounds.
(9) OCU 38 Friends University 8
In the third dual of the day for the Stars, OCU’s ninth ranked NAIA 101 pound wrestler, Sofia Abramson, showed the importance of having a strong lightweight setting the tone early, as she picked up a 10-0 tech fall to start the competition. After Eliana Martinez received a forfeit for the Stars at 109 pounds, Avery Ashley at 116 and Wachipi Hamelryck at 123 pounds had a race to see who could pick up a pinfall faster, with Hamelryck winning with a :38 second pin as compared to Ashley’s :39 second pin. At 130 pounds, Destiny Campbell…
