Oklahoma high school graduates turned in strong performances in last weekend’s NJCAA Women’s National Tournament, earning 12 All-American honors, including crowing one national champion and three earning runner-up finishes
Union’s Azreal Smith won a national title at 235 lbs. for Indian Hills, IA with teammate Kali Hayden (Union) placing 5th to help lead Indian Hills to their fourth straight NJCAA Women’s national title. Smith, the number two seed, had an opening round bye, before advancing to the finals with a fall in 0:20 and a 4-1 win over 3rd seed, Mackenzie Arends from Hawkeye. In the finals, Smith faced teammate, Hannah Francis who had advanced to the finals with a fall over number one seed, Faith Tarrant from Iowa Western. Smith claimed the championship with a 2-1 win over Francis.
Murray State, a brand new program this year, under head coach Paul Mayfield, had an incredible national tournament, earning seven All-American honors, including five from Oklahoma to place 5th in the team race. Oklahoma All-Americans included Vivian Hayes (Tecumseh) and Dixie Holliday (Bethel), who both earned runner-up finishes, Caris Morris (Sapulpa), who placed 5th, Zolie Kurena (Stillwater), 6th and Stillwell’s Adrianna Chronister who placed 7th.
Hayes came into the tournament unseeded, but after an opening round win by forfeit, was unstoppable in advancing to the finals. First, she led 12-2 before pinning the number one seed, Brooklyn Noel from Indian Hills, then pinned 8th seed Chasey Karabell, also from Indian Hills, and advanced to the finals with a fall in 5:20 over 5th seed KyLee Smith from NOC. Hayes fell in the finals by a 5-0 score to Erica Pastoriza from Iowa Central giving her the well-earned All-American runner-up finish at 103 lbs. Noel and Smith are both graduates of Moore HS.
Holliday came in as the 5th seed and opened with a fall before breaking open two straight close matches with falls. Holliday trailed by one when she pinned Kathryn Christensen from Snow in 2:33 and then led 9-8 when she pinned 4th seed Damiyah Smith from Iowa Central in 4:16. In the semifinals, she faced 8th seed Mia Kurth from Hawkeye. Kurth had advanced with a win over number one seed, Ariah Mervilus from Indian Hills. Holliday won the high scoring thriller 14-13 over Kurth to advance to the finals. Holliday dropped her finals match to Umpqua, OR’s Kailey Salazar, giving her the runner-up finish at 110 lbs.
Carl Albert State had two All-Americans with Lalia Mirza (Sand Springs) earning a runner-up finish and Wiburton/Moyers Madison Roe placing 6th. Northern Oklahoma College had two All-Americans, including KyLee Smith (Moore) who placed 6th at 103 lbs. Smith’s All-American finish for NOC, was the first in program history, which started the women’s program last year.
Mirza came in as the 6th seed and made quick work of her first two opponents, winning by fall in 0:25 and 0:48. She advanced to the semifinals, with a fall in 4:09 over 3rd seed, Rosalia Rubio from Iowa Western. Mirza advanced to the finals with her 4th fall of the tournament, pinning Mora Peterson from Nassau in 5:21. Mirza fell to Southeast Nebraska’s Emma Salbanese in the finals, earning the runner-up finish at 117 lbs.
Iowa Central had two All-Americans from Oklahoma. McLain’s Harmoni Callins earned a 4th place All-American finish at 207 lbs. and Miami’s Damiyah Smith placed 7th at 110 lbs.
Following the tournament, Murray State Head Coach Paul Mayfield, a finalist for NJCAA coach of the year, stated “I couldn’t be more proud of how our men and women competed this year in the first season of Murray State College wrestling. Starting programs from the ground up is never easy and always comes with challenges. It takes belief and commitment, and our athletes showed both all season and they set the standard for the future. Our athletes competed hard every time they stepped on the mat; they embraced the challenge and represented our school with toughness, character, and pride. We’re incredibly grateful for the support from our administration, our Tishomingo community, and everyone who believed in what we’re building here.”
Mayfield went on to say “This is a very special group of student-athletes and coaching staff that we have here who have laid the foundation and I’m extremely grateful to lead them. This is just the beginning for Aggie Wrestling and I’m excited about where we are headed.”
NJCAA NATIONAL CHAMPION
235 Azreal Smith, Indian Hills, IA (Union)
NJCAA ALL-AMERICANS
103 Vivian Hayes, Murray State – 2nd (Tecumseh)
110 Dixie Holliday, Murray State – 2nd (Bethel)
110 Damiyah Smith, Iowa Central – 7th (Miami)
117 Lalia Mirza, Carl Albert State – 2nd (Sand Springs)
207 Harmoni Callins, Iowa Central – 4th (McLain)
160 Kali Hayden, Indian Hills, IA – 5th (Union)
180 Caris Morris, Murray State – 5th (Sapulpa)
103 KyLee Smith, NOC – 6th (Moore)
124 Madison Roe, Carl Albert State – 6th (Wilburton)
145 Zolie Kurena, Murray State – 6th (Stillwater)
145 Adrianna Chronister, Murray State – 7th (Stillwell)
NJCAA WOMEN’SNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
March 6-7, 2026, at Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, IA
1. Indian Hills, IA – 229 points
2. Southeast NE – 203.5
3. Iowa Central – 195
4. Umpqua, OR – 168
5. Murray State – 135
11. Carl Albert State – 60.5
12. Northern Oklahoma – 50
MURRAY STATE, Coach Paul Mayfield (Ardmore HS graduate)
103 Vivian Hayes – 2nd (Tecumseh)
110 Dixie Holliday – 2nd (Bethel)
131 Olivia Sandoval – 6th (Carrollton, TX)
145 Zolie Kurena – 6th (Stillwater)
145 Adrianna Chronister – 7th (Stillwell)
160 Gabby Akers – 2nd (Denton, NC)
180 Caris Morris – 5th (Sapulpa)
Murray State Wrestlers from Oklahoma that competed in the national tournament
110 Addison Polk (Durant)
117 Andie Wallace (Madill)
160 Kaylee Davis (El Reno)
180 Jordan Bread (Tahlequah)
CARL ALBERT STATE, Coach Kason Wilkinson
117 Lalia Mirza – 2nd (Sand Springs)
124 Madison Roe – 6th (Wilburton)
Carl Albert Wrestlers from Oklahoma that competed in the national tournament
103 Kaylee Campbell (McLoud)
138 Kristen Barnes (Poteau)
124 Mallory Sellars (Pryor)
145 Rilee Phillips (McAlester)
110 Tatum Dolan (Berryhill)
NORTHERN OKLAHOMA COLLEGE, Coach Jayden Miller
103 KyLee Smith – 6th (Moore)
124 Jordan Williams – 8th (Grand Island, NE)
NOC Wrestlers from Oklahoma that competed in the national tournament
110 Brooklyn Huggins (El Reno)
110 Angela Lee (Jay)
117 Carla West (Tonkawa)
131 Carlaeona Hockert (Tonkawa)
160 Janaye Wise (Will Rogers)
207 Madison Welch (Harrah)
INDIAN HILLS, IA (Oklahoma Wrestlers)
235 Azreal Smith – 1st (Union)
160 Kali Hayden – 5th (Union)
103 Brooklyn Noel (Moore)
117 Abigail Rivero (Stillwater)
IOWA CENTRAL (Oklahoma Wrestler)
207 Harmoni Callins – 4th (McLain)
2026 WOMEN’S NJCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT RESULTS
103
1st Erica Pastoriza (Iowa Central) VPO Vivian Hayes (Murray State), 5-0
3rd Zoe Brewer (Southwestern Oregon) VPO1 Bertha Cabrera (Southeast Neb.), 11-11
5th Alicia Hansen (Snow) VPO1 Kylee Smith (Northern Oklahoma), 9-3
7th Lemuna Gurisho (Hawkeye) VFA Chasey Karabell (Indian Hills), 14-8 2:17
110
1st Kailey Salazar (Umpqua) VFA Dixie Holliday (Murray State), 9-2 4:24
3rd Ariah Mervilus (Indian Hills) VSU1 Chevy Coleman (Iowa Western), 12-2 2:20
5th Mileena Notaro (Southeast Neb.) VFA Mia Kurth (Hawkeye), 2-0 0:36
7th Damiyah Smith (Iowa Central) VSU Baillee Cash (Iowa Western), 10-0 1:21
117
1st Emma Albanese (Southeast Neb.) VSU1 Laila Mirza (Carl Albert State), 13-2 1:01
3rd Rosalia Rubio (Iowa Western) VFA Kaylee Young (Snow), 4-3 1:53
5th Hailey Medina (Iowa Western) VPO1 Mora Peterson (Nassau), 7-2
7th Aneth Campos (Iowa Central) VFA Emmanuela Akinlolu (Andrew), 8-3 2:29
124
1st Gabriela Avila Diaz (Indian Hills) VPO Myra Pressnell (Umpqua), 6-0
3rd Brianna Ross (Umpqua) VFA Emily Pasillas (Snow), 11-1 2:21
5th Asia Jahangir (Iowa Central) VFA Madison Roe (Carl Albert State), 5-0 2:56
7th Ariel Goble (Andrew) VPO1 Jordan Williams (Northern Oklahoma), 8-8
131
1st Bella Ngo (Umpqua) VSU Kaylea Beauchamp (Indian Hills), 10-0 0:38
3rd Annabelle Petsinger (Iowa Central) VFA Ashlee Farrier (Iowa Central), 10-1 6:00
5th Jessica Williams (Umpqua) VFO Olivia Sandoval (Murray State), 0-0
7th Abigail Ji (Iowa Lakes) VPO1 Lacy Lemburg (Southeast Neb.), 9-5
138
1st Anna Spencer (Southwestern Oregon) VPO1 Jasmine Wolfe (Indian Hills), 3-2
3rd Lindsay Henggeler (Fort Hays Tech Northwest) VFA Evelyn Phillips (Southeastern), 10-6 5:52
5th Lillian Hagemann (Southeast Neb.) VFA Inaily Samaniego (Snow), 8-4 2:43
7th Destiny Krum (Iowa Central) VFA Olivia Brown (Niacc), 4-4 5:15
145
1st Ayana Fletcher (Iowa Western) VPO Delise Villa (Iowa Central), 9-0
3rd Isabella Morgan (Snow) VSU Evelina Juzenaite (Umpqua), 10-0 3:26
5th Chantell Nofffsinger (Southwestern Oregon) VFA Zolie Kurena (Murray State), 4-2 2:00
7th Adrianna Chronister (Murray State) VFA Koryn Klein (Southeast Neb.), 8-7 4:57
160
1st Billie Bonwell (Southeast Neb.) VPO1 Gabby Akers (Murray State), 4-3
3rd Anyia Roberts (Southeast Neb.) VFA Olivia Stean (Indian Hills), 10-1 2:11
5th Kali Hayden (Indian Hills) VSU1 Allie Grow (Iowa Central), 13-1 2:22
7th Addison Canja (Umpqua) VSU Elizabeth Kovacs (Big Bend), 10-0 4:59
180
1st Keyahna Phillips (Iowa Lakes) VFA Paola Rodriguez (Indian Hills), 4-0 1:03
3rd Maeli Howard (Snow) VFA Alexa Karch (Iowa Lakes), 11-6 2:50
5th Caris Morris (Murray State) VFA Kiernan Farmer (Southeastern), 12-6 5:35
7th Caroline Purcell (Fort Hays Tech Northwest) VPO1 Diesel Janovich (Southeast Neb.), 7-1
207
1st Martha Hinneh (Southeast Neb.) VPO1 Audre Herron (Iowa Western), 3-1
3rd Ileen Casterjon (Indian Hills) VFA Harmoni Callins (Iowa Central), 5-0 0:56
5th Alyson Krum (Hawkeye) VFA Catherine Dutton (Colby), 6-2 2:09
7th Kenzi Jackson (Niacc) VFO Wyntergale Oxendine (Indian Hills), 0-0
235
1st Azreal Smith (Indian Hills) VPO1 Hannah Francis (Indian Hills), 2-1
3rd Faith Tarrant (Iowa Western) VFA Kirsten Kpoto (Southeast Neb.), 3-0 2:59
5th Brooklyn Robinson (Iowa Lakes) VFO Mackenzie Arends (Hawkeye), 0-0
7th Brighton Wise (Snow) VSU Talia Katzenberger (Umpqua), 10-0 1:23
