By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Fort Hays State Women’s Wrestling will have nine individuals compete at the NCWWC Championships in Coralville, Iowa this weekend (March 7-8). The Tigers have one wrestler representing five different classes, while they have two competitors in two of the classes. Action is set to begin at 9 a.m. each day.
Live stream and live results are available for the event at the links provided above. Brackets are available at the Live Results link above.
Fort Hays State goes into the national tournament ranked No. 23 in the nation as a team, according to the latest NWCA Team Rankings released back on February 27. Nichole Moore is the only individual ranked Tiger competing in the NCWWC Championships, ranked No. 7 in the latest individual rankings released back on February 7.
The Tigers had one replacement for the tournament as Isabell Ortiz will take the place of Lindsey Lopez at 117. Ortiz finished fifth in the regional back on February 22 behind Lopez, who will be unable to compete due an injury.
Classes 131 and 138 feature two Tiger wrestlers each. At 131 both Piper Cadden and Jamie Laswell qualified, while at 138 both Nichole Moore and Ashlynn Goodwinqualified.
The Tigers have five other classes where they will have one wrestler each, which includes Josiah Ortiz (110), Isabell Ortiz (117), Dylen Ritchey (145), Isabella Renfro(180), and Hailey Conley (207).
Four of the nine Tigers competing at the NCWWC Championships have 25 or more wins on the season. That group is led by Moore with 28, followed by Laswell and Renfro each with 26, and Goodwin with 25. All 26 of Renfro’s wins this year have been bonus-point type wins. Renfro also leads the team in pins with 15, while Laswell leads in tech falls with 14. Eight of FHSU’s competitors have at least 16 wins on the season, while Cadden has a strong 12-3 mark since beginning her season’s action in the spring semester.
Cadden has the most tournament wins of any Tiger this year with two, moving into the lead with her win at the NCWWC Regional. Conley, Laswell, Moore, and Renfro all have one tournament win each this year.
Four Tigers will be facing nationally ranked wrestlers in the opening round. At 131, Cadden will face No. 4 ranked Kylie Rule of Wartburg College. At 145, Ritchey will face No. 7 ranked Sydney Perry of North Central College. At 180, Renfro will face No. 5 ranked Naomi Simon of Iowa. At 207, Conley will face Rewa Chababo of Wartburg College.