MONTGOMERY, Ala.— The Montreat College women's wrestling team closed out its time at Huntingdon College on Sunday by competing at the Red Lady Open. With a total of 14 student-athletes in action, five Cavaliers garnered individual placements while the squad racked up 68.0 points as a whole, good for fifth overall.
Daniela Espinal secured the top finish among Cavs participating on Sunday. Going 3-2 across five bouts, Espinal tallied 13.0 points en route to fourth place in the 124-lb weight class. The Brooksville, Fla. native suffered a tech fall defeat in her opening matchup before bouncing back with three consecutive triumphs. Espinal utilized a 28-second pin and an injury default before avenging her loss with an 8-3 decision. The freshman ultimately dropped her third-place bout via a 12-2 tech fall.
A pair of Cavaliers landed fifth-place finishes in their respective weight classes over the weekend. Wrestling at 207,
Emilia Hill also went 3-2 and scored 13.0 points during her tournament journey. After falling to an NCAA Division I wrestler in the quarterfinals, Hill responded with back-to-back pins of her own. While she was pinned again in the consolation semifinals, the Kansas City, Mo. native needed just 48 seconds to eliminate her foe in the fifth-place match.
Notching 11.0 team points and another 3-2 effort,
Audrey Gribble captured fifth in the 180-lb bracket. A quick 11-0 tech fall set Gribble up for success early prior to losing a tight 3-2 decision against an NCAA Division I competitor. Despite the minor setback, the Snow College transfer delivered a pair of victories, an 8-4 decision and a 10-0 tech fall, in response. Gribble suffered one final defeat via pin before claiming the fifth-place bout by default.
Annastasia Skoda and
Nicole Lewis finished sixth at 131 and 160, respectively. The former registered 14.0 team points and a 4-2 record, while the latter totaled 9.5 team points and a 3-3 showing. Skoda opened her tournament run with a tech fall loss to an NCAA Division I wrestler, but she answered in kind with four straight wins—two pins, one tech fall and one decision. A native of Hoschton, Ga., Skoda dropped an 8-0 decision in her final clash. Lewis alternated between triumph and defeat before stringing together consecutive wins and consecutive losses on Sunday. The upperclassman began her outing with a 12-0 tech fall victory, and she bounced back from an 8-2 decision defeat in the quarterfinal round with two more wins, one via fall and the other by a 13-5 decision. Ultimately, Lewis lost her final two matches to garner sixth.
Three other Cavs won at least once at the Red Lady Open.
Izzy Campbell went 2-2 and scored 4.5 team points in the 138-lb weight class, while
Uriah Peters-Gutierrez (145 lb; 3.0 points) and
Shay Potter (180 lb; 0.5 points) notched 1-2 records.
For a complete look at results from the Red Lady Open, click
here.
The Montreat College women's wrestling team resumes open tournament action on Sunday, Jan. 18 with the Tornado Open at King University in Bristol, Tenn.
