North Central College’s women’s wrestling team achieved a significant milestone at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The team, ranked third nationally, secured its first national dual title by defeating both the top-ranked University of Iowa and second-ranked McKendree University.
The Cardinals finished the weekend with a 4-0 record, while McKendree took second place and Iowa finished third after winning against Grand Valley State University in the third-place match.
In the semifinal against Iowa, North Central trailed late but rallied to win 23-21. Iowa began strongly with Valarie Solorio earning an early lead for the Hawkeyes. North Central’s Kaelani Shufeldt responded by pinning Nyla Valencia, followed by Riley Rayome’s upset victory over Brianna Gonzalez. Sara Sterner added to North Central’s advantage by pinning Cali Leng.
As the matches progressed, Iowa regained the lead before North Central senior Dasia Yearby secured a decisive pin against Jaycee Foeller, clinching victory for her team. “Trailing by three heading into the final match, senior Dasia Yearby delivered a major upset over second-ranked Jaycee Foeller, as she utilized just over a minute and a half (1:38) for the match-winning pin to claim the 23-21 victory.”
This win ended Iowa’s 42-match winning streak and improved North Central’s dual record to 9-2.
In the finals against McKendree University, North Central started behind but steadily closed the gap. Key victories included Shufeldt’s narrow decision over Gabrielle Tedesco and Sterner’s late win against Shelby Moore. The teams traded wins until Bella Mir put North Central ahead with her decision over Alexis Gomez. Taylor Graveman extended their lead before Destiny Rodriguez narrowed it for McKendree.
The outcome was decided in the final bout when Shenita Lawson won on criteria to secure a 21-18 victory for North Central. “Wrestling up a weight class, Shenita Lawson, who ranks fourth at 180-pounds, outlasted Tristan Kelly in a 2-2 decision win by criteria to secure North Central’s NWCA National Duals team win.”
With these results, North Central earned its first NWCA National Duals championship title.
