Iowa Wesleyan women 7th at nationals

JAMESTOWN, ND. — The Iowa Wesleyan women’s wrestling team went north over the weekend to prove they were one of the best teams in the nation, and the Tigers did just that.

Iowa Wesleyan secured five Top-6 spots at the 2023 NAIA championships, and finished tied for seventh as a team, the first Top-10 finish in school history.

Iowa Wesleyan’s Adaugo Nwachukwu (pictured) is now a two-time national champion. (Photo courtesy of Iowa Wesleyan University)

The Tigers were led by top-ranked Adaugo Nwachukwu, who won her second-straight national championship in the 136-pound bracket.

Nwachukwu dominated as usual. The Tiger star pinned her first opponent in just 55 seconds and advanced to the semifinal with a 30 second pin in the quarterfinals.

In the semis, Nwachukwu racked up 12 points against fourth-seeded Leldadly Rivera of Brewton Parker, before pinning her in 4:14 to earn a second-straight championship birth.

Nwachukwu faced seventh-seeded Mea Mohler of Texas Wesleyan in the championship match, and she won it in style, tech falling Mohler 15-2 in 4:46 to earn yet another title.

109-pounder Mia Palumbo made some history of her own. She became the first ever Tiger to make it to two-straight championships when she earned a spot in the 109-pound title match.

Iowa Wesleyan’s Mia Palumbo has finished second place at two-straight NAIA National championship tournaments. (Photo courtesy of Iowa Wesleyan University).

Palumbo started things off with a pin, in 2:01, and beat her Round of 16 opponent on an 11-0 technical fall. After winning her quarterfinal match 8-4, Palumbo took on No. 3 seed Natalie Reyna-Rodriguez of eventual team champion Southern Oregon in the semifinals.

Palumbo out-dueled Reyna-Rodriguez 7-1 to earn a championship birth against Life University’s Peyton Prussin. The top-seeded Prussin pinned Palumbo in 1:51 to take the championship.

The Tigers had three wrestlers finish in sixth place. One of those, Faith Cole, lost to Prussin in the 109-pound quarterfinals.

Iowa Wesleyan’s Isabelle Hawley was sixth in the 143-pound bracket. America Lopez took sixth in the 170-pound bracket.

All five wrestlers who finished Top-6 earned All-American honors.

The Tigers tied for seventh with Central Methodist University, as both scored 92.5 points on the tournament. Southern Oregon’s 160 put them 20.5 points above Life University for first place.

Others representing the Tigers at the tournament were 130-pounders Destiny Campbell and Joanna Vanderwood, 143-pounder Nalda Naida Abdijonov and 191-pounders Grace Gray and Sydney Manos.

TOP-20 TEAMS

1. Southern Oregon 160

2. Life 139.5

3. Grand View 123.5

4. Menlo College 123

5. University of Providence 102

6. Cumberlands 98

T-7. Central Methodist 92.5

T-7. Iowa Wesleyan 92.5

9. Texas Wesleyan 78.5

10. Campbellsville 66

11. Brewton Parker 51.5