No. 8 LHU Women’s Wrestling opens weekend at National Dual Championships
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The No. 8 Lock Haven women’s wrestling team opened competition today (Friday, Jan. 5) at the 2024 NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. The Bald Eagles fell to No. 22 Lindenwood, 29-19, in their tournament opener and The Haven was edged out by No. 11 Presbyterian, 24-21, in Lock Haven’s second match of the tournament.
The two-day national dual championships are being held in the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and the tournament field is a loaded one as 13 of the 15 women’s teams are nationally ranked.
After the two losses today, both to nationally-ranked teams, Lock Haven moves to 7-3 overall on the season.
Lock Haven opened the day with a 29-19 loss to No. 22 Lindenwood.
Emma Heslin (Marlborough, Conn./RHAM), No. 4 Kaelani Shufeldt (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina), No. 3 Grace Stem (Snow Shoe, Pa./Bald Eagle) and Jessica Johnson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) all picked up dominating wins vs. Lindenwood.
Heslin and Shufeldt put Lock Haven up early with back-to-back wins at 101 and 109 pounds, respectively. Heslin won by tech fall and Shufeldt won by pin. Stem added another impressive win at 143 as she recorded a tech fall, and Johnson also won by tech fall at 170.
Lock Haven closed day-one action today with a thriller as the Bald Eagles were edged out by No. 11 Presbyterian, 24-21 in a match that came down to the final stages.
Shufeldt, Madison Matta (Blue Ridge, Pa./Waynesboro), Stem and Paige Jackson (Harpers Ferry, W.Va./Spring Mills) all won by bonus points, but it wasn’t enough to power Lock Haven past Presbyterian.
Shufeldt (109) won by pin, as did Matta (136) and Jackson (155). Stem recorded another victory by way of tech fall at 143 for Lock Haven.
On the day, Shufeldt was a perfect 2-0 with two pins.
Stem extended her win streak to 14 matches with two more wins, both tech falls today.
Action at the dual meet championships continues tomorrow (Saturday, Jan. 6). Lock Haven will open day-two action Saturday vs. Emmanuel University (Ga.) at 10 a.m. EST.
Match-by-Match / Bout-by-Bout Results:
No. 22 Lindenwood 29 – No. 8 Lock Haven 19
101: Emma Heslin (Lock Haven) tech fall Megan Valdez (Lindenwood), 10-0
109: #4 Kaelani Shufeldt (Lock Haven) pinned Kate Cooper (Lindenwood), 4:09
116: #7 Caitlyn Thorne (Lindenwood) tech fall Jayleah Pletz (Lock Haven), 12-2
123: McKenzie Gilreath (Lindenwood) pinned Carly Gross (Lock Haven), 1:35
130: Cayden Condit (Lindenwood) pinned Lily Sherer (Lock Haven), 0:30
136: Hayley Gilson (Lindenwood) pinned Madison Matta (Lock Haven), 3:33
143: #3 Grace Stem (Lock Haven) tech fall Rebecca Strong (Lindenwood), 15-4
155: Alana Duggan (Lindenwood) tech fall Paige Jackson (Lock Haven), 12-1
170: Jessica Johnson (Lock Haven) tech fall Emma Thomas (Lindenwood), 10-0
191: Makayla Rivera (Lindenwood) pinned Trinity Monaghan (Lock Haven), 2:45
No. 11 Presbyterian 24 – No. 8 Lock Haven 21
101: Chiara Barbieri (Presbyterian) tech fall Emma Heslin (Lock Haven), 12-1
109: #4 Kaelani Shufeldt (Lock Haven) pinned Grace York (Presbyterian), 0:58
116: Charlize Shuler (Presbyterian) dec. Jayleah Pletz (Lock Haven), 8-0
123: #10 Alyssa Mahan (Presbyterian) pinned Carly Gross (Lock Haven), 3:37
130: Cassia Zammit (Presbyterian) dec. Lily Sherer (Lock Haven), 3-1
136: Madison Matta (Lock Haven) pinned Olivia Waller (Presbyterian), 3:54
143: #3 Grace Stem (Lock Haven) tech fall Madeline Kubicki (Presbyterian), 11-0
155: Paige Jackson (Lock Haven) pinned Isabella Badon (Presbyterian), 5:54
170: #10 Henlee Haynes (Presbyterian) pinned Jessica Johnson (Lock Haven), 2:05
191: Ella Beam (Presbyterian) tech fall Trinity Monaghan (Lock Haven), 10-0
*Ranking = NWCA/NCAA Coaches’ (Jan. 2)
