Tritons win national title
POTEAU, Okla. — The Iowa Central women’s wrestling team made the trip to the NJCAA Women’s Coaches Duals with one goal in mind: win.
And that’s exactly what they did.
The sixth-ranked Tritons finished off a perfect day here Saturday with a 32-20 victory over rival and No. 7 Iowa Western in the finals, capturing the championship.
“It was a great day,” ICCC head coach Zak Hensley said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team. Every single athlete on our roster made this possible.
“They have been working hard since September and (Saturday) they got to show it.”
After receiving a bye, Iowa Central took care of No. 5 Southeast in the quarterfinals, 34-18, and downed second-ranked Carl Albert State in the semis, 33-18. Former Fort Dodge Senior High state champion Alexis Ross had wins in both duals to help the Tritons.
In the finals vs. the Reivers, Annabelle Petsinger, Avery Mohr, Delise Villa, Alexandra Grow, Maia Esera and Breanna Salgado all scored victories, with Villa, Grow, Esera and Salgado sparking the final run to seal the dual.
“I’m really proud of the way we competed, fighting for every point and looking to score and finishing the match with bonus points,” Hensley said. “We had great performances from everyone who stepped on the mat.”
Petsinger, Mohr and Villa each finished 3-0 on the day while Lacey Reed, Ross, Kammie Schanz and Esera all went 2-1.
Iowa Central returns to action on Saturday when they head to Des Moines for the Grand View Open. The Tritons are next on the mat at home on Wednesday, Feb. 5 for a dual with Iowa Lakes, which marks their final home and dual action of the season.