Campbellsville ran away with its second team crown at the WCWA Nationals ChampionshipsMARIETTA, Ga. -- In just seven years, Campbellsville Lady Tiger wrestling has pushed their national championship total to 11 individuals and ran away with their second team crown at the 2020 WCWA National Championship.
Three Lady Tigers won individual titles -- Abby Nette (130), Mariah Harris (170) and Alexandra Castillo (191). The win for Nette is her second in a row as she finished along with Harris as a four-time WCWA All-American. Castillo earns her second All-American honor.
The three joined 10 others to earn All-American status -- which is the Top 8 in each respective weight class. McKenzie Bacich (101), McKayla Campbell (109), Charlotte Fowler (116), Katlyn Pizzo (116), Adriana Lopez (123), Randi Robison (136), Gabrielle Garcia (143), Mhina Oseitutu (143), Alexia Foca (155) and Kenya Sloan (170).
Head coach Lee Miracle also earned his second WCWA Coach of the Year honor.
As a team, Campbellsville dominated the competition by out-scoring the host Life University Running Eagles by 117 points, 230-113. Jamestown University finished in third with 111.5 points, Presbyterian University was fourth with 94 points and Oklahoma City was fifth with 92.5 points.
The win for Campbellsville is the second team title in the last three seasons as the Lady Tigers won their first WCWA championship in 2018.
Abby Nette -- 130 pounds
Nette squared off with Gabby Skidmore of Augsburg University and just two minutes in had a four-point take down but a reversal by Skidmore put the score at 4-1. Late in the opening period, Nette answered with another take down to lead 6-1 before holding on late to win 6-2.
The title for Nette is her second-straight and the third in Campbellsville women's wrestling history at the 130-pound weight class.
Mariah Harris --170 pounds
Going into the finals, Campbellsville knew it would come away with at least one national champion as Mariah Harris battled teammate Kenya Sloan. Harris, the two-seed, lost her last matchup with top-seeded Sloan, but today overcame that.
With 45 seconds to go in the first period, Harris earned a passivity point and then a four-point throw to lead 5-0. But just a few minutes gone in the second, Sloan rallied with a four-point take down herself and pushed Harris off the mat to tie the match at 5-5. But Sloan ended up going down with an injury late in the final match handing Harris the 9-5 win.
Harris is now just the fourth Lady Tiger ever to earn All-American honors every season for Campbellsville joining alums Kayla Miracle, Hanna Hall, Shelby Hall and Koral Sugiyama.
Alexandra Castillo -- 191 pounds
Needing to win her fourth match in a row, Castillo did so with ease in the finals at 191 pounds over Agatha Andrews of Jamestown University. The 2019 WCWA and NAIA All-American, Castillo went to work in the first period with a big-time four-point take down that almost ended in a pin but Andrews reversed it for a point.
Leading 4-1 heading to the second period, Castillo earned two more take downs including a gut-wrench move to end up winning 8-1.
All-Americans to note:
The Lady Tigers had eight wrestle in the finals, three came away with national championships and the other five finished as runner-up.
It's the second straight season McKayla Campbell has earned a runner-up finish at 109 pounds and the third straight season she's finished as All-American.
Charlotte Fowler also earned her third All-American honor after coming back from an injury last season.
Alexia Foca is the final multi-year All-American after earning the honor in 2018 as a freshman.
The All-American honor is the first for Katlyn Pizzo (runner-up; 116 lbs.), Adriana Lopez (4thplace; 123 lbs.), Gabrielle Garcia (runner-up, 143 lbs.), McKenzie Bacich (runner-up; 101 lbs.), Mhina Oesitutu (8th place, 143 lbs.), and Randi Robison (6th place, 136 lbs.).
Of the 15 wrestlers that made the trip, 13 finished in the Top 8 to earn All-American honors.
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