2024 NCWWC National Championship Preview

Brackets are out for the 2024 Nation Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, and it is going to be an exciting one. With the addition of a seemingly unstoppable Iowa team in their inaugural run at the title, plus returning champs North Central also maxing out their lineup, it’s truly anyone’s game. And that is not even factoring in historically top talent from McKendree and King. You won't want to miss the action this weekend, so here are a few things to keep an eye out for at each weight.

101 lbs:

Top seed - Emilie Gonzalez, Iowa

Iowa is claiming the top 2 spots at this weight with Emilie Gonzalez as the 1 seed and Sterling Dias at 2. However, with how volatile these lower weights can be, I would not expect most seeds to hold. Keep an eye out for Avery Kibelbek of King, who receives a bye in her first round and will then likely see Genesis Ramirez of Aurora, whom she beat 8-0 in a dual earlier this year, before meeting up with Gonzalez. On the opposite side of the bracket, look out for Madison Avila to make a run where she’ll likely meet up with Jessica Corredor of King, which was a semifinal match last year that ended with a 9-0 win for Avila after putting Corredor on her back and working for the pin for the last 30 seconds of the match. If brackets do hold, Gonzalez does have the most recent win over Dias from regionals, but it could go either way.

109 lbs:

Top seed - Kendra Ryan, North Central

Behind Kendra Ryan, is Ava Bayless of Iowa who has really shown out this season. I would be really curious to see which one could pull off the win if they were to meet in the finals. The two did face off at US Nationals last year with Ryan getting a dominant tech, but I do think Bayless could even the score especially if she has a dominant run in the rest of the tournament. Her first big obstacle should be Jaslynn Gallegos of North Central in the semis, which would be fireworks after the two met up at National Duals with Bayless winning the 5-5 decision on criteria. I think that makes this match a real toss-up for the finals, which could end up all North Central. However, Ryan’s side of the bracket will not be any easier, with returning All-Americans Pauline Granados of McKendree, and Kaelani Shufledt of Lock Haven.

116 lbs:

Top seed - Samara Chavez, King

Both Chavez and 2-seed Sydney Petzinger of North Central will have to get through some tough competition, including an Iowa wrestler on each side of the bracket to make it to the finals. I am looking for Felicity Taylor to make this one interesting after having a bye in the first and then a probable match against Tatiana Walker of Sacred Heart before meeting up with Chavez. With Taylor bumping down weights late in the season, she has not seen a lot of the competitors at the weight, but on the flip side, they have not gotten to test her either. Also representing the Hawkeyes, Iowa’s Brianna Gonzalez dropped her most recent match to Petzinger 8-4, so she’ll need to reverse that result to make it into the finals.
 

123 lbs:

Top seed - Shelby Moore, McKendree

This is a weight that has the potential for some upsets and interesting quarters and semis matches, but I could still see a scenario where the 1 and 2 still match up in the finals, with Amani Jones of North Central trying to reverse her loss to Moore at National Duals to end up on top. However, Moore has looked so solid this season and should be able to hold her own against the tough wrestlers in her path including teammate Nichole Moore and either Ava Rose of Iowa or Virginia Ford of King whom Moore has already teched both of this season.

130 lbs:

Top seed - Victoria Baez-Dilone, King

McKendree’s Cam Guerin is seeded #2 at this weight, but her close criteria loss to Baez-Dilone shows just how close some of these wrestlers are, and it is still anyone’s title to claim. Another rockstar here will be Lexi Janiak of Aurora as the 3-seed, putting her in Guerin’s path to the finals. We could also see a meeting between McKendree’s other talented 130 lber Jennifer Soto and Iowa’s Emily Frost to determine the quarters and semis. Also, don’t forget to keep an eye out for Salome Walker of North Central, who would have a tough path against both Janiak and then Guerin if she can make it to that point, but with Walker winning over Janiak because of an injury default, I am really looking to see what that match could be.

136 lbs:

Top seed - Yele Aycock, North Central

While Claire DiGungo of King is the second seed here, I think this is the weight that could have the most surprising final matchup. While Aycock has shined this season, she has had to show a lot of grit in her matches to end up on top, and this tournament will be no exception. She will likely see McKendree’s Estella Gutches in her first match after a bye, and a win there means a tough and determined Lilly Luft of Iowa, and then Colorado Mesa’s Holly Beaudoin. On the other side, DiGungo could see Grace Stem of Lock Haven and Viktorya Torres of McKendree. With team scores so close in this runoff, 136 could be make or break for top teams. 

143 lbs:

Top seed - Alara Boyd, North Central

With the recent announcement that the #3 seed Emma Bruntil is withdrawing from the tournament, brackets got a little shaken up with Reese Larramendy of Iowa still holding onto the 2nd spot, Athena Willden of William Jewel moving up to third and shifting the remaining seeds. The addition to the bracket will be fifth-place finisher at Region V, Aniyah Kelly of Wartburg. I think it will be hard for anyone to hold off Boyd, who had a dominant win over Larramendy at National Duals. That being said, other wrestlers could make things interesting on the back end to score pivotal team points like Iowa’s other competitor at the weight Ella Schmit, or Maddie Kubicki whom I highlighted in my preseason work as a wrestler who could come into the spotlight by the end of the season.

155 lbs:

Top seed - Marlynne Deede, Iowa

Cheyenne Bowman of King as the two-seed is looking to make it to the finals again, but this time she’s down a weight from her impressive run at 170 lbs last season. She’ll need to make a serious run to keep points away from Iowa and North Central who both have two tough wrestlers in this bracket as well. Along with Deede, breakout star Bella Mir will compete for the Hawkeyes, and each should have meetings with their North Central counterparts Loudon Houston for Deede in the semis, and Tiera Jimerson in the first round against Mir. Bowman will likely see the winner of that match or Nina Makem of Augsburg in the semis and will need to compete at a high level regardless of opponent in this pivotal weight for team scoring.

170 lbs:

Top seed - Kylie Welker, Iowa

If you do not plan to watch this tournament in its entirety, which you should, please put on calendar alerts for the finals match at 170 lbs here. We should see Kylie Welker of Iowa, who has dominated her way through this season, capped off by a next-level performance at regionals where she only wrestled for 2 total minutes. Her likely opponent would be 3x National champ Yelena Makoyed of North Central, who is taking up the 2-seed with a loss to Welker earlier in the season at National Duals. I really think in the run-off to team champ, North Central and Iowa will be the top two, so having a champ here would be big for either team. While I don’t think any wrestlers will be able to stop these two on their run through the bracket, keep an eye out for some tough matchups on the top half of the bracket with Haley Ward of Iowa facing off against Henlee Haynes of Presbyterian and Love Daley of Sacred Heart going up against Jade Herzer of UW-Stevens Point. The winners of those two matches will then likely face off for the match against Welker in the semis. 

191 lbs:

Top seed - Traeh Haynes, North Central

I don’t think it would be a stretch to see an all-North Central final between Traeh Haynes and 2-seed Brittyn Corbishley. The two have dominated all season and created an almost impenetrable wall for the Cardinals in the 191 lb spot of the lineup. That being said, you have some talented competitors in advantageous bracket positions that could make things more interesting. Madeline Hodges of Sacred Heart gets Sydney Manos of Aurora in the second round to make it to the quarters against Haynes. However, you’ll probably also see Jaycee Foeller of Iowa take on Sara Lake of Lindenwood in the quarters as well, both of whom could pose a real semis threat. I think Corbishley gets a bit of an easier bracket and should avoid too much pressure until meeting up with Sandra Guerrero of New Jersey City in the semis, if Guerrero competes at the level she’s been showing this season.

Overall, this is going to be an excellent tournament full of close matches and exciting action. The race between reigning champs North Central, newcomers Iowa, battle-tested King, and former champs McKendree will be tight through each round. It is truly anyone’s trophy at this point.

Please see my graphic for how team scoring will work at this tournament: