W C W AWomen's College Wrestling Association – Providing Opportunities for Female College Wrestlers

Photo By Tony Rotundo

By Gary Abbott and Mitch Hull USA Wrestling
01/30/2011

With three individual champions, Simon Fraser University of Canada had its highest team placement ever, taking second place. The University of the Cumberlands placed third with one individual champion. The Cumberlands was second the last two years, and won the first WCWA Nationals team title in 2008.

Women’s college wrestling is contested in freestyle, the international style contested in the Olympic Games.

“It was our third national title, and our women wrestled and represented themselves very well,” said OCU head coach Archie Randall. “Simon Fraser wrestled well, and so did all of the teams. It was the biggest tournament we ever had and showed phenomenal growth. The tournament was tough. We won in the later rounds. We only lost one match in the late rounds.”

The big showdown between returning WCWA champions came at 55 kg/121 lbs. may have been the best finals of the night.

Helen Maroulis of Simon Fraser edged Michaela Hutchison of Oklahoma City, 7-1, 1-2, 2-1. Hutchison had a lead in the third period, and Maroulis pulled out the victory with less than a minute to go. It was Maroulis’s second straight WCWA title, after winning her 2010 title competing for Missouri Baptist. Hutchison was a WCWA champion in 2009 and 2010, and is now a three-time finalist.

Four returning champions from 2010 were able to win again: Maroulis, plus Victoria Anthony of Simon Fraser at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Danielle Lappage of Simon Fraser at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and Brittany Delgado of Oklahoma City at 95 kg/209 lbs.

Anthony and Delgado scored pins in the finals, with Anthony stopping Emily Martin of King College in 1:29 and Delgado pinning Leya-Justina Luafalemana of Jamestown College, 4-0, 1:04. Lappage dominated Alli Ragan of King College, 5-0, 9-2.

Last summer, Anthony and Lappage were gold medalists, Maroulis was a bronze medalist and Delgado placed fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Two-time World champion and nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis won the 147.5 pound title competing in her first WCWA Nationals. She defeated Christen Paysse of the Univ. of the Cumberlands in the finals by technical fall, 6-0, 6-0.

The Outstanding Wrestler was Oklahoma City senior Ashley Hudson, who captured the title at 59 kg/130 lbs. with a victory in the finals over Cianah Hee of University of Cumberlands, 1-0, 3-1.

An impressive new champion came at 72 kg/158.5 lbs., as freshman Mei Ling Keiki of Missouri Baptist University defeated Kendra Lewis of Lindenwood University, 5-0, 4-0 in the finals.

Also winning individual titles were Gabrielle Henry of the University of Cumberlands at 51 kg/112.25 lbs., and Marina Lambert of King College at 90 kg/198 lbs.

Two returning WCWA champions placed second, Hutchison at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Hillary Greening of Simon Fraser at 90 kg/198 lbs., who lost to Lambert in the championship finals.

The size of the field was much larger than previous years. A record 14 teams entered the WCWA Nationals this year, as well as a record number of entries with 142 contestants. The quality of the wrestling and the depth of the competition reached at its highest level ever, with every expectation that this tournament will continue to grow and improve in the future.

“The WCWA women’s college wrestling competition level has increased by leaps and bounds,” said OCU head coach Archie Randall. “It is very hard to win, hard to medal and hard to be an All-American. The tournament continues to improve.”

Special thanks to the hosts at Menlo College for conducting the championship. The tournament was streamed online throughout the day, and results were available on TrackWrestling.com. Next year, the tournament is scheduled to be hosted at King College.

The fourth annual WCWA National Championships will be hosted by Menlo College on January 29th.  All member institutions qualify to compete in the national championships held in Atherton, CA. 

Oklahoma City University is the two-time reigning national team champion.  University of the Cumberlands won the innagural national championship in 2008.

Preliminary Round –  9:00 am-4:30 pm
Finals - 7:00 pm-completion

By Rhane Jeffress Wayland Baptist Sports Information
09/30/2010

Plainview, Texas – The debut of the women’s wrestling program at Wayland Baptist is set for Saturday when the Pioneers will take on defending WCWA National Champion Oklahoma City University and last year’s runner-up, University of the Cumberlands, in dual matches at OCU’s Abe Lemons Arena.

Fifteen women, all but two of which are classified as freshmen, will be donning the brand new blue and gold Wayland singlets. Nine of those will be competing in the team competition, while the remaining six making the trip will be wrestling in exhibition matches.

All 15 of those young women enjoyed great success at the high school level, but the task in front of them in these first two duals is monumental.

“What was I thinking?” said a laughing WBU Head Coach Johnny Cobb. “Seriously, though, you’ve got to start some place and if you want to be the best, you have to wrestle the best. That is certainly what we’ll be doing on Saturday.”

Host Oklahoma City is gunning for its third straight WCWA championship and fourth straight NWCA National Duals title with 12 returning All-Americans. Cumberland’s roster is also filled with upper classmen with plenty of collegiate experience. Wayland will take on OCU at noon and Cumberlands at 3 pm.

“Our goal for this weekend is to score a few points, get some good experience in, and wrestle to the best of our abilities. We need a little catch-up time to compete with these schools, but we’re going to get there.

“All of our young women have high goals and know what they need to do to succeed. Realistically, we know that our chances of winning this first year are slim, but if we can keep the ones that we have on board now together, we have an excellent chance to be extremely successful in the next two to three years.”

The two WBU wrestlers with experience at the collegiate level are sophomores Ofelia Valdez, a transfer from the University of Northern Michigan, and Nalley Carrillo, who spent last year at the University of the Cumberlands. Valdez was a three-time All-State honoree, while Carrillo was the 2009 State Runner-up at 102 pounds.

Here is a weight-by-weight look at the WBU women in action this weekend:

48 kg (105 lbs)
Akira Pena – One of five El Paso natives on the roster, Pena earned 2010 All-State honors wrestling at El Dorado High. She was also an All-American. Cobb on Pena: “Akira has tremendous potential, and will most likely move down a weight class before the year is out.”

51 kg (112 lbs)
Ofelia Valdez – A graduate of Molina High School in Dallas, she was a four-time All-City Champion and a two-time USWA All-American. Valdez was also a member of Team Texas Wrestling. Cobb on Valdez: “Ofelia is our brightest hope for being successful, and one of the few with collegiate experience. She’ll also probably drop down a class before the year is out.”

Samantha Gonzales – a two-time state qualifier and Kansas State Champion from Lakin High School in Lakin, KS.

55 kg (121 lbs)
Nalley Carrillo – Like Pena, Carrillo wrestled for Coach Alfredo Flores at El Paso’s El Dorado High. She was the 2009 State Runner-up, earned All-State honors two other times, and was a National All-American. Cobb on Carrillo: “I am excited about the possibilities that Nalley brings to our team. She is another one with college experience and she may also drop down before the end of the year.”

Anna Almanza – Almanza won three state team championships at Amarillo’s Caprock High. She was a 2010 State Finalist at 119, a 2009 State Finalist at 128 and was All-State at 119 in 2008.

59 kg (130 lbs)
Jeneshia Woods – A former wrestler for Cobb at Tascosa High in Amarillo, Woods is a two-time state qualifier who earned All-State honors in 2010 and was a District and Regional Champion. Cobb on Woods: “Jeneshia’s talent and potential is unlimited. She just needs to get the experience of wrestling the best.”

Bethany Courkamp – A transfer from Missouri Valley College, Courkamp attended Amarillo High School where she came in fourth in 2006 as a 102-pounder and fifth in the 2007 state wrestling tournament in the 110 pound class.

63 kg (138 lbs)
Andrianna Rivas – A graduate of Terry High School in Rosenberg, Tex., Rivas was a District Runner-up and an All-American at the National Folkstyle Championships. Cobb on Rivas: “Andrianna has a strong work ethic and just needs experience in order to start to move forward toward the next level.”

China Saucedo – Saucedo went undefeated during her senior year at Hereford (TX) High School until the championship match at the 2010 State Tournament. She had a 55-2 record during her final two years of high school wrestling, earning third place honors at the 2009 State Tourney.

67 kg (147 lbs)
Tarah Brewer – One of two wrestlers on Cobb’s team from Clear Creek High School, Brewer was a two-time state qualifier and earned All-State honors in the 138 pound class as a senior. Cobb on Brewer: “Tarah is coming in with limited experience in freestyle wrestling, but she is picking up the techniques quickly and will make a statement before the year is over.”
Jessica Hernandez — A graduate of Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Okla., Hernandez was a high school All-American in the 135-pound class, and won state championships in four different states at the club level.

72 kg (158 lbs)
Loraine Herrera — A four-time state qualifier from El Paso’s Andress High School, Herrera was the 2009 State Runner-up. Cobb on Herrera: “I’m excited about Loraine. Watching her in practice these past several weeks, I have high expectations for her. I truly believe that before the year is out, everyone will know who she is.”

Kirsten Iruegus — Another product of Hereford High School, Iruegus is a member of the Hereford Hall of Fame. She was a two-time All-State honoree with a 2007 third place finish and a 2008 fifth place finish. Although Iruegus is scheduled to wrestle in an exhibition match, she is eligible to compete in the team competition and could move into one of those matches after weigh-in, according to Cobb.

80 kg (176 lbs)
Chelsie McMillion — The other Clear Creek High graduate with limited freestyle experience, McMillion is a two-time All-State honoree. A native of Beaumont, Tex., she placed fourth in the 138 pound class in 2009 and finished fifth in 2010 at 148 pounds. Cobb on McMillion: “Chelsie hasn’t had a lot of freestyle experience, but she is picking up the technique as quickly as anyone can. She has the potential to compete at the national level some day.”

90 kg (198 lbs)
Gloria Guerra — A two-time state qualifier and an All-State honoree, Guerra wrestled as a member of El Paso Bel Aire High School’s varsity team for four years. Cobb on Guerra: “Gloria is another El Paso area product with something to show. She should be down a weight class before the year is over, but will do well at this level too.”

By Daniel Newton Lindenwood Univ.
05/05/2010

Lindenwood University has named Toccara Montgomery as the new head coach of its women’s wrestling program. Montgomery is a former Olympic wrestler and comes to St. Charles after wrestling and coaching at the University of the Cumberlands since 2001.

Editor’s note: She becomes the third woman named as head coach of a women’s college varsity wrestling team in the last few weeks, joining Alaina Berube at the Univ. of the Cumberlands and Marcie Van Dusen at Menlo College

“I have high hopes and ambitions for the Lindenwood program,” said Montgomery. “My first goal is to get the numbers up and get bodies in the wrestling room to create competition. My ultimate goal is win nationals and build a dynasty here.”

Montgomery was a member of the 2004 United States Olympic team and she placed seventh in her weight class at the Athens Games. She a member of the national team from 2001-06 and won two United States Senior National Championships. Montgomery was a two-time silver medalist at the World Championships. In 2001, she was named the FILA International Female Wrestler of the Year, just the third American and first female from the United States to win that honor.

At Cumberlands, Montgomery helped build the program into one of the top women’s wrestling programs in the nation. While wrestling, she had a perfect 29-0 dual record and won the 2004 Women’s Collegiate National Championship. For the past three years, she has served as a graduate assistant coach for the Patriots. During her time at Cumberlands, the program was ranked first or second in the nation from 2004-09, including being No. 1 from 2004-06.

Montgomery received her undergraduate degree from Cumberlands in 2006 in Education, and received her master’s in 2009 in Instructional Leadership.

By Jennifer Wake-Floyd University of the Cumberlands Sports Information
04/21/2010

Former Patriot Women’s Wrestling standout Alaina Berube has been named the new Head Coach of the highly successful University of the Cumberlands (UC) Women’s Wrestling team. Berube, a recent graduate of UC, has returned to the Patriot mat to coach and lead the #2 team in the nation.

Berube enters the elite position with high expectations for the team in the near future. “I intend for the girls to work hard and do the best they can, on and off the mat,” said Berube. “We will remain a program that produces top quality student-athletes.”

Having graduated from Cumberlands in 2007 with a Public Health and Exercise & Sports Science Major, Alaina will also be pursing her Masters degree in education.

“I was just in my team’s position a few years ago,” said Berube. “I know what it’s like to try to balance academics and wrestling and I know and understand what the girls are going through. As a coach, that’s still taking classes and attending school as well, I empathize and understand what they’re going through.”

With a vast array of wrestling experience, Alaina has traveled the world earning many awards, validating herself in the sport of women’s wrestling. Just during her tenure as a Cumberlands wrestler Alaina was a 2X Junior National Champion, earned fourth place in the Junior World Championships, was a 3X College National Champion, a 2X Pan Am Champion, a United States Olympic Team Alternate, a Senior National Champion, a 2X third place University World Member, a 2X Senior World Team Trial Runner-up, a 2X University National Champion, a third place University World Member, and an eighth place Senior World Team Member to name a few.

These accomplishments have only come through hard work and dedication, athletically and academically.”My goal is to help my girls graduate with a college degree and to be ready for the world,” said Berube. “I want them to have a good experience in and out of wrestling and understand that their education is their top priority.”

“I am excited to have Alaina Berube as our new Head Women’s Wrestling Coach,” said Cumberlands Athletic Director Randy Vernon. “Alaina took over in mid-season as our interim coach and has done an excellent job during the remainder of the year. She has a good understanding of what is expected of the head wrestling coach, having preformed as a member of our team during her undergraduate years at University of the Cumberlands and later as an assistant coach on our staff. She has strong leadership qualities and the knowledge and ability to help our student-athletes reach their maximum potential. I am very pleased to have here on our staff.”

Berube is determined to put all of her energy into making the team successful.”I want the girls to earn spots on every level of wrestling, Junior, National, World, and the Olympics,” said Alaina. “I am willing to do what it takes to help them reach their full potential.”

Going to practice every day to coach is an easy task for Berube. “We have a group of hard working ladies with positive attitudes. The girls are well-rounded coming from different backgrounds and while mat time is important, keeping the girls healthy is what is most important to me.”

The team is excited about having Berube as their new Head Coach.”She really stepped up for us this season,” said senior and team captain Jackie Stiles. “Being a former competitive student-athlete at Cumberland is an advantage for her. I’ve known her since I was a freshman and she is an all-around great person. She cares about the team and is very understanding. I have nothing but respect for her.”

The team is looking forward to their future and although many of the seniors will be gone, there are still many excited about what the future of Patriot Women’s Wrestling has in store. “If the team will listen, work hard, and be ready for anything, then this team and teams in the future at Cumberlands will accomplish great things with Coach Berube,” said Stiles.

Berube will take several members of the current team to Cleveland, OH this weekend to compete at the U.S. Open Senior National Tournament. The Patriots are anticipating bringing home several All-Americans at the senior division level.