This week’s edition of “Women’s Wrestling Weekly: The Show” covers:
- High school prodigies
- Missouri Valley Open.
- Why Grand Valley State needs to be at the National Duals.
- King, McKendree, and Simon Fraser's best teams.
- Is Iowa the team everyone loves to hate?
- Is Sage Mortimer the face of women's college wrestling?
- The loaded 110-pound weight.
- The return of Tiare-Lynn Ikei
- Keeping our biggest stars relevant.

Watch below. 

Are More D1 Women’s Wrestling Programs On The Way?

Four Division I NCAA programs offer women’s wrestling: Iowa, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart.

That number could increase to seven. 

Delaware State in Dover announced it will add a women’s wrestling program in the fall of 2025. 

Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, is the potential home for the state's first D1 women’s program. It currently operates as a club team. 

Signs point to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, transitioning from a club team to a Division I program, although nothing official has been announced. 

East Stroudsburg Perfect At Warrior Duals

East Stroudsburg hosted an eight-team round-robin dual invitational on November 23. The Warriors went 7-0, including a 27-20 win over in-state rival Lock Haven. Click here for full results.

East Stroudsburg vs the field
W — Lock Haven, 27-20
W — Southern Virginia, 41-6
W — Marymount, 39-8
W — Liberty, 45-3
W — Lehigh, 31-17
W — Western New England, 41-6

What We Learn From The Season’s Biggest In-season Tournament

The Missouri Valley Open in Marshall, Missouri, had loaded brackets and intrigue. Below is a breakdown of what we learned about teams and individuals. Click here for full results.

Champions
103: Makennah Craft (unattached-high school)
110: Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State)
117: Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa)
124: Shelby Moore (McKendree)
131: Alex Szkotnicki (McKendree)
138: Xochitl Mota-Pettis (unattached)
145: Valerie Hamilton (unattached)
160: Destiny Rodriguez (McKendree-unattached)
180: Sabrina Nauss (Grand Valley State)
207: Kelani Corbett (Missouri Valley)

Iowa
Brianna Gonzalez (117) was the lone champion for the Hawkeyes on a team missing many of its top stars. Returning 101-pound NCWWC (NCAA) champion Emilie Gonzalez is moving up to 110 for the season, leaving a three-way log-jam at the weight with Gonzalez, returning 109-pound champion Ava Bayless, and Valarie Solorio. 

Felicity Taylor wrestled at 123 for most of last season before moving to 116 at the Grand View Open. Don’t be surprised if Gonzalez makes a similar late-season move, leaving a three-way log jam at 103 with Rianne Murphy and returning national finalist Sterling Dias. 

Teams can send a maximum of 15 wrestlers to the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships. 

Below are Iowa’s Missouri Valley Open placers and the stars who didn’t participate.

Iowa's Placers
103: Rianne Murphy, 2nd
110: Ava Bayless, 2nd
110: Emilie Gonzalez, 3rd
117: Brianna Gonzalez, 1st
124: Cali Leng, 6th
131: Emily Frost, 5th
131: Karlee Brooks, 7th
180: Naomi Simon, 2nd
207: Alyvia White, 4th
207: Katja Osteen, 5th

Did not compete
103: Sterling Dias, 2024 NCWWC (NCAA) finalist
131: Skye Realin, two-time All-American
131: Emmily Patneaud, All-American
138: Nanea Estrella, 2022 NAIA finalist
138: Lilly Luft, 2024 All-American
145: Reese Larramendy, 2024 NCWWC (NCAA) champion
145: Macey Kilty, two-time World medalist
160: Kennedy Blades, 2024 Olympic silver medalist
180: Kylie Welker, 2024 World bronze medalist
207: Jaycee, Foeller, 2024 NCWWC (NCAA) champion

McKendree
The Bearcats had three champions (if you count unattached wrestlers associated with the program) — the most of any team at the tournament.

Shelby Moore (124), Alex Szkotnicki (131), and Destiny Rodriguez (160, unattached) won titles with three other placers. 

McKendree is still missing Haylie Jaffe (138), Lillian Freitas (145), Kaylynn Albrecht (160), Lydia Krauss (160), and Tritan Kelly (180). Four-time NCWWC (NCAA) champion Cameron Guerin announced that she is skipping this season but is still listed on the team’s roster. 

Grand Valley State
Sage Mortimer (110) and Sabrina Nauss (180) notched titles for the Lakers with three additional placers. Returning NCWWC (NCAA) champion Katie Lange reached the quarterfinals and forfeited out of the tournament, presumably as a precaution. 

Mortimer had the run of the tournament, knocking off three Hawkeyes in a row, including two national champions (Gonzalez and Bayless). 

Missouri Valley
The host team had a solid showing, with Kelani Corbett taking the 207-pound title.

Lindenwood
Rebecca Strong (2nd at 145) and Sara Lake (2nd at 207) reached the finals, Cayden Condit (131) finished third, and Caitlyn Jackson (117) finished fifth. 

Colorado Mesa
The Mavericks had four placers, including Gretchen Donally — a 160-pound finalist. 

High School
Makennah Craft dominated the 103-pound bracket, securing four tech and two falls. The Minford, Ohio, native is ranked #5 at 100 pounds in the national girls' high school rankings.

She wasn't the only high schooler to reach the finals.

Sierra Chiesa, ranked #7 at 125, finished second at 124 pounds.

Bella Williams, ranked #1 at 140, finished second at 131 pounds. 

Unattached
Xochitl Mota-Pettis moved up to win the 138-pound bracket. She is a US Open champion who reached 2023 Finals X. Valerie Hamilton, a recently graduated high school star, won the 145-pound title. 

Canada's Aleah Nickel, a three-time Senior World teamer, finished third at 145. 

Women’s Spotlight: Brinley Green and Bella Cepak

Brinley Green moved down two weight classes for her sophomore campaign at Sioux Falls.

Bella Cepak doesn't lack confidence, and her on-the-mat style reflects her personality.

Upcoming Tournaments

Sunday, December 1
Bob Smith Women's Open

College Open Results

Below are links to brackets for this weekend’s dual and open tournaments.

Friday November 22 and Saturday, November 23
Missouri Valley Open

Saturday, November 23
8-Woman Battles

Sunday, November 24
Baldwin-Wallace Open
Spokane Open
John Carroll Duals