The women's college wrestling season is upon us and it's time to get excited for one of the best team races in NCAA history. Women's college wrestling has seen significant changes since 2019 highlighted by the WCWA (Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association) Championships disbanding after the 2020 season, which was the end-of-of the year tournament for all women's college programs.

NCAA programs and NAIA programs currently have separate end-of-the-year championships. The tournament for NCAA programs is called the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships and it includes Division I, II, and III schools since women's wrestling is still an emerging sport. 

The first NCWWC tournament was held in 2020 and McKendree University — a Division II program located in Lebanon, Illinois — won all three championships since its inception. Alexio Garcia replaces Sam Schmitz as the new Bearcat coach and he has plenty to work with during his inaugural campaign. His team has four returning national champions and seven All-Americans, including three-time champ Sydnee Kimber and two-time champ Cameron Guerin.

McKendree will get tested by King and North Central with Colorado Mesa and Augsburg giving chase. King finished second last season and knocked off McKendree during the 2022 NWCA National Duals finals. Jason Moorman has a balanced team led by returning champion, Ashlynn Ortega, at 143 pounds, and 10 additional returning All-Americans.

North Central has the pieces in place to make a run at a title this season. Joe Norton's squad finished fourth in 2022 and has 13 returning national place winners and arguably the best wrestler in the country in Yelena Makoyed. 

Simon Fraser, a perennial national contender, lost most of its lineup to graduation and will rebuild after a third-place national finish last season. 

The 2023 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships are being held on March 3-4 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The University of Iowa will compete in the event for the first time in 2024. This is the first time the event has been held at an arena that is not on a college campus. 

Each team can qualify up to 15 wrestlers for the national tournament but only 10 pre-selected wrestlers count for team scores. There are five qualifying regional championships with the top four wrestlers from each tournament qualifying for the national championships, which means each bracket will have 20 wrestlers. 

Below are prospective line-ups for the top 10 teams from the 2022 national collegiate wrestling championships with national tournament placings in parenthesis. 

McKendree (Lebanon, Illinois)
Head coach: Alexio Garcia
2022 finish: 1st

101: Lizette Rodriguez, JR (3-3)
109: Pauline Granados, SR (1-2)
116: Aliyah Rollins, SR (5)
123: Payton Stroud, SR (8-5)
130: Cameron Guerin, JR (1-1)
136: Abigail Varady, FR
143: Alara Boyd, SR (2-1-2)
155: Jazzmine Seely, JR
170: Alexandra Castillo, FR
191: Sydnee Kimber, SR (1-1-1)

Note: Rollins’s fifth-place finish was at the 2020 WCWA Championships when she wrestled for Missouri Baptist. The WCWA Championships included all divisions and has since been disbanded.

King (Bristol, Tennessee)
Head coach: Jason Moorman
2022 finish: 2nd

101: Jessica Corredor, SO
109: Sage Mortimer, SO (3) or Dianna Holmes, SO
116: Samara Chavez, SO (3) or Danielle Garcia, JR
123: Melanie Mendoza, JR (5-6) or Vayle-Rae Baker (2), JR
130: Montana Delawder, SO (7) or Sophia Mirabella, SO (4)
136: Ana Luciano, SR (4-2-3)
143: Ashlynn Ortega, SR (3-2-1) or Viktorya Torres, SO
155: Tiffani Baublitz, SO (7)
170: Cheyenne Bowman, SO (5)
191: Nia Crosdale, SR (4-4-4)

Note: Vayle-Rae Baker’s second-place finish was at the 2020 WCWA Championships when she wrestled for Augsburg.

Simon Fraser (Burnaby, British Columbia)
Head coach: Justin Abdou
2022 finish: 3rd

101: Gina Bolognese, FR
109: Maddie Mackenzie, SO (6) or Golrokh Nouri, JR
116: Ivy Threatful, FR
123: Tori Seal, FR or Jocyln Bhatha, SO
130: Marquises Haintz, SO
136: Jade Trolland, SO
143: Clara Scaglioni, SO or Eleni Fakaosi, FR
155: Paige Maher, FR
170: Emily Cue, SR (3-3)
191: Katja Osteen, SR (6) or Julia Ritchey, SO

North Central (Naperville, Illinois)
Head coach: Joe Norton
2022 finish: 4th

101: Angelina Graff, SR (8) or Maddie Avila, FR
109: Sydney Petzinger, SO (2)
116: Jaslynn Gallegos, JR (1-4-4) or Kendra Ryan, SO (6)
123: Amani Jones, SO (5) or Asia Nguyen-Smith, SR (5-3-7)
130: Niya Gaines, JR (2) or Sara Sterner, SO
136: London Houston, SO or Sara Sulejmani, SO (7)
143: Riley Aamold, SO (6) or Kendall Bostelman, FR
155: Tiera Jimerson, SO (5), Malea Palahniuk, SR (8-4)
170: Yelena Makoyed, SR (2-1-1) or Brittyn Corbishley, SO (4)
191: Traeh Haynes, SO

Note: Jaslynn Gallegos transferred from Presbyterian and was a 2020 WCWA champion and Brittyn Corbishley transferred from Texas Wesleyan and placed fourth at the 2022 NAIA Championships

Colorado Mesa (Grand Junction, Colorado)
Head coach: Travis Mercado
2022 finish: 5th

101: Jennesis Martinez, SO (3-4) or Isabella Morales, FR
109: Carisa Epling, SO or Isabella Richards, FR
116: Israel Resendez, FR
123: Marissa Gallegos, JR (3-2-3) or Lizzie Miller, SO (7)
130: Claire DiCugno SO (5) or Hailey Chapman, FR
136: Holly Beaudoin, SO (5)
143: Dalia Garibay, SO (2)
155: Caylee Collins, JR or Aynslee Hester, FR
170: Tatum Heikkila, SO (7) or Melena Jones, SO
191: Jayleen Sekona, SO (3) or Isabeau Shalack, FR (6)

Augsburg (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Head coach: Jake Short
2022 finish: 6th

101: Open
109: Brinley Cowley, FR
116: Brooklyn Conrad, FR or Tateum Park, SR
123: Gabby Torteson, SR (6-8)
130: Autumn Flannagan, JR
136: Nina Makem, SO (2)
143: Katie Lange, SO
155: Marlynne Deede, SR (6-3-3)
170: Ashley Lekas, FR or Brooklyn Hayes, FR
191: Brooklyn Hayes, FR or Faith Tuttle, SR (7)

Tiffin (Tiffin, Ohio)
Head coach: Chandler Minnard
2022 finish: 7th

101: Shanna Morris, SR (8-8)
109: Olivia Shore, SO (1) or Jenavi Alejandro, FR
116: Kendra Heitt, FR
123: Grace Jones, SO
130: Ariana Carrasquillo, SO
136: Solana Mottola, SO (5)
143: Paige Lenhardt, JR
155: Alyia Martin, JR or Erin Martin, FR
170: Morgan Davidson, JR (6) or Taryn Martin, SO
191: Hollie Espinoza, SO

Adrian (Adrian, Michigan)
Head coach: Cliff Cushard
2022 finish: 8th

101: Miley Perkins, FR
109: Modestie Hitchcock, SO or Emily Mendez, JR (6)
116: Carleigh Czerneski, SO or Angela LoRusso, SR
123: Laila Oribello, JR or Jaryn Strong, SO
130: Mackenzie Tayerle, SR
136: Shawna Oesterling, JR or Elisa Cox (8)
143: Claire Agostini, FR or Taylor Cutler, JR
155: Nyla Burgess, SO (4) or Megan Vondrasek, SR
170: Aspen Dodge, JR or Kayley Rada, SO
191: Yamilex Perez, JR

Emmanuel (Franklin Springs, Georgia)
Head coach: Bryce Killian
2022 finish: 9th

101: Hope Eastes, FR
109: Catarina Velasquez, FR
116: Betty Cherry, FR
123: Annika Lindberg, SO
130: Esther Levendusky, SO
136: Sam Larios, SO
143: Giana Anaya, JR
155: Aalijah Pineda, FR
170: Alyssa Arana, FR
191: Cristina Santoyo, SR (4-5-5)

Gannon (Erie, Pennsylvania)
Head coach: Breonnah Neal
2022 place: 10th

101: Chloe Kitagawa, FR
109: Julianne Moccia, SO (7) or Jade Nguyen, FR
116: Nikoly Dos Santos, SR
123: Juliana Cubias, JR or Zoe Gaetjens, FR
130: Lana Perez, JR
136: Jayden Bazemore, FR
143: Stephanie Floor, SR or Gabby Malinowski, SR
155: Lili Ujfalvi, FR or Schyler Caringi, FR
170: Annabelle Helm, SR or Jewel Gonzalez, JR
191: Amara Devericks, SR or Kendall McGarity, SR