NSU tops NJCAA powers in front of over 3,000 fans in home debut

Northeastern State women’s wrestling picked a good night to put on a show.

The RiverHawks made their home debut Wednesday in front of over 3,000 fans at the NSU Event Center. Northeastern State gave the crowd plenty to cheer about, defeating Southeast Community College 33-15 and Murray State 36-10 to improve to 3-0 on the season. Southeast is ranked No. 2 in the HerMat NJCAA dual meet rankings, while Murray State is No. 5.

Northeastern State is a new program, competing in NCAA Division II under the guidance of head coach Bryan Kenney. The NSU Event Center opened prior to the 2013-14 season and is home to RiverHawks basketball. The arena sits on the corner of Grand Avenue and North Street, just south of Doc Wadley Stadium.

The event also featured Northeastern State’s men’s team in duals against the same two schools. The RiverHawk men defeated Southeast Community College 40-11 before taking down Murray State 35-9.

Southeast struck first in the opening dual. NJCAA No. 5 Bertha Cabrera of Southeast defeated Northeastern State’s Damiyah Smith 15-4 by technical superiority at 103 pounds.

The RiverHawks answered with a run of falls. Every bout from 110 to 138 pounds ended in a pin, and Northeastern State won four of them.

Addie Morse of Northeastern State needed just 28 seconds to pin NJCAA No. 11 Madelynn Bohnet of Southeast at 110 pounds. NCAA No. 15 Mariah Dillard of Northeastern State followed with a fall in 1:19 over NJCAA No. 10 Mackenzie Olson of Southeast at 117 pounds. Aiyanna Perkins of Northeastern State then pinned NJCAA No. 6 Phoebe Gutierrez of Southeast in 5:49 at 124 pounds.

Southeast’s Araxi Crew, ranked No. 12 in the NJCAA at 124 pounds, pinned NCAA No. 18 Samara Markwardt of Northeastern State in 3:42 at 131 pounds. Makaylee Cannon of Northeastern State answered right back at 138 pounds, pinning Southeast’s Britney Rueb in 1:14. Rueb is ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA at 131 pounds.

Janaye Wise of Northeastern State pushed the lead to 25-10 with a 12-2 technical superiority in 2:33 over NJCAA No. 10 Stella Harbols of Southeast at 145 pounds. Southeast’s Billie Bonwell, the top-ranked wrestler in the NJCAA at 160 pounds, pinned Northeastern State’s Aliana Barnoski in 1:44 to keep the dual within reach.

NCAA No. 11 Ambre Chevreau of Northeastern State clinched the win at 180 pounds with a 10-0 technical superiority in 2:19 over NJCAA No. 4 Diesel Janovich of Southeast. NCAA No. 20 Catherine Dutton of Northeastern State capped off the dual at 207 pounds, needing just 34 seconds to put away Southeast’s Rowan Statz 10-0 by technical superiority.

Northeastern State carried that momentum into its second dual, winning eight of 10 bouts against Murray State.

Smith bounced back at 103 pounds, opening the dual with a 10-0 technical superiority in 2:31 over NJCAA No. 2 Vivian Hayes of Murray State. After Morse picked up a forfeit at 110 pounds, Dillard followed with a 10-0 technical superiority in 3:40 at 117 pounds over Murray State’s Kristen DeLarosa, ranked No. 5 in the NJCAA at 110 pounds.

Perkins recorded the fastest fall of the day, pinning Murray State’s Serina Curry in 23 seconds at 124 pounds. Markwardt then topped Murray State’s Courtney Nye 14-5 at 131 pounds, giving the RiverHawks a 21-1 lead.

Murray State won the next two bouts. Teyanna Fields of Murray State pinned Northeastern State’s Cannon in 5:46 at 138 pounds, and NJCAA No. 4 Adrianna Chronister of Murray State earned a 14-4 technical superiority over Wise at 145 pounds.

The RiverHawks closed with three straight bonus-point wins. Barnoski rebounded from her loss in the first dual by pinning Murray State’s Zolie Kurena in 2:47 at 160 pounds. Kurena is ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA at 138 pounds. Chevreau added her second technical superiority of the day at 180 pounds, a 10-0 win in 2:44 over NJCAA No. 3 Caris Morris of Murray State. That gave Chevreau wins over two of the top four NJCAA wrestlers at 180 pounds.

Dutton closed out the night the same way she closed out the first dual: in a hurry. She pinned Murray State’s Jordan Bread, ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA at 235 pounds, in 27 seconds at 207 pounds. Dutton spent a combined 61 seconds on the mat in her two wins.

Dillard, Perkins, Chevreau and Dutton each won twice by fall or technical superiority, while Morse added a fall and a forfeit.

The RiverHawks return to action Saturday at the Ottawa Open in Ottawa, Kansas.

Northeastern State 36, Murray State 10
103: Damiyah Smith (Northeastern State) tech. No. 2 (NJCAA) Vivian Hayes (Murray State), 10-0 2:31
110: Addie Morse (Northeastern State) won by forfeit
117: No. 15 (NCAA) Mariah Dillard (Northeastern State) tech. No. 5 (NJCAA, 110) Kristen DeLarosa (Murray State), 10-0 3:40
124: Aiyanna Perkins (Northeastern State) pinned Serina Curry (Murray State), 0:23
131: No. 18 (NCAA) Samara Markwardt (Northeastern State) dec. Courtney Nye (Murray State), 14-5
138: Teyanna Fields (Murray State) pinned Makaylee Cannon (Northeastern State), 5:46
145: No. 4 (NJCAA) Adrianna Chronister (Murray State) tech. Janaye Wise (Northeastern State), 14-4 6:00
160: Aliana Barnoski (Northeastern State) pinned No. 7 (NJCAA, 138) Zolie Kurena (Murray State), 2:47
180: No. 11 (NCAA) Ambre Chevreau (Northeastern State) tech. No. 3 (NJCAA) Caris Morris (Murray State), 10-0 2:44
207: No. 20 (NCAA) Catherine Dutton (Northeastern State) pinned No. 8 (NJCAA, 235) Jordan Bread (Murray State), 0:27

Northeastern State 33, Southeast 15
103: No. 5 (NJCAA) Bertha Cabrera (Southeast) tech. Damiyah Smith (Northeastern State), 15-4 5:08
110: Addie Morse (Northeastern State) pinned No. 11 (NJCAA) Madelynn Bohnet (Southeast), 0:28
117: No. 15 (NCAA) Mariah Dillard (Northeastern State) pinned No. 10 (NJCAA) Mackenzie Olson (Southeast), 1:19
124: Aiyanna Perkins (Northeastern State) pinned No. 6 (NJCAA) Phoebe Gutierrez (Southeast), 5:49
131: No. 12 (NJCAA, 124) Araxi Crew (Southeast) pinned No. 18 (NCAA) Samara Markwardt (Northeastern State), 3:42
138: Makaylee Cannon (Northeastern State) pinned No. 3 (NJCAA, 131) Britney Rueb (Southeast), 1:14
145: Janaye Wise (Northeastern State) tech. No. 10 (NJCAA) Stella Harbols (Southeast), 12-2 2:33
160: No. 1 (NJCAA) Billie Bonwell (Southeast) pinned Aliana Barnoski (Northeastern State), 1:44
180: No. 11 (NCAA) Ambre Chevreau (Northeastern State) tech. No. 4 (NJCAA) Diesel Janovich (Southeast), 10-0 2:19
207: No. 20 (NCAA) Catherine Dutton (Northeastern State) tech. Rowan Statz (Southeast), 10-0 0:34