Weekend Preview: Nov. 6-8

The women’s college wrestling schedule is packed this weekend. There are about 60 events on the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA schedules from Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8, including 19 multi-team events and 41 duals. The headliner is the Throwdown on the Yorktown, where top-ranked Iowa, No. 4 Grand Valley State, No. 5 Presbyterian and No. 15 Delaware State meet on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier in South Carolina. Several open tournaments also bring together ranked teams from multiple divisions, including a loaded Ottawa-Hinderliter Invitational that features the No. 1 team in the NAIA and the No. 1 team in the NJCAA.

Rankings cited below are from this week’s HerMat rankings. Tournament rankings are used for open tournaments, and dual meet rankings are used for dual meets.

Note: Attending teams are based on posted team schedules and are subject to change. Ranked wrestlers listed may not all compete. Some of the open tournaments this weekend have multiple divisions based on age and experience, so it’s not uncommon for NJCAA wrestlers to compete in different brackets than NCAA and NAIA wrestlers. Wrestlers registered for Friday’s Bill Farrell Memorial International in New York City are not included in this preview, though some could still compete in events later in the weekend.

Here are 12 events with multiple ranked teams to watch from Friday through Sunday.

Eagle Madness (Friday-Saturday)

Two-time defending NAIA national champion Life University gets the weekend started with its annual Eagle Madness, which features both duals and an open tournament on Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 in Marietta, Georgia. Six teams ranked in the NAIA tournament rankings are entered: No. 4 Life U, No. 5 Wayland Baptist, No. 7 Lindsey Wilson, No. 11 Cumberlands, No. 13 Campbellsville and No. 21 Missouri Baptist. NCAA No. 10 Emmanuel (Georgia) is also entered. The deepest weight class is 131 pounds, where Lindsey Wilson’s Jeila Ramos, the NAIA No. 1, could face No. 3 Janida Garcia of Life U, No. 5 Olivia Messerly of Campbellsville, No. 7 Aubree Kooren of Cumberlands and No. 15 Dru Turner of Wayland Baptist. At 145 pounds, Wayland Baptist’s Jordan Suarez, the NAIA No. 1, could see Lindsey Wilson’s Ayana Fletcher (No. 3) and Kori Campbell (No. 6), No. 7 Gabriella Perez of Campbellsville and NCAA No. 13 Alexandra Ford of Emmanuel. NAIA No. 2 Reka Busa of Life U, No. 3 Lexington Johnson of Missouri Baptist, No. 6 Saiheron Preciado-Meza of Cumberlands, No. 8 Leilani Lemus of Wayland Baptist and No. 9 Katelyn Lewis of Lindsey Wilson give 180 pounds five ranked wrestlers. At 207 pounds, No. 4 Leilani Sanchez of Wayland Baptist, No. 6 Madeline Welch of Life U, Lindsey Wilson’s Hayeni Costa (No. 8) and Allie Phillips (No. 9) and No. 10 Naomi Duenas of Cumberlands could meet. Wayland Baptist’s Mercy Adekuoroye, the NAIA pound-for-pound No. 1, headlines 160 pounds, where No. 7 Kylee Tait of Campbellsville and No. 9 Nevaeh Hayden of Cumberlands could stand in her way.

No. 6 Wayland Baptist at No. 3 Life U (Friday)

Life U also hosts Wayland Baptist in a dual on Friday, Nov. 6 in Marietta, Georgia. Life U is ranked No. 3 in the NAIA dual meet rankings, while Wayland Baptist is ranked No. 6. The Running Eagles are looking to rebound from a 27-12 loss to NCAA No. 6 King last Sunday. Ranked wrestlers could square off in eight of 10 weight classes. The best matchup on paper is at 207 pounds, where Wayland Baptist’s Leilani Sanchez (No. 4) could face Life U’s Madeline Welch (No. 6). At 180 pounds, Life U’s Reka Busa, the NAIA No. 2, could take on No. 8 Leilani Lemus. Wayland Baptist has two No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Jordan Suarez (145) and Mercy Adekuoroye (160). Suarez could see Life U true freshman Faith Bane, ranked No. 15, while Adekuoroye could see No. 13 Zayla Vann. Life U has the edge on paper at 124 and 131 pounds, where No. 4 Ariana Martinez could face No. 15 Myra Pressnell and No. 3 Janida Garcia could meet No. 15 Dru Turner. At 103 pounds, Wayland Baptist’s Calli Connally (No. 6) could take on Life U’s Alyssa Quezaire (No. 12), while 110 pounds features Life U’s Diana Gonzalez (No. 7) against Wayland Baptist’s Megan Morales (No. 12). This one could come down to the final few bouts.

Viking Open (Friday-Saturday)

The Viking Open runs Friday, Nov. 6 through Saturday, Nov. 7 in Poteau, Oklahoma. Host Carl Albert State is one of three teams ranked in the NJCAA tournament rankings, joining No. 2 Southeast and No. 4 Murray State. Barton, which has three ranked wrestlers, is also entered, along with NCAA programs Lyon, McMurry and Schreiner. The best weight class on paper is 180 pounds, where Murray State’s Caris Morris (No. 3) and Malana Miller (No. 4) could see No. 5 Diesel Janovich of Southeast. At 103 pounds, Southeast’s Bertha Cabrera, ranked No. 2 and No. 8 in the NJCAA pound-for-pound rankings, could face No. 4 Dixie Holliday of Murray State. Southeast’s Stella Harbols (No. 4) and Murray State’s Adrianna Chronister (No. 5) could square off at 145 pounds, where Murray State also has Zolie Kurena, ranked No. 8 at 138, and No. 12 Avrey Taylor. At 124 pounds, No. 4 Phoebe Gutierrez of Southeast could meet No. 8 Mallory Sellars of Carl Albert State, with No. 10 Araxi Crew of Southeast and No. 12 Alyssa Calovich of Barton also ranked. Carl Albert State’s Dalani Hornbuckle, ranked No. 8 at 110, is competing at 117 pounds, where she could face No. 9 Avery Hinojos of Barton and Carl Albert State teammate Isabella Salas (No. 10). Murray State’s Teyanna Fields (No. 5) and Southeast’s Kate Doughty (No. 6) could meet at 138 pounds. Murray State’s Jordan Bread, ranked No. 8 at 235, is competing at 207 pounds, where she could see No. 11 Harmony Moore of Barton and No. 12 Rowan Statz of Southeast. Ranked wrestlers could also meet at 110 pounds, 131 pounds and 160 pounds, where Murray State’s Kristen DeLarosa (No. 4), Southeast’s Britney Rueb (No. 4) and Carl Albert State’s Ashley Thompson (No. 10) lead the way.

Ottawa-Hinderliter Invitational (Saturday)

The Ottawa-Hinderliter Invitational is the largest event of the weekend, with 21 teams set to compete on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Ottawa High School in Ottawa, Kansas. Eight teams ranked in the NAIA tournament rankings are entered, led by No. 1 Grand View, which makes its season debut. The Vikings are joined by No. 6 Ottawa, No. 9 Bellevue, No. 12 Missouri Valley, No. 14 Saint Mary, No. 15 Oklahoma City, No. 20 Central Methodist and No. 22 Avila. NJCAA No. 1 Indian Hills, No. 5 Iowa Central and No. 8 Colby are also entered. The marquee matchup could come at 110 pounds, where Oklahoma City’s Avery Jansing, the NAIA No. 1, could see No. 2 Tristan Nitta of Grand View, both ranked in the top 10 pound-for-pound. NCAA No. 11 Alexandra Tchekounova of Quincy is also ranked at the weight. The deepest weight in the field is 117 pounds, where NAIA No. 1 Zao Estrada of Missouri Valley could face No. 4 Joely Slyter of Bellevue, No. 5 Mayangelie Colon of Grand View and No. 7 Addison Saporito of Ottawa. Grand View’s Lita Cruz (No. 2) and Isabelle Apple (No. 4) could face Saint Mary’s Alexsys Jacquez (No. 3) and Destiny Jones (No. 5) at 103 pounds. NAIA No. 1 Andjela Prijovic of Grand View could see No. 5 Siara Arrington of Ottawa, No. 7 Keyahna Phillips of Bellevue and NCAA No. 11 Ambre Chevreau of Northeastern State at 180 pounds. At 207 pounds, Grand View’s Martha Hinneh (No. 2) could meet No. 3 Haley Ward of Avila. Indian Hills’ Gabriela Avila Diaz and Iowa Central’s Jeream Estabilio, ranked first and second at 124 pounds, could meet, while Iowa Central’s Erica Pastoriza, the NJCAA pound-for-pound No. 1, leads the way at 103 pounds.

No. 4 GVSU vs. No. 5 Presbyterian (Saturday)

The weekend’s most unique setting belongs to the third Throwdown on the Yorktown, an annual event held on the flight deck of the historic World War II aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The event is sold out. Four NCAA programs are entered in a round-robin format: No. 1 Iowa, No. 4 GVSU and No. 5 Presbyterian in the dual meet rankings, plus fast-starting Delaware State, which has four wrestlers ranked in the top 10. Three of the six duals pit ranked teams against each other. The first comes on Saturday, Nov. 7, when GVSU and Presbyterian meet. Based on both teams’ lineups, ranked wrestlers could square off in five of 10 weight classes. GVSU’s projected lineup does not include No. 1 Sabrina Nauss (207) or No. 14 Alyssa Favara (180), while Presbyterian’s lineup does not include No. 5 Carina Giangeruso (138) or a wrestler at 180 pounds. The best matchup on paper is at 145 pounds, where GVSU’s Margaret Buurma (No. 4) could face Presbyterian’s Maddie Kubicki (No. 6). At 160 pounds, No. 5 Elleni Johnson of GVSU and No. 6 May Cuyler of Presbyterian could face off in what would be an intriguing matchup. Johnson pinned Cuyler at the 2025 national tournament. Presbyterian’s Chloe Dearwester (No. 3) could take on GVSU freshman Julia Horger (No. 8) at 110 pounds, and GVSU’s Katey Valdez (No. 4) could meet Presbyterian’s Annalise Maralit (No. 17) at 103 pounds. At 138 pounds, Presbyterian’s Kassey Daugherty, ranked No. 9 at 131, could see GVSU’s Jordyn Fouse (No. 14) or Madilyn Peach, ranked No. 11 at 131. Presbyterian’s Alyssa Mahan, ranked No. 7 at 124, moves up to 131 pounds, while No. 11 Jenna Anderson (117) and No. 5 Maria Aiono (207) face unranked GVSU wrestlers. GVSU’s Isabella Crompton (117) placed at the Tiffin Open, though.

No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 5 Presbyterian (Saturday)

Presbyterian doesn’t get much of a breather on Saturday, Nov. 7, as the Blue Hose also face top-ranked Iowa on the flight deck. Based on both teams’ lineups, ranked wrestlers could square off in five of 10 weight classes. The best matchup on paper is at 110 pounds, where Presbyterian’s Chloe Dearwester (No. 3) could take on Iowa newcomer Isabella Gonzales, who debuts in the rankings at No. 6. Iowa’s Reese Larramendy, the No. 2 wrestler at 145 pounds, could see No. 6 Maddie Kubicki, and at 160 pounds, No. 1 Brooklyn Hays of Iowa could face No. 6 May Cuyler. Iowa’s Brianna Gonzalez (No. 2) could take on No. 11 Jenna Anderson at 117 pounds, while Iowa’s Lilly Luft (No. 2) could see Kassey Daugherty, ranked No. 9 at 131, at 138 pounds. Iowa’s Karlee Brooks, ranked No. 5 at 131 pounds, is competing at the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open in New York City and is not expected to wrestle. That sets up an intriguing bout at 131 pounds, where Emily Frost, who won the Luther Hill Open title at 131 pounds last weekend, could face Presbyterian’s Alyssa Mahan, ranked No. 7 at 124. Iowa lists both Kylie Welker, the NCAA pound-for-pound No. 1, and Naomi Simon, ranked No. 6 at 207 pounds, at 180 pounds, where Presbyterian does not list a wrestler. Simon won the Luther Hill Open title at 180 pounds last weekend. With Simon at 180, Libby Dix is listed at 207 pounds, where Presbyterian’s Maria Aiono (No. 5) has the edge on paper. Iowa is the clear favorite.

Pointer Open (Saturday)

The Pointer Open brings 20 teams to Skyward Fieldhouse in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, on Saturday, Nov. 7. Host UW-Stevens Point welcomes five teams ranked in the NCAA tournament rankings: No. 3 North Central, No. 9 Simpson, No. 11 Wartburg, No. 12 Aurora and No. 14 Northern Michigan. North Central and Northern Michigan could meet again just five days after the Cardinals’ 31-11 win in Marquette, Michigan, and this time the Wildcats could have No. 6 Alissa Caltagirone (138) and No. 10 Abbie Miles (180), who didn’t wrestle Monday. The best weight class on paper is 138 pounds, where Wartburg’s Kylie Birchman (No. 3) could face Caltagirone, No. 7 Sophia Ball of Aurora and No. 15 Taylor Miess of North Central. At 180 pounds, North Central’s Jael Miller (No. 4) could see No. 6 Keeley Kehrli of Simpson, Miles and host UW-Stevens Point’s Kara Kuge (No. 13). No. 3 Genesis Ramirez of Aurora, No. 5 Brianne Graves of North Central and No. 12 Lillee Denson of Northern Michigan could meet at 103 pounds. Simpson’s Annelise Obermark, ranked No. 3 at 145 pounds, could face North Central’s Taylor Graveman (No. 7), who wrestled at the U23 World Championships last month, and Wartburg’s Aniyah Kelly (No. 12). At 160 pounds, Northern Michigan’s Sophia Bassino (No. 8), who blanked North Central’s Elizabeth Rosenstiel (No. 13) 8-0 on Monday, could see her again, along with No. 10 Kami Senlycki of Wartburg. North Central’s Kaelani Shufeldt (No. 4) and Simpson’s Isabel Kaplan (No. 7) could meet at 110 pounds, with NJCAA No. 5 Lemuna Gurisho of Hawkeye also ranked at the weight. North Central’s Riley Rayome, the No. 2 wrestler at 124 pounds, could face Wartburg’s Sophie Bowers (No. 12) and Simpson’s Ashley Cannon (No. 13).

DSU Open (Saturday)

Dickinson State hosts the DSU Open on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Scott Gymnasium in Dickinson, North Dakota, one day after Hastings and Sioux Falls each wrestle a dual against the Blue Hawks. Two teams ranked in the NAIA tournament rankings are entered, No. 17 Bismarck State and No. 19 Hastings, along with NCAA programs Chadron State, Jamestown, Minot State and Sioux Falls. The headliner is at 138 pounds, where Hastings’ Reagen Gallaway and Bismarck State’s Alexis Schneider, ranked third and fourth in the NAIA, could meet, with NCAA No. 20 Johanna Steinlicht of Sioux Falls also a possible opponent. Bismarck State’s Rei Ogden, ranked No. 5 at 124 pounds, looks to bounce back after a tough day at the Luther Hill Open. At 110 pounds, NAIA No. 9 Raelynn O’Connor of Hastings could face NCAA No. 12 Rylee Balcazar of Chadron State. At 207 pounds, NCAA No. 11 Esther Peters of Chadron State and No. 16 Aniya Herbin of Minot State could see NAIA No. 14 Alexis Llamas of Hastings. NCAA No. 15 Kylie Hulse of Sioux Falls and No. 17 Vida Beckel of Minot State could meet at 160 pounds, with NAIA No. 19 Emma Stice of Hastings also ranked at the weight.

No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 4 GVSU (Sunday)

The Throwdown on the Yorktown wraps up on Sunday, Nov. 8, when top-ranked Iowa takes on No. 4 GVSU. Based on Iowa’s posted lineup and GVSU’s projected lineup, ranked wrestlers could square off in four of 10 weight classes. The marquee matchup is at 145 pounds, where Iowa’s Reese Larramendy (No. 2) could take on GVSU’s Margaret Buurma (No. 4). At 160 pounds, No. 1 Brooklyn Hays of Iowa could face No. 5 Elleni Johnson. Two newcomers could meet at 110 pounds, where Iowa’s Isabella Gonzales (No. 6) could face GVSU freshman Julia Horger (No. 8), the Tiffin Open champion. At 138 pounds, Iowa’s Lilly Luft (No. 2) could see Jordyn Fouse (No. 14) or Madilyn Peach, ranked No. 11 at 131. Several other weights pit a ranked wrestler against a talented unranked opponent. GVSU’s Katey Valdez, the No. 4 wrestler at 103 pounds and a McKendree transfer who won the Elite 103 title at the Falcon Open last weekend, could take on Madison Nieuwenhuis, who won the 103-pound title at the Luther Hill Open last weekend, or Sterling Dias, a past national champion. At 117 pounds, Iowa’s Brianna Gonzalez (No. 2) could see GVSU’s Isabella Crompton, who placed third at the Tiffin Open, losing only to McKendree’s No. 1 Yu Sakamoto. GVSU’s Aspen Blasko (No. 3) or Libby Roberts (No. 9 at 117) could face Harlee Hiller at 124 pounds, while Iowa’s Kylie Welker, the NCAA pound-for-pound No. 1, or Naomi Simon, ranked No. 6 at 207, could see Madison Ward at 180 pounds. The Hawkeyes are the favorite on paper, but the Lakers have enough firepower to win some big bouts and make the dual very interesting.

Menlo Open (Sunday)

Menlo officially makes its NCAA debut at the Menlo Open on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Haynes-Prim Pavilion in Atherton, California. The Oaks, a historic NAIA program that won the 2024 national title, had been in limbo since beginning the transition from the NAIA to the NCAA more than two years ago. NAIA No. 3 Southern Oregon is the highest-ranked team in the field, with No. 25 Westcliff also ranked in the NAIA tournament rankings. NJCAA No. 3 Umpqua and No. 7 Southwestern Oregon are also entered, while Simon Fraser brings four NCAA-ranked wrestlers. Southern Oregon’s Lillian Gradillas-Flores, the NAIA No. 1 at 207 pounds and No. 2 pound-for-pound, leads the way. The best cross-division matchup could come at 160 pounds, where NAIA No. 2 Vida Boskovic of Southern Oregon could face NCAA No. 9 Lene-Marie McCrackin of Simon Fraser. At 124 pounds, Simon Fraser’s Agnia Krakovska (NCAA No. 10) could see Southern Oregon’s Myia Weiler (NAIA No. 12). NAIA No. 8 Berlyn Davis of Westcliff and NCAA No. 13 Ella Finding of Simon Fraser could meet at 131 pounds. At 138 pounds, Southern Oregon’s Jade Morales (No. 5) and Layla Morris (No. 9) could face Simon Fraser’s Laura Alcantar Soto, ranked No. 16 in the NCAA, who pinned NAIA No. 1 Haley Le of Evergreen State last weekend. Among the junior colleges, Umpqua has two No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Kailey Salazar (110), the NJCAA pound-for-pound No. 4, and Brianna Ross (117), who could see No. 5 Vanessa Keller of Southwestern Oregon. At 145 pounds, Umpqua’s Evelina Juzenaite (No. 2) and Southwestern Oregon’s Chantell Noffsinger (No. 3) could meet. Umpqua’s Addison Canja, the No. 2 wrestler at 180 pounds, could face No. 6 Jezney Chang of Southwestern Oregon.

Maverick Open (Sunday)

Colorado Mesa hosts the Maverick Open on Sunday, Nov. 8 at Brownson Arena in Grand Junction, Colorado, one day after the Mavericks host Texas Woman’s in a dual. NCAA No. 8 Colorado Mesa and No. 17 Fort Hays State are ranked in the NCAA tournament rankings, joined by NAIA No. 23 Arizona Christian and NJCAA No. 10 Snow. Fort Hays State’s Isabella Renfro, ranked No. 3 at 180 pounds, headlines the field after placing second at the Luther Hill Open. Arizona Christian’s Kayla McNatt, the NAIA No. 3 at 110 pounds, is another wrestler to watch. At 138 pounds, NCAA No. 19 Peyton Hellmann of Fort Hays State could see NJCAA No. 3 Inaily Samaniego of Snow. Fort Hays State’s Morgan Maschmann (No. 15) and Colorado Mesa’s Sophia Cornish (No. 18) could meet at 124 pounds, with NJCAA No. 7 Kathryn Christensen of Snow also ranked at the weight. At 103 pounds, Colorado Mesa’s Mia Zuniga (No. 6) could face Adams State’s Mia Siqueiros (No. 15). NCAA No. 11 Alexis Burton of Fort Hays State and NAIA No. 15 Nylease Yzagere of Arizona Christian could meet at 160 pounds. Colorado Mesa also has No. 4 Lorianna Piestewa at 117 pounds.

No. 17 Sacred Heart at No. 25 Ursinus (Sunday)

Ursinus hosts Sacred Heart on Sunday, Nov. 8 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, as part of a tri-meet that also includes Frostburg State. Sacred Heart is ranked No. 17 in the NCAA dual meet rankings, while Ursinus is ranked No. 25. There are no ranked head-to-head matchups on paper between the two, but both teams have ranked wrestlers who could swing the dual. Sacred Heart is led by No. 7 Love Daley (160) and No. 9 Josephine Larson (207), with No. 18 Madeline Hodges (180) and No. 20 Mai Graham (124) also ranked. Ursinus counters with No. 10 Mandy Gavares (103) and No. 14 Cloe Charlesworth (145). Frostburg State could produce a pair of ranked matchups. Frostburg State’s Brianna Holcomb, ranked No. 16 at 124 pounds, could face Graham, while No. 16 Amber Hunter-Snyder could see Charlesworth at 145 pounds. With ranked wrestlers at different weights, the bouts in between could decide this one.