Grand Valley State University’s women’s wrestling team (4-0) took down Davenport University (0-2) 44-0 in a head-to-head duel Saturday, Jan. 3 played in Caledonia. The following weekend, the Lakers took on the University of Sioux Falls, Presbyterian College, McKendree University and the University of Iowa at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals.
Starting off the match against Davenport, a double forfeit was given to both teams. This was immediately ensued by three wins via forfeit for GVSU’s 110-pound freshman Kiely Tabaldo, 117-pound junior Sage Mortimer and 124-pound freshman Aspen Blasko. The early head start put GVSU up 15-0, collecting five points each.
Next on the mat, 131-pound senior Hannah Palise pinned the Davenport opponent, followed by 138-pound senior Katerina Lange, who defeated another Panther by a technical foul. These wins left the Lakers at 24-0 after scoring five and four points, respectively.
Then came 145-pound senior Clarissa Agostini, who pinned the Davenport opponent, giving GVSU another five points and 29-0 lead.
160-pound senior Noelle Gaffney and 180-pound freshman Maddison Ward achieved a pin each, placing GVSU firmly up 39-0 over the Panthers. The Lakers took the dominating 44-0 win with another pin down at the hands of 207-pound sophomore Aaliyah Grandberry.
“Champions find a way,” said Mortimer. “(That’s) a mindset we always remember as a team.”
Grandberry affirmed this perspective, emphasizing the importance of support among the Lakers for a good performance.
“I feel that as long as we support each other and stay competitive, we can leave everything out on the mat and wrestle hard,” Grandberry said.
As the Lakers improved to 4-0 on the season, they switched their focus to NWCA’s Nationals Duals, which were held January 9-10 at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The Lakers came in as the No.3 seed overall and the No. 4-ranked team in the NWCA poll. GVSU first took on the University of Sioux Falls.
Mortimer began the tournament for the Lakers, looking to give GVSU an early advantage. With a technical fall, she earned the Lakers a 10-0 early lead. Next to the mat was Blasko, who continued the Lakers’ momentum by winning 8-0 with a pin down.
Next to the mat was Palise. After losing one point, Palise dominated the rest of the round, leading to a fall and win, 12-1.
Lange was up next for GVSU, and another technical fall led to her winning 10-0. Following Lange, Agostini dominated her in the match, earning a 9-0 win.
The following round had Gaffney against a tougher opponent; however, Gaffney pinned her down for a 9-0 decision win.
GVSU was able to take the match 43-2, and for the second-straight match, crushed their opponent. With the win, the Lakers moved on to the quarter-round of the tournament.
In the second quarter-match of the day, the Lakers took on Presbyterian College. Coming to the mat first was 103-pound senior Rayana Sahagun. Sahagun pinned her opponent down and won 6-0.
However, after Tabaldo lost her matchup against the Blue Hoses, the Lakers faced their first significant adversity of the tournament. Mortimer responded with a back-and-forth battle ending with Mortimer winning 12-9 by default. Another back-and-forth, high-scoring battle saw Blasko lose via decision, 13-13.
A few losses for GVSU forced a must-win match for Gaffney against the Blue Hoses. Gaffney won the round after a nail-biting 3-2 by decision. After a few more wins, GVSU was able to hold on against Presbyterian, 24-17.
Saturday, the Lakers faced McKendree University, where the strength and fighting spirit of the Lakers began to diminish.
Sahagun was the first representative for the Lakers and was unable to earn a point, losing 9-0. Tabaldo suffered the same fate as she lost by decision, 5-0. GVSU was able to finally get points through Mortimer’s technical fall, leaving the Lakers down at 14-3.
The Lakers looked for a late rally as Blasko’s next 4-1 win filled the team with hope. However, the momentum switched back to McKendree State as a 10-9 loss via decision shaped the rest of the match. A plethora of Laker losses rounded out a 25-13 loss.
After the result of the semifinals, GVSU was placed against a Division I foe, the University of Iowa, for the battle for third place later in the day. In the match against Iowa, things continued to turn for the worse.
Sahagun lost via decision, 7-0, against the Hawkeyes in the first matchup. A few more GVSU losses set up another impressive performance by Mortimer. A Mortimer pin allowed GVSU to get its first win, 6-0. Lange was the only other Laker to win, as she won easily, 10-0. GVSU lost 26-15 to Iowa and was given fourth place in the tournament.
Despite this decrease in momentum, the Lakers will next travel to the Penn Activity Center in Oskaloosa, Iowa, to face William Penn University in the William Penn Open Sunday, January 18.
