From Rich Tortorelli
Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
OKLAHOMA CITY – Six Oklahoma City University individuals became all-Americans by advancing into the championship semifinals of the Women’s College Wrestling Association Championships on Friday at Abe Lemons Arena.
OCU’s Cody Pfau notched her third all-American nod, while Rachel Archer, Margaret Douma, Natalia Hinojo, Cassidy Jasperson and Becka Leathers earned all-American honors for the first time. The second-ranked Stars hold second place with 113 points.
Top-ranked two-time defending national champion King (Tenn.) piled up 136.5 points to have the top spot in the team standings. The tournament continues 10 a.m. Saturday with the championship finals set for 7 p.m., all at Abe Lemons Arena. Watch the tournament liveor follow live results.
The Stars’ Shelby Morrison at 116 pounds, Monica Mason at 191 and Rachel Young at 130 fell short in the championship quarterfinals. Morrison, Young, Heiley Garcia at 136 and Ashlyn White at 116 will try to battle back through the consolation rounds for OCU.
Pfau, the top-ranked defending 109-pound national champion, racked up three falls on the day. Pfau, a junior from Parachute, Colo., pinned Dominique Mendoza of McKendree (Ill.) in 18 seconds in the first round, then finished off Diana Molina of Cumberlands (Ky.) in 38 seconds. Pfau reached the semifinals with a fall of Michele Guerrero of Wayland Baptist (Texas) in 1:26. On the season, Pfau (40-1) increased her single-season OCU record fall total to 32.
Archer, ranked No. 1 at 116 pounds, secured her all-American acclaim with a 10-0 technical fall of Southern Oregon’s Madelynn McIlwain. Archer, a junior from Winlock, Wash., accrued two pins – in 18 seconds over Sarah Rocker of Ottawa (Kan.) and in 5:39 over Haley Hedgecock of Jamestown (N.D.). Archer brings a 29-6 record into Saturday’s competition.
Leathers, a freshman from Choctaw, Okla., took two technical-fall wins and a pin on the day. Leathers, top-ranked at 123 pounds, stuck Taylor Alva of Lyon (Ark.) in 1:18 in the first round. Leathers blanked Southwestern Oregon’s Sadie Bailey 10-0 and shut out Bianca Arizpe from Menlo (Calif.) 11-0 to improve to 28-2 on the season.
Douma, who holds the eighth spot in the 143-pound rankings, knocked off third-ranked Olivia Seppinni from McKendree 5-4 in the quarterfinals. Douma, a sophomore from Napa, Calif., pinned Kristina Diaz of Warner Pacific (Ore.) in 3:18 and Cherydan James from Waldorf (Iowa) in 49 seconds along the way. Douma improved to 25-9 in 2015-16.
Hinojo (27-2) accumulated three 10-0 technical-fall victories Friday. Hinojo, a junior from El Paso, Texas, routed Missouri Valley’s Samantha Higa in the quarters. Hinojo, ranked third at 130 pounds, stomped Ismilena Valles from Cumberlands and overwhelmed Jamestown’s Jenna Elmlinger.
Jasperson, ranked eighth at 123, upended third-ranked Montana Drum from Missouri Baptist 8-4 in the quarterfinals. Jasperson, a sophomore from League, City, Texas, won by fall over Christy Lor of Southwestern Oregon in 48 seconds and pinned Justine Seeley from Adrian (Mich.) in 2:09. Jasperson has a 14-5 record.
Women’s College Wrestling Association Championships
At Oklahoma City, Abe Lemons Arena
Team Standings
1. King (Tenn.), 136.5; 2. Oklahoma City, 113; 3. (tie) Campbellsville (Ky.), Simon Fraser (British Columbia), 103.5; 5. Lindenwood (Mo.), 85.5; 6. McKendree (Ill.), 80; 7. Cumberlands (Ky.), 51.5; 8. Wayland Baptist (Texas), 48.5; 9. Menlo (Calif.), 42.5; 10. Life (Ga.), 40.5; 11. Missouri Baptist, 38; 12. Jamestown (N.D.), 37; 13. Southern Oregon, 36.5; 14. Southwestern Oregon, 36.5; 15. Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.), 20; 16. Missouri Valley, 19; 17. (tie) Ottawa (Kan.), Waldorf (Iowa), 14; 19. Warner Pacific (Ore.), 13; 20. Lyon (Ark.), 12.5; 21. Adrian (Mich.), 8; 22. Pacific (Ore.), 7.5; 23. Emmanuel (Ga.), 5; 24. Ferrum (Va.), 2.5; 25. Midland (Neb.), 0.5.