Life University Athletics

LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- With the championship coming down to the final bought of the NWCA National Duals, No. 2 Life University women's wrestling's Gabrielle Hamilton toughed out her 191 lbs. match, bouncing back in the second period to upset a third-ranked foe via pin fall and secure the team victory over No. 1 Campbellsville. Life U's 25-19 win earned the team their first ever NWCA National Duals Title and dual victory over the Tigers.
 
The women took the top spot in the tournament, defeating No. 9 Baker, No. 3 Southern Oregon, and No. 1 Campbellsville after getting a first-round bye. Mid-South Conference rival Campbellsville took home second place, while Southern Oregon edged out No. 5 Grand View in the third-place match to round out the top three.
 
After receiving a first-round bye, the Running Eagles started day one in the quarterfinals with a dominant, 33-10, victory over Baker University. In this match--and every other one throughout the tournament--Life U had to forfeit the 101 lbs. match due to a lack of wrestlers available, starting in a hole, but Kory Phillips proved clutch, recording a pin at 109 lbs. in 1:28 to even the dual at 5-5. The Wildcats only won a single match over Life U, Hamilton matching Phillips with a pin of her own in just 0:58 seconds, while Peyton Prussin, Brianna Kellin, Olivia Motley, and Angelina Prado also earned bonus points with tech falls. Destinee Rivera and Jordan Nelson secured victories in their matches as well, both coming via decisions.
 
Opening day two with a semifinals match against No. 3 Southern Oregon, Phillips again came up clutch coming back from behind to pin the seventh-ranked 109 lbs. wrestler with only 26 second to go in the first period. Life U's other pin in the match also came via upset, Motley putting an exclamation mark on her showing this week with a late pin over the eighth-ranked wrestler at 136 lbs. At 116 and 191 lbs., respectively, Prussin and Hamilton helped the team pull away for victory with tech fall victories over ranked opponents. Wrestling up to 116 lbs., Prussin quickly finished the fifth-ranked 109 lbs. with a 10-0 TF, while Hamilton did much the same in a 10-0 upset of the No. 5 191 lbs. wrestler. Also wrestling up a class, Salyna Shotwell earned a hard-fought 10-6 decision over the No. 5 116 lbs. wrestler. Other winners that ensured the team moved on to the championship match with a 28-15 victory were Kellin and Nelson who each scored three team points with decisions.
 
In the final match of the NWCA National Duals Championships, Life U found themselves on the opposite side of the mat of a familiar foe, No. 1 Campbellsville, but came up with an unfamiliar result, winning 25-19. After starting the match in a 5-0 hole due to a forfeit at 101 lbs., Phillips concluded her perfect week by pulling out a last second 9-8 decision victory to see the score at 6-3 after two matches. Prussin followed at 116 lbs. facing No. 1 McKayka Campbell and won a wild 19-14 decision in a match that saw extended stoppages, pulling the Running Eagles a little closer at 7-6. Shotwell earned Life U its first lead of the dual, defeating ninth-ranked Jacqueline Ghent midway through the first period via pin. An injury default at 130 lbs. saw the Tigers retake the lead 12-11, but Motley followed that up with a 4-3 upset decision over No. 7 Randi Robinson for Life U to claim a 14-13 lead. A loss via pin at 143 lbs. followed by decision victories by Rivera and Nelson saw the Running Eagles hold a 20-19 lead going into the final match of the tournament. With the championship on the line, Hamilton took to the mat against No. 3 Liliana Vergara. Down 6-4 in the first period, a hard fall suffered by Hamilton had the match in question, but she came roaring back in the second period, scoring 10 unanswered points before pinning her opponent with 25 seconds to go to secure the win and NWCA Duals Championship.
 
The women's wrestling team returns to action next weekend facing top tier NCAA DII opponent King University on the road Saturday, January 15^th at 6 PM. The Running Eagles follow that up by taking part in the Tornado Open the next day.