By: Nick Pope
CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — The Life University women's wrestling team won its third National Duals title in four seasons as Head coach Ashley Flavin's Running Eagles went head-to-head with the top NAIA teams in the nation. Going into the tournament, second-seeded Grand View University looked to be the team's toughest test, where they would presumably meet in the finals. Both programs met in the finals where the Running Eagles pulled away to win their second straight NWCA National Duals Championship.
The Running Eagles began their 2025 NWCA National Duals campaign with an emphatic victory over Missouri Baptist University, demonstrating their depth and dominance with a comprehensive 48-0 sweep. From the opening bout, Brianna Funakoshi set the tone for Life University with a lightning-fast pin at 103 lbs, securing the fall in just 55 seconds. Following her lead, Diana Gonzalez was dominant at 110 lbs, pinning her opponent in 1:32 to keep the momentum firmly in Life University's favor.
Jasmine Godinez took the mat at 117 lbs and earned a win by forfeit. Ariana Martinez continued the trend of decisive victories at 124 lbs, where she overwhelmed her opponent and sealed the bout with a pin in 3:22. Olivia Mottley then picked up the team's next win by forfeit at 131 lbs.
The middleweights continued the onslaught as Zaynah McBryde demonstrated her technical prowess at 138 lbs, dominating her opponent Cara Cheng with a technical fall, winning 13-0. Christina Jaen lined up at 145 lbs, earned another forfeit victory. At 160 lbs, Ugochi Anunobi made quick work of Josette Partney, pinning her opponent in just 1:19.
Reka Busa, competing at 180 lbs, delivering another stellar performance, earning a technical fall with an 11-0 victory over Emma Schreiber. The final bout of the dual saw Anetra Witherspoon at 207 lbs, who concluded the sweep with a pin in 1:56 over Abigail Chandler, cementing the Running Eagles' flawless start.
In the quarterfinals, Life University faced Campbellsville University, emerging victorious with a dominant 39-4 scoreline. Katherine Hernandez started the dual at 103 lbs with a tightly contested 2-0 decision over #10 Riley Banyas. Anaya Falcon followed at 110 lbs, earning an impressive 11-0 technical fall against Gabrielle Medeiros, further extending Life University's lead.
Salyna Shotwell delivered a commanding performance at 117 lbs, pinning her opponent, #7 Icart Galumette, in just 58 seconds. At 124 lbs, Anna Krejsa won with a TF, defeating #17 Josie Davis with a 13-2 technical fall. Olivia Mottley then took to the mat at 131 lbs, securing a 9-3 decision over #7 Olivia Messerly in a well-fought match.
Zaynah McBryde continued her dominance at 138 lbs, earning an 11-0 technical fall against #11 Gabriella Perez. Her sister, Jamilah McBryde, followed suit at 145 lbs, delivering an impressive 19-4 technical fall over #2 Emma Walker. At 160 lbs, Latifah McBryde showcased her versatility, achieving an 11-0 technical fall against Sierra Chavez. At 180 lbs, Margaret Graham added a hard-fought 8-4 upset over Liliana Vergara. Ih the 207 lbs. division, Anetra Witherspoon concluded the dual with another forfeit victory at 207 lbs. With the win over Campbellsville, Head Coach Ashley Flavin secured her 100th career win.
The semifinals presented a more formidable challenge against the University of Providence, yet the Running Eagles rose to the occasion once again with a convincing 34-11 win. Despite an early setback at 103 lbs, Life U quickly rebounded. Anaya Falcon edged out #4 Paige Morales at 110 lbs with a narrow 11-10 decision in a thrilling top-level matchup.
Next, Salyna Shotwell delivered yet another another huge performance with another pin at 117 lbs, defeating #19 Alicia Frank in 1:27. At 124 lbs, Ariana Martinez managed to win her bout, securing a pin over #7 Alyssa Randles in 5:05 after going down early. Despite a loss at 131 lb, the Running Eagles remained in control.
Zaynah McBryde was unstoppable at 138 lbs, delivering a flawless 10-0 technical fall and upset over #1 Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp. Jamilah McBryde followed with a dominant 12-2 technical fall over #8 Esther Han at 145 lbs. Latifah McBryde then added another pin at 160 lbs, defeating Hailey Sutton in 2:09, before Margaret Graham secured an 11-1 technical fall at 180 lbs against Frances Porteous. Savannah Isaac closed the dual with a 10-0 technical fall at 207 lbs against Jasmine Adiniwin.
The championship match against #2 Grand View was set up to be the ultimate test, but the Running Eagles prevailed once again with a commanding 30-12 victory. Katherine Hernandez opened with a gritty 8-5 decision at 103 lbs over #6 Judy Sandoval. Anaya Falcon followed with a narrow 6-4 decision at 110 lbs against #6 Lita Cruz. Salyna Shotwell then secured a first-period fall at 117 lbs, pinning #2 Cailin Campbell in 1:25.
Despite a setback at 124 lbs, Sarah Savidge got right back on track with an emphatic 12-2 technical fall at 131 lbs against #9 Cindy Zepeda. Z. McBryde added another 11-0 technical fall at 138 lbs against Adrienna Turner, and, Jamilah McBryde continued the winning streak with an 11-0 technical fall at 145 lbs against #4 Krista Warren.
Latifah McBryde, at 160 lbs, closed out her dominant tournament with a 12-2 technical fall over #3 Madison Diaz. Unranked Reka Busa then continued her excellent tournament run with another narrow 6-3 upset at 180 lbs over #1 Abby McIntyre. In the end, the Running Eagles outscored their opponents 151-27 over the two days, highlighting the teams exceptional talent and depth.
