Pair of Runner-Up Finishes Headline Season Opener for Statesmen
Indianola, Iowa–Maeley Elsbury (Jr., Chelsea, Iowa, Biology) and Silvia Garcia-Vasquez (So., West Liberty, Iowa, Nursing) both walked off with silvers as the William Penn women’s wrestling team competed at the Simpson Luther Hill Invitational Sunday.
The tournament featured Varsity and Freshman/Sophomore divisions.
Varsity
Alexa Wolf (Jr., Rogers, Ark., Exercise Science) led the navy and gold by placing fourth at 160 pounds with a 3-2 record.
Fellow 160-pounder Joey Ives (So., Bellevue, Wash., Undecided) pinned one opponent.
Freshman/Sophomore
Elsbury and Garcia both notched four wins en route to reaching their respective championship matches. Garcia pinned all four of her foes to get to the 124-pound finals, while Elsbury won twice by technical fall at 145 pounds.
138-pounder Ana Vilar (So., Palm Coast, Fla., Secondary Education) won three times (one technical fall, one fall) on her way to seventh place, while 145-pounder Jalyiah Gardner (So., Keokuk, Iowa, Business Management) finished eighth after also collecting three victories (two falls).
Sydney Andrews (So., Beloit, Wis., Business Management) had one fall at 131 pounds, while Addeline Graser (Fr., Papillion, Neb., Undecided) had her hand raised once as well at 145 pounds.
“Our season opener is about setting the baseline and finding out what this group is made of when the lights come on,” Head Coach Gary Woods II said. “We saw some incredible fight on the mat, but more importantly, we got a clear look at exactly where we need to adjust, sharpen up, and raise our standards.”
“This is a brand-new chapter for our program, and we are going to get back to drilling on Monday to prepare for our triangular on Tuesday,” Woods II added. “It is not about where we start, but where we finish in late February and early March.”
Next Up: William Penn will host Missouri Valley and St. Ambrose in Oskaloosa Tuesday in a Heart of America Athletic Conference triangular. Missouri Valley and St. Ambrose will compete at 4 p.m. with WPU’s duals against Missouri Valley and St. Ambrose to follow.
