HAYDEN LEADS EIGHT PLACE-WINNERS AT GRAND VIEW OPEN
February 02, 2025
Des Moines, IA – The Indian Hills Women’s Wrestling squad wrapped up the Grand View Open with eight place-winners on Saturday, led by freshman Nevaeh Hayden’s (Tulsa, OK/Union) first-place finish in the 180lb Silver Open Bracket.
With more than 50 teams competing at Grand View University, including multiple National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) programs, the Warriors boasted a strong showing with six individuals placing in the top-four of their respective bracket.
Hayden’s dominant freshman campaign continued on Saturday, going 4-0 on the day with all four victories by way of fall. Hayden did not see a match go longer than 1:27 on the day. Hayden opened up the tournament with a first round pin in 1:27 before scoring a fall in 1:02. Hayden used a pin in 48 seconds in the quarterfinal round before closing out the day with a 20 second fall in the championship bout.
Hayden, the No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the nation, has now secured 13 pins in 14 matches on the year and has not seen a match go further than the first round. Hayden’s 13 pins are second-most in a single season in school history.
Hayden was joined by teammate Paola Rodriguez (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Rosalina C. Martinez) in the 180lb bracket who placed third overall. Rodriguez finished the day with four tech falls, outscoring her opponents 48-3 in four matches, including an 11-1 tech fall in the third-place match.
Freshman Chasey Karabell (Aurora, CO/Eaglecrest), ranked No. 2 in the latest NJCAA 103lb rankings, placed second overall in the 103lb Silver Open bracket after picking up three wins on the day. Karabell scored back-to-back falls, including a 39 second pin in the quarterfinal round before earning a 10-0 tech fall in the semifinals.
Freshman Kennedi Johnson-Washington (Greenwood, SC/Greenwood), the No. 7 ranked wrestler in the nation at 207lbs, secured a third-place finish in the 235lb Gold Open bracket by going 2-1 on the day. After a semifinal defeat, Johnson-Washington bounced back with a 5-0 decision and a 10-0 tech fall in the third-place match.
Sophomore All-American Amaria Ridgner (Richton Park, IL/Rich Township) earned a fourth-place finish in the 131lb Silver Open bracket with six victories on the day. In the six victories, Ridgner picked up three tech falls and outscored her opponents 59-5, including five matches without allowing a point.
Freshman Ileen Castrejon (Beach Park, IL/Zion-Benton Township), ranked No. 6 in the nation at 207lbs, took home a fourth-place finish in the 207lb Silver Open bracket with three wins against four-year opponents, including two falls on the day. Castrejon picked up a 22 second pin in the consolation semifinal match.
Indian Hills also earned a pair of sixth-place finishes from freshman Alycia Perez (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard West) in the 103lb Silver Open bracket and sophomore Hinda Doucoure (Bronx, NY/Medical Sciences) in the 110lb Silver Open bracket.
The Warriors have added a final regular season tournament to its schedule with the Midland Warrior Open in Fremont, NE on February 8 before opening up postseason competition with the NJCAA Central District Championship on February 15 in Council Bluffs, IA.
