RODRIGUEZ’S TITLE LEADS WARRIORS AT REGION CHAMPIONSHIP
February 15, 2025
Council Bluffs, IA – Freshman Paola Rodriguez (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Rosalina C. Martinez) captured the individual National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 11 Championship Saturday afternoon for the No. 1 ranked Indian Hills Women’s Wrestling squad. As a team, the Warriors brought home a third-place finish.
Rodriguez, the top-seeded wrestler in the 180lb bracket, scored a pair of victories to capture the individual title in the first-ever NJCAA Region 11 Women’s Wrestling Championship.
As a team, the Warriors earned 71.0 team points to place third overall behind first-place Iowa Central Community College and second-place Iowa Western Community College. Hawkeye Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College rounded out the top-five in the first ICCAC postseason tournament for women’s wrestling.
Rodriguez, who was ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 160lb bracket throughout the year, received a pair of byes to advance to the semifinal round as the top-seeded wrestler in the 180lb bracket. Rodriguez needed just 26 seconds in the semifinals to punch her ticket to the championship bout. In the finals, Rodriguez earned a 12-2 tech fall over Brylie Schaub of Iowa Central to earn the program’s first-ever region champion.
In addition to Rodriguez’s effort, the Warriors brought home five additional place-winners, including four third-place finishers in Council Bluffs.
Freshman Alycia Perez (Glen Ellyn, IL/Glenbard West) earned a 12-1 tech fall in the third-place match at 103lbs to finish the day with a 2-1 overall record. Sophomore Eden Smith (Fort Collins, CO/Poudre) placed third overall at 131lbs with a 3-1 record, earning a narrow 5-2 decision in the third-place match for the Warriors.
Freshman Olivia Stean (Bonner Springs, KS/Bonner Springs) battled back through the consolation bracket after a first round defeat to earn third-place honors at 160lbs. Stean put together an impressive showing in Council Bluffs with a 5-1 record, including four falls. Stean recorded pins in 00:16, 00:26, 1:58, and 0:42 in the third-place bout.
Tanihya Wilson (Palm Bay, FL/Bayside) brought home a third-place finish at 180lbs after winning her third-place bout. Wilson earned two wins on the day, including a quarterfinal pin in 2:15.
Sophomore Hinda Doucoure (Bronx, NY/Medical Sciences) placed fourth overall at 110lbs for the Warriors.
Indian Hills will now turn its attention to the upcoming NJCAA National Invitational in Council Bluffs, IA March 7-8 at the Mid-America Center.
