Selemani, Steinkamp Earn Nationals Berths at Heart Championship

Oskaloosa–Mami Selemani (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa, Business Management) and Catherine Steinkamp (So., Quincy, Ill., Biology) each closed out their days strong to qualify for nationals as the William Penn women’s wrestling team competed at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Saturday.

WPU placed seventh out of seven teams with 50.5 points, while Grand View won the team crown with 191.5 points.

The NAIA transitioned women’s wrestling this year from Invitational to Championship status, meaning Selemani and Steinkamp are the first two official national qualifiers in program history.

Selemani placed fourth at 123 pounds with a 4-2 record. She tallied three technical falls, earning her a spot in the ‘true’ fourth-place match against Allison Hynes of Central Methodist. In that bout, the junior defeated Hynes 7-2 to earn her bid.

Steinkamp went 2-2 on the day at 116 pounds, including a bittersweet 7-0 decision over teammate Brittany Cotter (So., Katy, Texas, Nursing) in the fifth-place match that secured her berth to nationals.

123-pounder Grecia Martinez (Fr., Horizon City, Texas, Industrial Technology) notched a pair of falls, while Cotter had one technical fall.

The duo of 155-pounder Payge Fuller (Fr., Plattsburg, Mo.) and 170-pounder Kylee Eastwood (Fr., Fontana, Kan., Undecided) both pinned one opponent as each finished sixth at the Championship.