William Penn Remains in Top Five, 12 Ranked Nationally
The Statesmen women’s wrestling team continues to be near the top of the national and league standings as the NAIA released its first set of polls this week.
WPU is now fifth in the nation with 153 points, while Life (Ga.) tops the NAIA with 197 points. Menlo (Calif.) (191), Grand View (179), and Southern Oregon (169) are also ahead of the navy and gold in the top five.
109-pounder Mia Palumbo (Jr., Oak Lawn, Ill., Exercise Science) and 136-pounder Adaugo Nwachukwu (Jr., San Jose, Calif., Exercise Science) remain first in the NAIA at their respective weight classes, while 170-pounder Ashley Lekas (So., Plano, Texas, Business Management) is second nationally.
Isabelle Hawley (So., Winchester, Calif., Sociology) sits fourth at 143 pounds, while the trio of 101-pounder Mya Turnmire (Sr., Machesney Park, Ill., Sports Management), 130-pounder Joanna Vanderwood (Jr., Graham, Wash., Nursing), and 285-pounder Grace Gray (So., Ankeny, Iowa, New Media) are all 10th at their weights.
Brittany Cotter (Jr., Katy, Texas, Nursing) comes in at #12 at 116 pounds, while Devin Patton (So., Plano, Texas, Business Management) gives the Statesmen a second grappler at 130 at #13.
Naida Abdijanovic (So., St. Louis, Mo., Biology) is 14th at 143 pounds, while Catherine Steinkamp (Jr., Quincy, Ill., Exercise Science) is 16th at 123 and Alexis Montes (Fr., El Paso, Texas, Exercise Science) is 18th at 116.
Within the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the Statesmen are second with 191 points and Grand View is first with 213 points.
Palumbo, Nwachukwu, and Hawley are all first, while Turnmire and Lekas are both second. Cotter and Vanderwood come in third in the league, while Steinkamp, Abdijanovic, and Gray are each ranked fourth. Montes and Patton complete the ranked Heart wrestlers in fifth.
