ST. CHARLES, Mo. - The Quincy University women's wrestling team delivered a record-breaking performance at the NCWWC Region VI Tournament on Sunday (Feb. 23), sending five wrestlers to the NCWWC National Tournament—the most in program history. Competing at Lindenwood University, the Hawks shattered last year's record of three national qualifiers, marking a new high point in the team's rapid development.
Returning national qualifiers Trinity Pendergrass (110 lbs.) and Maddy Barton (138 lbs.) led the way, securing their second consecutive trips to the national stage with impressive tournament runs. Pendergrass was dominant throughout the day, showcasing her technical prowess. After a 10-0 technical fall win in the quarterfinals, she faced teammate Sereena Baca in the semifinals, where she controlled the match en route to a 7-2 decision victory. In the championship bout, she left no doubt, overwhelming Alaina Sunlin (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) with a 15-4 technical fall to claim the regional title.
Barton, meanwhile, made her way through a deep 138-pound bracket. She opened her tournament with a 12-1 technical fall win in the quarterfinals before dropping a tightly contested 6-2 decision to eventual runner-up Alexis Gomez (McKendree) in the semifinals. Undeterred, she stormed back in the consolation bracket, pinning Kayla Edwards (Lindenwood) in just 2:32 to clinch her second-straight national tourney berth. She then capped off her day in dominant fashion, rolling to a 14-4 technical fall over Marissa Sanabria (Lindenwood) to take third place.
Joining Pendergrass and Barton at nationals are Mackenzie Graves (103 lbs.), Alexa Valdez (160 lbs.), and Sophia Sosa (160 lbs.), each of whom fought through adversity to earn top-four finishes. Graves opened her tournament with a pin in 4:12 over Megan Valdez (Lindenwood) in the quarterfinals before falling in the semis to No. 1 seed Gabriele Tedesco (McKendree). She rebounded quickly in the consolation semifinals, securing a first-period fall in 1:28 over Kelly Enriquez (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) to secure her place at nationals. Although she dropped a 12-10 decision in the third-place match, she claimed fourth place and booked her ticket to Coralville.
At 160 pounds, Quincy secured two national qualifiers as Valdez and Sosa battled through the bracket. Valdez started strong, shutting out teammate Sosa 11-0 in the quarterfinals. She was briefly sidelined after a 35-second pin by Kaylynn Albrecht (McKendree) in the semifinals, but she rebounded in the consolation semis with a dominant 11-0 technical fall over Taylor Schulz (Wisconsin-Stevens Point). In a rematch of their quarterfinal bout, Valdez and Sosa met again for third place, with Valdez once again coming out on top, this time by 10-0 technical fall.
Sosa, however, ensured that both Hawks would advance. After falling to Valdez early, she bounced back in the wrestlebacks with a 10-0 technical fall over Katt Mossinghoff (Lindenwood). She then secured her trip to nationals in the fourth-place match, advancing via no contest.
Several other Hawks finished on the podium, but narrowly missed national qualification. Sereena Baca (110 lbs.), Alexandra Tchekounova (117 lbs.), Jasmine Hopkins (131 lbs.), Trinity Donovan (145 lbs.), and Madisynn Crawford (180 lbs.) all placed fifth, each coming up just a single victory short of a national tournament berth. In addition, Valeria Rodriguez (145 lbs.) finished sixth.
Next Up
The Hawks will now prepare for the NCWWC National Tournament, set for March 7-8 in Coralville, Iowa, where they look to make an impact on the national stage.
