CORALVILL, Iowa - The first-ever NCAA Women's Wrestling Championship proved to be a historic milestone for both the sport and Quincy University, as the Hawks finished ninth overall out of 54 teams with 41 team points while crowning the program's first-ever national champion. In just the fourth season of the program under head coach Jeff Haley, Quincy placed four wrestlers on the national stage and left the championship with two All-Americans, highlighted by a dominant title run from Xochitl Mota-Pettis at 124 pounds.

Mota-Pettis etched her name into Quincy athletics history by capturing the national championship at 124 pounds, becoming just the second Hawk in any sport to win an individual national title. Entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed and ranked third nationally, Mota-Pettis delivered one of the most dominant performances of the championship, going a perfect 4-0 while scoring 25.5 team points for the Hawks.

Her tournament began with authority in the opening round, where she defeated Laura Alcantar Soto of Simon Fraser by technical fall, 12-1, at the 3:12 mark. Mota-Pettis continued her strong start in the quarterfinals with a decisive victory over sixth-seeded and ninth-ranked Savannah Witt of Eastern, pinning her opponent at the 4:33 mark to advance to the semifinals.

In the semifinal round, Mota-Pettis left little doubt about her championship aspirations, recording a 10-0 technical fall in just 1:29 against seventh-seeded and fifth-ranked Lorianna Piestewa of Colorado Mesa. The victory propelled her into the national championship match against fourth-seeded and seventh-ranked Shelby Moore of McKendree.

The championship bout was a showcase of complete control. Mota-Pettis dictated the pace from start to finish, steadily building her advantage before closing the match with another technical fall, 10-0 at 5:49. The victory secured the national title in dominant fashion and cemented a historic moment for Quincy women's wrestling.

Trinity Pendergrass added another chapter to her impressive collegiate career by finishing fifth at 103 pounds to earn All-American honors for the second consecutive season. Entering the tournament as the fifth seed and ranked fifth nationally, Pendergrass finished with a 3-2 record while contributing nine points to the Quincy team score.

Her opening match was a back-and-forth battle against Brianna Vollendroff of Chadron State. After trading points throughout the match, Pendergrass held on for an 8-7 decision to advance. In the second round, she faced third-seeded and third-ranked Mia Zuniga of Colorado Mesa. Trailing 4-2 after the opening period, Pendergrass completely flipped the match in the second period, shutting out Zuniga and scoring 10 unanswered points to secure a 12-4 decision. The win was also historic individually, marking her 100th collegiate victory and making her just the second Hawk to reach the milestone, joining teammate Maddy Barton, who accomplished the feat earlier the same day.

Pendergrass's championship run hit a brief setback in the semifinals when she fell by pin in 40 seconds to second-seeded and second-ranked Valarie Solorio of Iowa. She battled again in the consolation bracket but came up just short in a 5-3 decision against fourth-ranked Maddie Avila of North Central. Trailing 5-0 late in the match, Pendergrass mounted a late rally with three points in the final minute but ran out of time.

Maddy Barton also delivered a strong showing at 131 pounds, finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record. Barton began her run with an 11-4 decision over Agnia Krakosvka of Simon Fraser, a victory that carried historic significance as it marked her 100th career collegiate win, becoming the first Hawk to reach the milestone.

Barton advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to eighth-seeded and seventh-ranked Kassey Daugherty of Presbyterian by technical fall, 10-0 in 2:40. In the consolation bracket, Barton responded with a statement victory, pinning eighth-ranked Christina Borgmann of Felician at the 3:40 mark. Her tournament run came to an end in the next round when she dropped a 12-1 technical fall decision to Cassie Zammit of West Liberty.

At 110 pounds, Alexandra Tchekounova also battled to a 2-2 record in her national championship debut. Tchekounova opened the tournament with an impressive upset victory over eighth-ranked Avery Kibelbek of King. After trailing 1-0 following the first period, she rallied late in the match and scored three points in the final 90 seconds to secure a 5-3 decision.

In the next round, she faced seventh-seeded and sixth-ranked Teegan Sibble of East Stroudsburg and suffered a quick setback, falling by pin in 20 seconds. Tchekounova responded in the consolation bracket with a dominant performance, earning a 10-0 technical fall over Sylvyn Parham of Muhlenberg in 3:33. Her tournament concluded with a loss by decision, 10-2, to Adriana Gomez of Colorado Mesa.

The championship weekend marked a defining moment for the Quincy women's wrestling program. In just its fourth season, the Hawks finished ninth nationally out of 54 teams while producing a national champion and two All-Americans. With Mota-Pettis capturing the program's first NCAA title and Pendergrass securing All-American honors for the second straight year, the Hawks continue to build momentum under head coach Jeff Haley as Quincy women's wrestling continues its rapid rise on the national stage.