The day is on its way, it couldn’t wait no more, here it is! This is the first NCAA Women’s Wrestling collegiate Championships. There have been many moments along the way since Minnesota-Morris added the first women’s varsity collegiate wrestling program in 1993. In 2019 women’s wrestling got backing to join the NCAA emerging sports and in 2020 they were approved. On January 17, 2025 Women’s wrestling became the NCAAs 91st Championship sport. Shoutout to the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for hosting the past years events and showing the NCAA proof of concept.
We will start with the lone ranked team from Wisconsin, our Stevens Point Pointers. The Lady Dawgs come in ranked 22nd in the country and first in the Dairyland state. The Pointers went 8-1 in dual meets this season and qualified two ladies for nationals. Both of the Pointer women are seeded in their respective brackets. Leading our individuals is the Queen of the Cheeseheads herself, undefeated Kylie Welker of Iowa at 180. Next, we will preview each weight class individually and highlight Wisconsin connections.
103:
The Wisconsin representative is Alexis Winecke from Stevens Point. Alexis is 39-10 this season and finished third in her region to qualify. The Baraboo native is in her senior season and seeded 8th.
Predictions:
Gold: #2 Valarie Solorio Iowa
Silver: #4 Rayana Sahagun Grand Valley State
Bronze: #1 Heather Crull McKendree
Darkhorse: #7 Genesis Ramirez Aurora
Fun fact: High schooler Jaclyn Bouzakis has wins over the 1 and two seed this season!
110:
There are no Wisconsin ties in this weight class.
Predictions:
Gold: #1 Audrey Jimenez Lehigh
Silver: #2 Sage Mortimer Grand Valley State
Bronze: #5 Nyla Valencia Iowa
Darkhorse: #6 Chloe Dearwester Presbyterian
This is Lehigh’s first year in competition. Will age level phenom Jimenez be able to take the crown from last season’s champion Mortimer?
117:
There are no Wisconsin ties in this weight class.
Predictions:
Gold: #2 Karissa Turnwall Emmanuel University
Silver: #1 Yu Sakamoto McKendree
Bronze: #3 Riley Ramone North Central
Darkhorse: #7 Shea Reisel Dubuque
Fun Fact: The one and two seeds have split matches this season with bouts ending in a technical fall and 6-5 decision victory. Sakamoto also has a victory over 110 pound competitor #2 Sage Mortimer.
124:
A Wisconsin connection in this weight class is former UW Oshkosh wrestler Annesley Day now of Tiffin. She comes in unseeded with a 40-7 record.
Predictions:
Gold: #1 Sara Sterner North Central
Silver: #3 Xochitl Mota-Pettis Quincy
Bronze: #2 Virginia Foard King
Darkhorse: Cali Leng Iowa
131:
There are no Wisconsin ties in this weight class.
Predictions:
Gold: #3 Alexis Janiak Aurora
Silver: #4 Karlee Brooks Iowa
Bronze: #1 Cameron Guerin McKendree
Darkhorse: #6 Yele Aycock North Central
138:
The lady Cheesehead in this bracket is Mineral Point’s Kylie Rule now at Wartburg. Kylie is a tough competitor and has All Americaned at Nationals previously. Rule is seeded 7th and has a pig tail feeding into her. Kylie’s record is 22-5.
Predictions:
Gold: #3 Haylie Jaffe McKendree
Silver: #4 Lilly Luft Iowa
Bronze: #1 Katerina Lange Grand Valley State
Darkhorse: #7 Kylie Rule Wartburg
145:
There are no Wisconsin ties in this weight class.
Predictions:
Gold: #2 Bella Mir North Central
Silver: #1 Reese Laramendy Iowa
Bronze: #4 Alissa Caltagirone Northern Michigan
Darkhorse: Selina Moore East Stroudsburg
160:
Our Wisconsin representative at this weight class wrestles for Dubuque by way of Antigo, Alexandria Hofrichter. I was able to watch her All American run last year and this young lady is skilled. She can wrestle in every position and has big point capability. Alexandria is seeded 7th and has a pig tail feed in. She is 21-4. Shoutout to the younger Hofrichter who just placed at WIAA state in the 152 girls bracket. She was a complete wrestler as well that should be on college coaches radar. I got to see her first hand as well when she wrestled King’s Terryn McBride in the bronze match.
Predictions:
Gold: #1 Kennedy Blades Iowa
Silver: #7 Alexandra Hofrichter Dubuque
Bronze: #2 Savannah Gomez McKendree
Darkhorse: Love Daley Sacred Heart
180:
This bracket has the most Wisconsin Preps with Kylie Welker of Iowa and Kara Kuge of Stevens Point. Kylie is World Class and will not give up a point in route to her National Title. The original Hawkeye and Wisconsin women’s wrestling ambassador, we are fortunate to have Kylie as our state representative. Kuge is in her sophomore season and her second trip to nationals. She won a match last year, this year I expect her to be on the podium. Kylie is the one seed and Kara is the 8. Kylie is 17-0 and Kara is 25-8.
Predictions:
Gold: #1 Kylie Welker Iowa
Silver: #2 Destiny Rodriguez McKendree
Bronze: #4 Shenita Lawson North Central
Darkhorse: #8 Kara Kuge Stevens Point
207:
Our lone Wisconsin representative here is Carthage’s Jasmin Ocampo. Jasmin is unseeded and feeds into the seventh seed after a pig tail victory. It is nice to see Carthage qualify a woman in Coach Mensah’s first season. Jasmin got hot at the right time and qualified with a 13-12 record.
Predictions:
Gold: #4 Rewa Chababo Wartburg
Silver: #2 Sabrina Nauss Grand Valley State
Bronze: #1 Tristan Kelly McKendree
Darkhorse: #5 Kayja Osteen Iowa
Thank you for reading this far. It has been a wonderful season and I cannot wait to watch it all play out in person. See you in Iowa City. I’ll leave you with some words from Max Holloway, “Bee’s don’t explain to flies why honey tastes better than shit.”
