[Women's Wrestling] Vang, Rodriguez Win Titles for Women's Wrestling
Doane Women's Wrestling traveled to Arizona for a Friday competition as they competed in the Embry-Riddle Mile High Open. Tiger wrestlers picked up 18 victories on the day with two champions crowned.
Karina Vang (FR/Fresno, Calif.) and Cristelle Rodriguez (FR/Clovis, Calif.) brought home championships for the Tigers as both wrestlers went 3-0 on the day. This is the first college title for Vang and second for Rodriguez.
Vang opened the day at 109 with a pin of Aphrodite Ayala of Simpson (Calif.) in 1:46 in the quarterfinal round. In her semifinal match, Vang defeated Jennifer Alcott of Ottawa (Ariz.) by tech fall, 10-0. In the championship match, Vang ran into a tough opponent in Hermelinda Mendoza of Ottawa (Ariz.). Mendoza jumped out to a 10-2 lead before Vang came back with a takedown that turned into a pin in 2:18.
Rodriguez, wrestling at 123, set the mark for the program with a 31-second pin in her opening match over Emma Child of Snow (Utah). She held a 6-0 advantage before the pin was awarded. Rodriguez followed with a pair of 10-0 tech fall wins over Vanguard (Calif.) teammates, Nevaeh Chambers and River Todd.
Brooke Cox (FR/Lawson, Mo.) went 3-1 at 109 to take third place. She opened the day by pinning Norma Can of Vanguard (Calif.) in 5:12. After dropping her semifinal match to Mendoza, Cox bounced back with a 7-1 decision over Ayala and a 10-0 tech fall win over Alcott.
In the 116 division, Savannah Smith (FR/Aurora, Colo.) went 3-2 on the day to place fourth. She dropped her opening match but rebounded with three straight wins. She defeated Jade Cabrera of Vanguard (Calif.) by an 11-2 decision and Lianny Barrena of Snow (Utah) by a 10-0 tech fall. She earned a pin in her last victory, defeating Daniela Suttles of Grand Canyon (Ariz.) in 1:24.
Andrea Jones (SO/Toledo, Wash.) went 1-3 at 143 with her win coming by pin over Katherine Cuellar of Ottawa (Ariz.) in 1:54.
Taking second place at 191 was Jessica Villanueva (FR/San Juan, Texas) as she went 2-1 on the day. She opened with a 10-0 tech fall win over Audrey Gribble of Snow (Utah). In the semifinals, she defeated teammate Victoria Hernandez (FR/Orange, Calif.) by pin in 0:36. Villanueva dropped the championship match 14-2 to Lily El-asri of Vanguard (Calif.).
Kenisha Jacsaint (JR/Boca Raton, Fla.) took third place at 191 for the Tigers. She opened with a 12-0 tech fall win over Tayleigh Robertson of Snow (Utah). Jacsaint dropped her semifinal match to El-asri before coming back with an 11-0 tech fall win over Gribble. In the final match, she defeated Nya Seiuli of Snow by tech fall, 19-8.
Next up for the Tigers will be the Missouri Valley Open on November 18-19 in Marshall, Mo.