Wrestling - W | 2/11/2015 11:00:00 AM
BURNABY, BC – The largest WCWA Women's College Nationals ever will be held on Friday and Saturday at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, Mo., and for the first time Simon Fraser University is entering the tournament as an underdog.
This year's championship will mark first time SFU is not ranked among the top three teams. Simon Fraser, the 2013 WCWA champion, is the No. 4 ranked team heading into nationals and for the first time does not have a No. 1 ranked wrestler at any weight class.
The Clan's highest ranked athlete is graduate student Bailey Halvorson, No. 2 at 155 pounds.
"If we perform as predicted than we will finish third or fourth," said Clan head coach
Mike Jones. "We have a young team with no number ones but once you get into a tournament you never really know how some athletes will perform. There could be some athletes who step up and seize the moment that you weren't expecting."
Defending champion King University is looking to repeat. King has been ranked No. 1 all season. Oklahoma City is ranked No. 2 and Campbellsville No. 3 in the final team rankings of the season.
This is the 12th year that a women's college national tournament has been held, and only five teams have ever won. Oklahoma City leads with its four titles, followed by the University of the Cumberland with three and Missouri Valley with two. Simon Fraser and King have won the team title once.
Simon Fraser placed third last year but lost four national champions to graduation from that team.
The Clan will bring 11 wrestlers to the competition that will consist of 32-person brackets across 10 weight classes in a double loss elimination format.
There are four individual returning WCWA champions, including Julia Salata of King, in the 155 pound weight class. Halvorson, rated No. 2 after compiling a 24-2 record this season, will have to upset Salata to win.
"Bailey is a tough kid and she doesn't make a lot of mistakes," said Jones. "She is capable of winning a national title although she will have to wrestle at her best to do it."
Halvorson (Thunder Bay, ON) is one of three seniors who will be competing for the final time for the Clan along with
Laura Anderson (La Quinta, CA), ranked 6th at 116, and
Nikkie Brar (Abbotsford, BC) ranked 7th at 116.
"Both Andersons are good enough athletes to win it, and they are both capable of rising up to grab the opportunity, but they will have to fight through some tough matches to come out on top," said Jones.
Laura Anderson is 22-5 this season while sophomore
Jennifer Anderson (Pullayup, WA) is ranked No. 5 at 130-pounds after going 30-7.
The 116-pound class is loaded, with both returning finalists and six returning All-Americans projected to compete in the weight class. Brar was third a year ago and has comeback in 2014-15 to compile a 31-5 record.
There are three other defending champions in the tournament, including Emily Webster of Oklahoma City, a three-time WCWA champion. Webster is looking to become the third four-time WCWA champion, joining former Simon Fraser stars
Victoria Anthony and
Helen Maroulis who both won their fourth gold medals last year.
The Clan's
Darby Huckle, a junior from Sarnia, ON, lost to Webster in last year's final. She is currently the No. 4 ranked wrestler at 101-pounds after going 32-7 this season.
There are 29 ranked freshmen in the final rankings, including SFU's
Abby Lloyd, No. 3 at 109-pounds, but only one freshman won a title last year.
In addition to Lloyd, Simon Fraser will have four other freshmen competing in the tournament for the first time:
Payten Smith (Maple Ridge, BC), 24-5 and ranked 9th at 191-pounds;
Alyssa Wong (Sacramento, CA), 22-6, and ranked 7th at 143-pounds;
Francesca Giorgio (Reading, PA), 29-6, and 9th at 143, although she will likely compete at 136-pounds; and unranked
Ashley Osachuk (Campbell River, BC), 18-12.
To watch all of the WCWA National Championship action, fans can go to: portal.stretchinternet.com/mobap.
