WOMEN’S COLLEGE PREVIEW Stars look strong again
Oklahoma City has won the last three WCWA national team titles
By Gary Abbott The big question in women’s college wrestling remains the same – can any- body knock Oklahoma City from the top spot? The 2012 WCWA Nationals, which is contested in freestyle, will be held at King College on Jan. 28. The weight classes were changed this year for women’s col- lege programs, but there remains 10 weight classes up for grabs. This year, it also serves as a qualifying event for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in women’s freestyle. The Stars have won the last three
WCWA national team titles, and opened the new season as a strong favorite to claim its fourth in a row. Coach Archie Randall does not seem to ever have to rebuild; he just keeps reloading. OCU lost a pair of WCWA national champions to graduation, Nicole Woody and Ashley Hudson, but have three past WCWA champions still on the roster. Winning titles last year were Kristie Davis and Brittany Delgado. Davis is one of the greatest women’s wrestlers ever, winning a record nine World medals for the United States including two World titles. She is project- ed at 155 pounds, but Coach Randall can move her wherever he wants to help the team lineup. Delgado is currently compet- ing at the highest division which is 191 pounds. Two-time WCWA national champion Michaela Hutchison of Oklahoma City, who placed second last year to Simon Fraser’s Helen Maroulis, holds the No. 1 ranking at 123 pounds. Maroulis is not competing in college this year, instead focusing on making the U.S. Olympic team.
OCU had three other top-ranked wrestlers in the second poll of the sea- son, published in mid-October: Emily Webster (101), Tessa Plana (136) and Brittney Roberts (170). As this issue went to press, OCU has
gone over 60 dual meets without a loss. In an early season quad meet, OCU beat
20 USA Wrestler
Two-time World champion Kristie Davis has continued to excel after joining the Oklahoma City University women’s team. Tony Rotundo photo.
the next three ranked teams, Cumberlands, King and Simon Fraser, by a combined dual meet score of 119-16. Last year’s runner-up, Simon Fraser,
comes into the year depleted with Olympic contenders taking a year off. In addition to Maroulis, WCWA champions Victoria Anthony of the USA and Danielle Lappage of Canada are not on their ros- ter. Without this firepower, the Clan will be hard pressed to win at nationals. The top returnee is Daphne-Ann Hodgson of Simon Fraser at 101 pounds. Looking to become the top challenger
to OCU is King College, which has had a few consecutive years of strong recruiting from coach Jason Moorman. WCWA run- ner-up Alli Ragan holds the No. 1 ranking at 143 pounds, after winning a Junior World bronze medal last summer. Also expected to challenge for a national title is Emily Martin (109). The Cumberlands, coached by Alaina
Berube, has a returning champion in Gabrielle Henry at 116 pounds and a run- ner-up in Cianah Hee at 130 pounds. Among the teams to watch is second-
year program Wayland Baptist, which has recruited hard in its home state of Texas, which has a strong high school girls wrestling state tournament. With depth across the lineup, Wayland Baptist was at No. 5 in the second team ranking. Another upcoming team to watch is
Menlo, under second-year coach Marcie Van Dusen, who has brought in a lot of young talent from California and the west. Lindenwood, coached by Toccara Montgomery, has established itself as a top program in recent years. Other teams expected to challenge for a top 10 spot include Jamestown, Missouri Valley, Missouri Baptist and Waldorf. Each year, the WCWA adds new varsity teams, with this year’s addition being Midland College.
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