NAIA nationals wrapped up in Park City, and the Texas story was pretty clear: Wayland came home with a women’s national champ and another men’s All-American, and Texas Wesleyan put three women on the podium and finished top 10 as a team.
Wayland women: 5th in the country, with a national title
Wayland’s big headline is Mercy Adekuoroye (160) winning a national championship!
They weren’t a one-person team either:
- Jordan Suarez (145) finished runner-up.
- Leilani Sanchez (207) placed 3rd and stacked bonus points all weekend.
That combination pushed Wayland to 5th place as a team.
And this wasn’t a one-weekend spike. Wayland came into March already proven. They won the 2026 Sooner Athletic Conference women’s team title, and they did it with multiple champs and finalists in the lineup. (wbuathletics.com)
Wayland SAC champions (women):
- Mariah Dillard (117) – champion
- Jordan Suarez (145) – champion
- Mercy Adekuoroye (160) – champion
- Ambre Chevreau (180) – champion
- Leilani Sanchez (207) – champion
When you stack a conference title with a top-five national finish and a national champ, that’s a complete season.
Texas Wesleyan women: 10th place, three All-Americans
Texas Wesleyan’s women finished 10th with 55 points and put three on the stand.
- Samantha Barragan (138) took 3rd, finishing with a tech fall in the bronze match.
- Carolina Rios (117) placed 6th.
- Carla Campos (207) placed 4th.
That’s the kind of output that keeps a team in the top 10 even when not everything breaks perfect.
Men’s side: Wayland puts another guy on the podium
On the men’s side, Wayland brought four qualifiers, and Jesse Lewis (125) came home 5th to earn NAIA All-American honors.
Wayland finished tied for 22nd as a team with 22 points.
They also had Two Lance (149) and Bivens (285) one match short of placing (blood round), and Dayne Stormer (184) was dealing with an injury during the event.
Closing
Texas isn’t “almost there” anymore. Wayland is bringing home trophies and All-Americans. Texas Wesleyan is putting multiple women on the podium and staying in the top 10. That’s not talk. That’s points on the board.
