Wayland Baptist Women Win Sooner Athletic Conference Championship

Release Courtesy of Wayland Baptist Sports Information

Four Wayland Baptist wrestlers claimed individual titles, three Pioneers earned special awards, and third-ranked WBU ran away with the team title at the 2^nd annual Sooner Athletic Conference Women’s Wrestling Championships here Sunday.

Nina Pham (101), Asia Ray (109), Desiree Zavala (136) and Olivia Ricci (170) all placed first in their respective weight classes, with Pham and Zavala successfully defending their titles from a year ago. Pham was named Wrestler of the Year, freshman Emily Alderman earned Newcomer of the Year, and Kiiler Stephens was named Coach of the Year.

“I thought the girls wrestled phenomenally,” Stephens said. “I was proud of them.”

The Pioneers accrued 144½ points, well in front of runner-up and 10^th-ranked host Oklahoma City University at 116½. No. 11 Lyon, Ark., the defending champion, was third with 97½ points and No. 15 Texas Wesleyan fourth with 70.
 SAC Women’s Wrestling Championships1 of 13

“The girls wrestled really prepared, which is always good,” Stephens said. “You practice and practice and hope they go out there and execute, and that’s exactly what they did. It was a good test before nationals.”

The coach said the tournament went off about as expected, with Wayland flexing its muscles especially at the lower weights.

“Nina had a really good tournament and was pretty dominant. Caryssa Aguirre also wrestled at 101 and got to see some girls she needed to before nationals. She’s been out but did well.”
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At 109, Ray, ranked fifth, defeated freshman teammate Mia Arceneaux, ranked 12^th, in the finals. “Asia had an outstanding tournament in her typical fashion. She was very aggressive and dominant,” Stephens said.

“Desiree wrestled lights out” as she repeated at 136, where she’s ranked first in the NAIA. “She’s almost in cruise control at this point,” Stephens said. “She’s making other girls wrestle her style. I’m not surprised. She’s a hard work and it’s really paying off for her now.”

Ricci, ranked 10^th at 170, was unable to wrestle this weekend as she was the only entrant in her weight class.

Alderman, a freshman from California who transferred at semester from the University of Cumberlands, Ky., earned her Newcomer of the Year award wrestling at 130, where she placed fourth, behind seventh-ranked teammate De’Anna Prince, who took second. “Emily was able to beat the girl (Mea Mohler of Texas Wesleyan) who is ranked (third in the NAIA) and who won the tournament.” (The tournament featured a round-robin format.)

Of his Coach of the Year award, Stephens – who was promoted from WBU’s first-year assistant to head coach in January – credited his assistant coaches and wrestlers.

“It’s easy to get something like that when you have such a great group of young women. They work hard. They earned it, I just run them through the drills. (The award) has my name on it but it’s really their award, along with Coach (Glenn) Gray and Coach Mich (Napier). It’s a program award.”

Next is the NAIA National Invitational on March 12 and 13 in Jamestown, N.D.

Sooner Athletic Conference Championships
At Oklahoma City
Abe Lemons Arena
Team Scoring
1. Wayland Baptist, 144.5; 2. Oklahoma City, 116.5; 3. Lyon, 97.5; 4. Texas Wesleyan, 70.

SAC Awards
Wrestler of the Year: Nina Pham, Wayland Baptist
Outstanding Wrestler: Camille Fournier, Texas Wesleyan
Newcomer of the Year: Emily Alderman, Wayland Baptist
Freshman of the Year: Camille Fournier, Texas Wesleyan
Coach of the Year: Kiiler Stephens, Wayland Baptist
Most falls, least amount time, tournament: Camille Fournier, Texas Wesleyan

Champions/All-SAC 1^st Team
101: Nina Pham, Wayland Baptist
109: Asia Ray, Wayland Baptist
116: Camille Fournier, Texas Wesleyan
123: Jasmine Hernandez, Lyon
130: Mea Mohler, Texas Wesleyan
136: Desiree Zavala, Wayland Baptist
143: Sydney Freund, Oklahoma City
155: Cierra Foster, Oklahoma City
170: Olivia Ricci, Wayland Baptist
191: Nkechinyere Nwankwo, Oklahoma City

Runners-up/All-SAC 2^nd Team
101: Madison Brown, Texas Wesleyan
109: Mia Arceneaux, Wayland Baptist
116: Raven Guidry, Oklahoma City
123: Ashley Whetzal, Lyon
130: De’Anna Prince, Wayland Baptist
136: Mattison Parker, Oklahoma City
143: Jordan Suarez, Wayland Baptist
191: Kelani Corbett, Lyon

HONORABLE-MENTION ALL-SAC
Third Place
101: Caryssa Aguirre, Wayland Baptist
109: Jessienna Burkett-Erice, Lyon
116: Emma De Brum, Lyon
123: Jasmine Davis, Wayland Baptist
130: Sophia Smith, Oklahoma City
136: Rebekah Garcia, Lyon
143: Maryellen Lafferty, Texas Wesleyan
191: Victoria Hinojo, Oklahoma City

Fourth Place
101: Kassidy Ramirez, Lyon
109: Laura Lincoln, Lyon
116: Brooklyn Hermal, Oklahoma City
123: Rebekah Cordova, Wayland Baptist
130: Emily Alderman, Wayland Baptist
143: Irene Sanchez, Oklahoma City
191: Katarina Peña, Wayland Baptist

SAC Championships Results for Wayland Baptist
101
Nina Pham’s place is 1st and has scored 19.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Kassidy Ramirez (Lyon College) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Madison Brown (Texas Wesleyan University) (Fall 1:06)
• Round 4 – Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist University) won by injury default over Marissa Gregoire (Oklahoma City University) (Inj. 0:00)
• Round 5 – Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)

101
Caryssa Aguirre’s place is 3rd and has scored 13.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Madison Brown (Texas Wesleyan University) won by fall over Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist University) (Fall 2:33)
• Round 2 – Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Kassidy Ramirez (Lyon College) (Fall 4:29)
• Round 3 – Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist University) won by injury default over Marissa Gregoire (Oklahoma City University) (Inj. 2:27)
• Round 5 – Nina Pham (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Caryssa Aguirre (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)

109
Asia Ray’s place is 1st and has scored 19.0 team points.

• Round 2 – Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Mia Arceneaux (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Laura Lincoln (Lyon College) (Fall 1:21)
• Round 4 – Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Michaela Childs (Oklahoma City University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 5 – Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Jessienna Burkett-Erice (Lyon College) (Fall 3:00)

109
Mia Arceneaux’s place is 2nd and has scored 13.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Mia Arceneaux (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Laura Lincoln (Lyon College) (Fall 2:39)
• Round 2 – Asia Ray (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Mia Arceneaux (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Mia Arceneaux (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Michaela Childs (Oklahoma City University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 4 – Mia Arceneaux (Wayland Baptist University) won by decision over Jessienna Burkett-Erice (Lyon College) (Dec 6-2)

123
Jasmin Davis’s place is 3rd and has scored 10.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Jasmine Hernandez (Lyon College) won by fall over Jasmin Davis (Wayland Baptist University) (Fall 2:12)
• Round 2 – Jasmin Davis (Wayland Baptist University) won by decision over Clarissa Archuleta (Texas Wesleyan University) (Dec 3-0)
• Round 4 – Jasmin Davis (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Rebekah Cordova (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 5 – Ashley Whetzal (Lyon College) won by fall over Jasmin Davis (Wayland Baptist University) (Fall 2:27)

123
Rebekah Cordova’s place is 4th and has scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Rebekah Cordova (Wayland Baptist University) won by decision over Clarissa Archuleta (Texas Wesleyan University) (Dec 5-4)
• Round 2 – Ashley Whetzal (Lyon College) won by tech fall over Rebekah Cordova (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 17-7)
• Round 3 – Jasmine Hernandez (Lyon College) won by tech fall over Rebekah Cordova (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 11-0)
• Round 4 – Jasmin Davis (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Rebekah Cordova (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)

130
De`Anna Prince’s place is 2nd and has scored 13.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Mea Mohler (Texas Wesleyan University) won by decision over De`Anna Prince (Wayland Baptist University) (Dec 8-6)
• Round 2 – De`Anna Prince (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Emily Alderman (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 12-0)
• Round 3 – De`Anna Prince (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Sophia Smith (Oklahoma City University) (Fall 1:33)

130
Emily Alderman’s place is 4th and has scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Sophia Smith (Oklahoma City University) won by decision over Emily Alderman (Wayland Baptist University) (Dec 4-0)
• Round 2 – De`Anna Prince (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Emily Alderman (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 12-0)
• Round 3 – Emily Alderman (Wayland Baptist University) won by decision over Mea Mohler (Texas Wesleyan University) (Dec 6-4)

136
Desiree Zavala’s place is 1st and has scored 15.5 team points.

• Round 2 – Desiree Zavala (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Mattison Parker (Oklahoma City University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Desiree Zavala (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Rebekah Garcia (Lyon College) (Fall 0:29)

143
Jordan Suarez’s place is 2nd and has scored 13.5 team points.

• Round 1 – Sydney Freund (Oklahoma City University) won by decision over Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist University) (Dec 10-9)
• Round 2 – Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist University) won by tech fall over Irene Sanchez Figuera (Oklahoma City University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist University) won by fall over Maryellen Lafferty (Texas Wesleyan University) (Fall 2:31)

170
Olivia Ricci’s place is 1st and has scored 12.0 team points.

• 1st Place Match – Olivia Ricci (Wayland Baptist University) received a bye () (Bye)

191
Katarina Pena’s place is 4th and has scored 7.0 team points.

• Round 1 – Nkechinyere Nwankwo (Oklahoma City University) won by tech fall over Katarina Pena (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 2 – Victoria Hinojo (Oklahoma City University) won by tech fall over Katarina Pena (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
• Round 3 – Kelani Corbett (Lyon College) won by tech fall over Katarina Pena (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)