KERRVILLE,TX: The Schreiner University Women's Wrestling team traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to compete in the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship.
The Mountaineers had four members qualify for the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship tournament; Jordan Johnston, Odelia Lopez, Allicia Mahoe, and Victoria Craft.
It was a weekend of improvement for the Mountaineers, as the team stepped up and showed out in a major way. Since their first appearance in the national tournament, the event has doubled in size, going from 19 schools being represented in 2020 to 37 schools being represented in 2023. The increase in size has led to deeper brackets and tougher opponents present.
This year's appearance at the national tournament showcased the Mountaineers improvement since the last time they competed on the national stage. In Schreiner's previous appearance, the team finished in 25th place. This year, Schreiner finished tied for 20th place with two members placing in the top 14 and the other two placing in the top 10.
Sophomore, Odelia Lopez, made her first appearance on the championship tournament stage going 3-2. Her only losses at the tournament came against the number 2 and number 5 seeds. Lopez would finish in the top 10 of her bracket.
Senior, Allicia Mahoe, really made a significant turnaround in this competition, going 2-2, compared to her last year performance of going 0-2. Mahoe would finish in the top 10 of her bracket.
Senior, Jordan Johnston, hasn't been in peak form due to a serious injury, but that hasn't stopped her from seeing her season through. With a very gutsy performance, Johnston placed in the top 14 of her bracket.
Freshman, Victoria Craft, has come a long way in her first season as a collegiate wrestler. Going 2-2 on the big stage, She over came a lot and proved that mindset is everything. She took it one match a time and placed in the top 14 of her bracket.
"I'm happy but not satisfied, but I'm so proud of the girls. As a coach, I've learned so much from attending this tournament with the team. Next year, our performance will reach higher heights, and as always, we're ready to hit the mats to review, learn and to grow." - Tarkyia Mensah, Head Coach