March 27, 2016
For Immediate Release
| Kayla Miracle, left, defeated 2015 Junior World medalist Becka Leathers, of Titan Mercury WC (Oklahoma City), in the finals at 58kg/128 lbs. with an 11-1 technical fall. |
By Jordan Alves, sports information director
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Campbellsville’s Kayla Miracle was one of three wrestlers to repeat as champions in the Women’s University Nationals at Oklahoma City University’s Freede Center on Saturday, March 26.
Miracle, a sophomore at Campbellsville University who was representing Sunkist Kids, won the event in 2014 for the Junior World’s and is now picking up her second title in three years.
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| Kayla Miracle |
Miracle defeated 2015 Junior World medalist Becka Leathers, of Titan Mercury WC (Oklahoma City), in the finals at 58kg/128 lbs. with an 11-1 technical fall. Both Miracle and Leathers were 2015 WCWA women’s college national champions at different weights, as Miracle also repeated as national champion in 2016.
In her four matches over the weekend, Miracle dominated every opponent she faced with tech falls. She beat Gabrielle Weyhrich in round one (10-0), Erika Mihalca in round two (10-0), Dominique Parrish in round three (10-0) and also Leathers in the finals (11-1). The only point Miracle allowed her teammates to record came in the finals to Leathers.
With her performance, Miracle was named the Outstanding Wrestlers for the Women’s University Nationals based upon her performance. The top two athletes in each weight class qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10. If any of these athletes have already qualified for Iowa City (which Miracle already has by finishing in the Top 3 of the WCWA championship), that spot will go unfilled.
In addition to Miracle, Campbellsville’s Tiaira Scott and Hanna Hall will also be competing in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Scott repeated as WCWA National Champion, while Hall finished runner-up to qualify.
Campbellsville also had four other Lady Tigers looking to punch their tickets for the Olympic Trials.
Koral Sugiyama received two byes at 60kg/132 lbs. and won her first match in the championship bracket with a tech fall over Alexia Ward, 10-0. Sugiyama then faced Natalie Hinojo but fell 12-2 moving into the consolation rounds.
That’s where Sugiyama would rally and score 22 points for CU. She won four matches in a row to finish in third place at 60kg.
Michelle Organ and Hannah Gladden were both competing at 69kg/152 lbs. Organ, who lost her first round match, also rallied in the consolation bracket to score nine points. She picked up a 14-2 tech fall over Jasmine Ivey, 11-0 tech fall over Marina Briceno and won a tough match over Rachael Butler, 13-12. One match away from the consolation championship, Organ was pinned by Lorie Ramos falling in the fifth place match. She ended up losing to Lisa Gonzalez to place sixth.
Gladden earned 3.5 points at 69kg. She drew a tough first round match with Forrest Molinari and fell via tech fall, 12-1. But then she pulled out two wins in the consolation bracket over Lindsay Villamia (10-0) and Jasmine Bailey (5-1). Gladden then met Lisa Gonzalez, falling 10-0.
Kaitlyn Hill also competed for CU this weekend and scored seven team points. Wrestling at 75kg/165 lbs., Hill lost her first match to Mary Westman before receiving a bye and winning two matches in the consolation bracket. Hill pinned both of her opponents – Haylee McCoy (0:45) and Jaclyn Fields (2:29) – before falling to eventual third-place finisher Niauni Hill, 10-0.
Information for this release was provided by USA Wrestling.
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