By: Connor Glunt, Director of Athletic Communications
CORALVILLE, Iowa — After the first day of the NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships, Tiffani Baublitz and Teegan Sibble are still standing in the final group of eight wrestlers in each of their weight classes, earning All-American status.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Baublitz won both of her matches to advance to the semifinals tomorrow in the 160-pound bracket. She took down Fort Hays State's Alexis Burton by decision, 12-3, then defeated North Central's Taylor Graveman by technical fall, winning 12-2 in 5:26. Baublitz, the three seed will take on McKendree's Savannah Gomez, the two seed in the bracket. The winner will meet the victor between No. 1 Kennedy Blades of Iowa versus No. 4 Stella Steigler of King in the championship match.
Teegan Sibble wrestled an extra match to go 2-1 on her way to becoming an All-American as a freshman. After pinning Quincy's Alexandra Tchekounova in 20 seconds, she was defeated by Sage Mortimer of Grand Valley State. Now in the consolation bracket, Sibble was trailing to Wartburg's Afftynn Stusse before pinning her five minutes in for the win and accolade. She'll take on King's Avery Kibelbek when action resumes tomorrow.
Olivia Klein and Ragan Retell both went 2-2, just missing out on All-America honors. Klein, wrestling in the 103-pound bracket, bounced back after a fall to North Central's Madison Avila in her first match, shutting out Eastern's Jesenia Camargo 8-0 in the consolation bracket preliminary round and pinning Felician's Emily Doolittle in her next match. Her run ended after a narrow 8-6 decision loss to Mia Zuniga from Colorado Mesa. Retell began the tournament in one of the bracket's two preliminary matches, pinning King's Ruby Julien-Newsom in 24 seconds. Retell was then pinned in her first round match against Wartburg's Kylie Rule, but responded with another win by fall in 2:05 over Simon Fraser's Ella Finding. Retell lost her final match by a tiebreaker after finishing even at 7-7 to Augustana's Aine Moffit.
Selina Moore competed in the 145-pound bracket, falling in her first two matches. She lost by technical fall to the four seed Alissa Caltagirone from Northern Michigan, then was pinned by Eastern's Zoe Haines.