CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — For the third straight season, Campbellsville University women's wrestling is your NAIA Invitational champions. The Lady Tigers also finished with six individual titles in their respective weight classes.
 
The Lady Tigers scored a combined 210.5 points to out-pace University of the Cumberlands with 178.7 points. Cumberlands held the slight advantage midway through the morning, 48-45 but the Lady Tigers ended the pool play sessions with a nine-point lead, 157-148.
 
But it was Campbellsville winning six of the 10 individual championships. McKayla Campbell earned the title at 109 and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler after scoring 22.5 team points.
 
Shelby Hall (130), Kayla Miracle (136), Alexia Foca (143), Mariah Harris (170) and Kaitlyn Hill (191) also earned individual titles. Harris led the Lady Tigers with 25.5 points, while Foca finished with 24.
 
University of the Cumberlands won three titles – Maia Phanthadara (101), Madison Angelito (116) and Sydney Salinas (123). Lastly. Lindenwood-University Belleville's Niauni Hill won the title at 155.
 
"Overall, I think the team wrestled well today," said coach Lee Miracle. "We are getting better at some fundamental skills and it is producing wins where just a couple of weeks ago were losses.
 
"Anytime you can have six champions in a tournament you know you are doing something right. At 109, Campbell battled through a tough match with Fowler which will only push Charlotte to get better. At 130, Hall improved on a couple skills and avenged a loss to win the title. At 136, Miracle returned back into the lineup after arriving back from her Poland and Russian trip. Kayla tech'd all of her opponents and just flat dominated. At 143, Foca continued to step up and show that she is improving at a rapid rate. Wrestling at 170, Harris literally ran through her opponents and showed why she is one of the top ranked wrestlers in the country. Hill stayed up at 191 and turned in a gutsy display of heart by losing in her pool but, getting a chance to wrestle the same opponent in the final where she redeemed herself with a much-improved performance avenging that loss from just a few hours earlier."
 
At 109, Campbell dominated the pool play matches by earning a pair of tech falls, a pin in 50 seconds and held on for a 12-11 decision over teammate Charlotte Fowler in the final.
 
"Campbell is a special wrestler," continued Miracle. "She has made an immediate impact on the team. Her championship match with Fowler was probably the best match of the tournament."
 
Shelby Hall led the way at 130 pounds. After earning a bye in the first round, Hall earned a par of tech falls before defeating Kellyann Jimenez of Cumberlands, 9-3, and UC's Izzy Valles in the finals, 3-1.
 
Also, at 130, Kara Cazeau lost her first three matches but worked her way to finish sixth by defeating Samantha Croker, 4-0. She ended up falling 13-0 to Lyon College's Logan Mize in the fifth-place match.
 
CU had a pair of grapplers competing at 136. Miracle earned three easy tech falls, while Koral Sugiyama went 1-1. The duo met in the first round of the championship bracket but Miracle pulled out a 10-0 victory. She went on to defeat Bridgette Duty of Cumberlands in the finals, 10-0.
 
Sugiyama placed fourth after falling to Ally Poyner of Missouri Valley.
 
CU also had a trio of Lady Tigers at 143 and all three finished in the Top 3. Foca and Courtney Gray both advanced to the finals but Foca got the best of her teammate with a 12-1 tech fall victory. Sophia Carson placed third after defeated Lyon College's Jessica Elery, 8-3.
 
Mariah Harris dominated her way through the 170-pound weight class. She won all four of her matches – one with a 10-0 tech fall and three with pins and all under 1:06. She won the title over Dymon Guiliford after an injury default.
 
Also at 170, Alyssa Lopez was able to pull out a victory in one of her five matches. She defeated Jasmine Jones from Bacone College with a pin in 1:42.
 
At 191, Kaitlyn Hill earned two victories throughout pool play but lost 11-5 to Missouri Valley's Alyssa Cantu in the third match. Hill earned revenge in the finals by fighting her way to a 5-0 victory over Cantu.
 
Raquel Valderrama also competed at 191 and earned three victories this afternoon to place finish.