JAMESTOWN, N.D. — The Lady Tigers emerged from the 2024 NAIA Women's Wrestling National Championships with three All-Americans:
Kendra Thompson (155 lbs.) in eighth,
Icart Galumette (116 lbs.) fifth, and
Emma Walker (143 lbs.) as National Runner-Up. As a squad, the women left the tournament ninth of 37 teams, besting their tenth place performance a year prior.
#2 Walker, en route to the finals against conference rival #1 Jamilah McBryde of Life University, pinned Missouri Valley's # 17 Maria Slaughter in 50 seconds before putting away Grand View's #6 Krista Warren (6-5) and Southern Oregon's #3 Bella Amaro via decisions (6-2). McBryde was victorious with a 10-0 technical fall in the finals, repeating the result of the pair's previous meeting when Campbellsville hosted Life late in the regular season.
Freshman #7 Galumette earned her first win with a 6-0 shutout over #14 Kaylee Annis of Southern Oregon. In the quarterfinals, Galumette was bested 13-5 by Texas Wesleyan's eventual National Runner-Up #5 Camille Fournier. Galumette battled back in the consolation bracket though, winning two straight against Irma Retano of Eastern Oregon (:35 pinfall) and Life's #9 Ariana Martinez (10-0 technical fall). Galumette was pinned by Baker's #3 Katherine Heath before defaulting as fifth-place winner due to injury.
#16 Thompson fell in her first match in the round of 16 to the eventual sixth-place finisher Flor Parker-Borreo of Evergreen. In her first match-up of the blood rounds, Thompson bested #14 Ariana Pereira of MSC foe Cumberlands with a convincing 10-0 performance. She sustained that momentum, picking up a win from a forfeit and then with a pin in 5:24 against Texas Wesleyan's #4 Taydem Khamjoi. In the round before the consolation semifinals, Thompson was defeated by overall champion Menlo's third-place wrestler #3 Shannon Workinger via 7-4 decision. In the seventh-place bout, #5 Sadie Antoque of Providence won over Thompson 6-0.
Other Lady Tigers earning points for the team were
Olivia Messerly (two wins),
Riley Banyas (one win),
Cameron Ortiz (one win), and
Addison Messerly (one win).
Menlo (Calif.) claimed their program's first ever red banner, winning the championships by 34 points. They had ten wrestlers earn All-American status. Life University finished second as the highest performing Mid-South Conference team.
