FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Barely a full calendar year after collecting four different finishes of either 1st or 2nd at the Emmanuel Open, the Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team posted an even greater all-around showing at the same tournament on Sunday afternoon, winning 28 times and achieving six medals of either the top prize or runner-up.
Chiara Barbieri, Cassia Zammit, Madeline Kubicki, Henlee Haynes, and Ella Beam would all go unbeaten in their respective weight classes (going 15-0 between them), with Alyssa Mahan and Ta’Niya Roberts adding silver and bronze tabs to their trophy case as well.
As the remainder of the season features similar bracket-style events that will lead the Blue Hose to the Regional and National tourneys, head coach Brian Vutianitis’ group increased their win count from the previous year’s Emmanuel Open by 13.
Even more impressive is the fact that nine of PC’s 10 grapplers weren’t on the roster at this time in 2023, another nugget of Presby’s immense talent from their youth and new reputation as a national powerhouse.
NOTABLES
- Nearly 80 percent of Presbyterian’s W’s came by either pin or technical fall (22 of 28), with eight of Coach V’s entrees gaining at least two victories by either fall or TF. Kubicki produced perhaps the most eye-opening path of the bunch by three pins that each took 95 seconds or less alongside another tech of the 12-0 variety.
- Zammit continued her hot streak to 10 wins over her last 11 encounters, grabbing the 130-pound championship in Franklin Springs thanks a 12-point technical against Emmanuel’s Isabella Hoffman for the freshman’s fifth straight triumph and 22nd of the campaign.
- Five different members of PC’s roster have now surpassed 20 wins since the journey began back in November, with the overall core grabbing 188 personal W’s including 44 over the last eight days and 68 in the month of January.
- All 10 of Presby’s performers registered at minimum two wins on Sunday, bringing the squad’s grand total to 18 top-three showings while in a tournament background as well as nine 1st-place prizes.
RESULTS
101 – CHIARA BARBIERI (2-0), 1st Place
Chiara Barbieri (PC) def. Hope Eastes (Emmanuel) by TF, 10-0
Chiara Barbieri (PC) def. Jeulenea Khang (Mount Olive) by TF, 10-0
109 – GRACE YORK (2-2)
Grace York (PC) def. Mallory Howard (Emory & Henry) by TF, 12-2
Samantha Miller (Mount Olive) def. Grace York (PC) by Fall, 1:00
Grace York (PC) def. Haley Viars (Emory & Henry) by Fall, 0:46
Haley Zinninger (Emmanuel) def. Grace York (PC) by Fall, 3:00
116 – CHARLEE SHULER (3-2), 4th Place
Charlee Shuler (PC) def. Natalia Sanchez (Emory & Henry) by TF, 12-2
Charlee Shuler (PC) def. Alesandra Burgos (Lindsey Wilson) by Dec., 6-2
Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel) def. Charlee Shuler (PC) by TF, 10-0
Charlee Shuler (PC) def. Ashley Morris (Lincoln Memorial) by Dec., 6-0
Chloe Ayres (Princeton) def. Charlee Shuler (PC) by TF, 10-0
123 – ALYSSA MAHAN (3-1), 2nd Place
Alyssa Mahan (PC) def. Makayla Correa (Emmanuel) by Fall, 3:00
Alyssa Mahan (PC) def. Ayonna McNeil (Mount Olive) by TF, 10-0
Alyssa Mahan (PC) def. Brooke Hermel (Mount Olive) by TF, 10-0
Josie Davis (Campbellsville) def. Alyssa Mahan (PC) by Fall, 5:12
130 – CASSIA ZAMMIT (3-0), 1st Place
Cassia Zammit (PC) def. Olivia Messerly (Campbellsville) by Fall, 5:12
Cassia Zammit (PC) def. Brielle Bibla (Mount Olive) by TF, 11-0
Cassia Zammit (PC) def. Isabella Hoffman (Emmanuel) by TF, 12-0
143 – MADELINE KUBICKI (4-0), 1st Place
Madeline Kubicki (PC) def. Jude Higgins-Morris (Campbellsville) by Fall, 1:35
Madeline Kubicki (PC) def. Anna-Mari Servin (Liberty) by TF, 12-0
Madeline Kubicki (PC) def. Skyelar Smith (Mount Olive) by Fall, 1:18
Madeline Kubicki (PC) def. Emma Walker (Campbellsville) by Fall, 1:11
155 – ISABELLA BADON (2-2)
Jocelyn Yepez (Emmanuel) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by Fall, 0:55
Isabella Badon (PC) def. JahMya Hill (Allen) by TF, 10-0
Isabella Badon (PC) def. Isabella Kessey (Mount Olive) by TF, 10-0
Sierra Chavez (Campbellsville) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by TF, 10-0
170 – HENLEE HAYNES (3-0), 1st Place
Henlee Haynes (PC) def. Katie Gakin (Emory & Henry) by Fall, 0:39
Henlee Haynes (PC) def. Maile Ka’ahanui (Liberty) by Inj. Forfeit
Henlee Haynes (PC) def. Alyssa Arana (Emmanuel) by Fall, 4:32
170 – TA’NIYA ROBERTS (3-1), 3rd Place
Ta’Niya Roberts (PC) def. Maria Gardner (Campbellsville) by TF, 12-2
Alyssa Arana (Emmanuel) def. Ta’Niya Roberts (PC) by Dec., 9-4
Ta’Niya Roberts (PC) def. Katie Gakin (Emory & Henry) by Dec., 9-1
Ta’Niya Roberts (PC) def. Riauna Lugo (Huntingdon) by Dec., 4-4
191 – ELLA BEAM (3-0), 1st Place
Ella Beam (PC) def. Victoria Darden (Mount Olive) by Forfeit
Ella Beam (PC) def. Jane Allen (Life) by Fall, 0:56
Ella Beam (PC) def. Jada Arnold (Mount Olive) by TF, 10-0
UP NEXT
- A well-earned rest period will be in PC’s immediate future after enduring one of (if not, the most) brutally-challenging schedules in America, made to wait a full two weeks until their next event on the calendar.
The 15th-ranked Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team celebrated a raucous Senior Night atmosphere with a one-sided dual victory against Emory & Henry on Friday evening to the tune of a 37-10 final difference, putting the finishing touches on a perfect 4-0 stance when competing at Templeton Gymnasium on the year.
Wrestling on their home turf for the first time since December, the Blue Hose closed the book on their dual slate in style by obtaining a W in 80 percent of the night’s encounters. Head coach Brian Vutianitis’ roster utilized two pins and technical falls apiece to account for the 27-point tally and their eighth triumph in a one-on-one setting throughout the campaign.
From here, Presby will settle in to tournament mode with their dual calendar now in the rearview mirror. They’ll head to the Emmanuel Open in Georgia on Sunday morning which leads into a two-week break, finding just two more regular season events until Regional Championships creep in.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blue Hose never trailed at any point as they soared to their second straight victory over the Wasps, earning an earlier W in 2023 by a 35-5 clip. They’d come eerily close to matching that figure in their fifth performance of 30 points or better.
- Grace York and Alyssa Mahan would record the squad’s two pins in a combined 60 seconds, helping hand PC a lead as large as 32 and extend the program’s streak to five straight home matches with a win of at least 27 points (dating back to December of 2022).
- Madeline Kubicki (143) and Ella Beam (191) put the cherry on top of Presby’s dominant W, winning by an added margin of 16-2 and sending the rumbling Templeton audience to a fever pitch in the process.
- Friday night would be the final Clinton appearance on the mats for senior Isabella Badon, accompanied by fellow graduates Morgan Norris and Sierra Marie Miller in a pregame ceremony for their contributions to Blue Hose women’s wrestling.
RESULTS
# 15 PRESBYTERIAN def. EMORY & HENRY, 37-10
101 – Chiara Barbieri (PC) Won by Forfeit – 5-0 PC
109 – Grace York (PC) def. Haley Viars (E&H) by Fall, 0:31 – 10-0 PC
116 – Charlee Shuler (PC) def. Natalia Sanchez (E&H) by TF, 12-2 – 14-1 PC
123 – Alyssa Mahan (PC) def. Madison Wilson (E&H) by Fall, 0:29 – 19-1 PC
130 – Cassia Zammit (PC) Won by Forfeit – 24-1 PC
136 – Olivia Waller (PC) Won by Forfeit – 29-1 PC
143 – Madeline Kubicki (PC) def. Skie Roulo (E&H) by TF, 10-0 – 33-1 PC
155 – Molly Keller (E&H) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by Fall, 2:48 – 33-6 PC
170 – Katie Gakin (E&H) def. Ta’Niya Roberts (PC) by Dec., 4-1 – 34-9 PC
191 – Ella Beam (PC) def. Brittney Reed (E&H) by Dec., 6-2 – 37-10 PC
Establishing Templeton Gymnasium as a tough venue for opponents to attempt a W, the Presbyterian College men’s wrestling team moved to their second victory in as many home contests by vanquishing Queens on Sunday in a 30-15 final margin.
The school’s second home appearance in seven days proved to pay major dividends – just like the 44-6 beatdown over Truett McConnell only last week – gifting PC a doubled-up victory over the Royals and their second straight triumph against their Charlotte-based foe.
Each of the first four meetings went head coach Mark Cody’s way, as a 4:24 pin by Trenton Donahue and a 20-5 Rey Ortiz technical fall helped boost the deficit to 17-6 nearing the match’s halfway point.
A 10-2 major decision in Caleb Roe’s favor made the sophomore (along with Ortiz) 3-0 in the past eight days coming off of respective W’s against Bellarmine just 48 hours ago.
While the Blue Hose were going to emerge as the victors regardless of the day’s heavyweight outcome between Nathan Carnes and foe Jamikael Lytle, it didn’t stop that joust from being the most entertaining of the afternoon.
Battling back from a 12-1 deficit, Carnes saw a third-period pin ultimately reversed via some out-of-bounds slippage, although still able to achieve the win by maneuvering to his 14th point with a literal second left on the clock.
Eight of the matchup’s nine duals ended with a PC wrestler having their hand raised, bringing them their third head-to-head win in what was the final tussle outside of Southern Conference action on the rest of 2024’s radar.
RESULTS
PRESBYTERIAN def. QUEENS, 30-15
125 – Daniel Graham (Queens) Won by Forfeit – 6-0 Queens
133 – Brayden Adams (PC) def. Griffen Gonzalez (Queens) by Dec., 10-8 – 6-3 Queens
141 – Rey Ortiz (PC) def. Connor Goodman (Queens) by TF, 20-5 – 8-6 PC
149 – Trenton Donahue (PC) def. Riley Curran (Queens) by Fall, 4:24 – 14-6 PC
157 – Eli Holiday (PC) def. Suhaib Hatamleh (Queens) by Dec., 8-4 – 17-6 PC
165 – Vladimir Sukhikh (Queens) def. Michael Ramirez (PC) by Dec., 3-2 – 17-9 PC
174 – Nathan Furman (PC) def. Greg Merriman (Queens) by Fall, 2:55 – 23-9 PC
184 – Caleb Roe (PC) def. D’Andree Hunt (Queens) by MD, 10-2 – 27-9 PC
197 – Riley Kuhn (Queens) def. George Hopkins (PC) by Fall, 4:22 – 27-15 PC
285 – Nathan Carnes (PC) def. Jamikael Lytle (Queens) by Dec., 14-13 PC
UP NEXT
- While Presby was unsuccessful in stopping Bellarmine’s undefeated record on Friday during the league opener, they’ll have their chance to get back to .500 in conference play on February 3 following a 12-day break.
- They’ll serve as the hosting party for a SoCon feature with VMI at 2:00 PM, going on to visit Chattanooga six days later for their second of four road affairs within the conference umbrella.
