The season has ended for the Lock Haven women’s wrestling team. The Bald Eagles finished the year with a record of 10-4 and had six wrestlers compete at the NCWWC national championships. Lock Haven also finished second at the Region I Championships. Here are my top 5 moments from this past season.
5. Moore clinches spot at NCWWC championships
The 2024 Region I Championships were hosted at Lock Haven in Thomas Fieldhouse with a birth to the NCWWC Championships on the line. Freshman Azariah Moore earned a quarterfinal victory over Paityn Delong by decision to make her way to the semifinals. Moore fell to Madison Sandquist in the semifinals by pin in 1:38. A 5-2 decision victory in the consolations over Gabriella Reid of Delaware Valley earned Moore a trip to the NCWWC national championships. Moore finished fourth after losing to Emma Matera by a 5-4 decision.
4. Lock Haven defeats York
Lock Haven hosted York in a dual meet on Sunday, Jan. 21. Behind five pins, the Bald Eagles made quick work of the Spartans winning the match 44-5 which took about 15 minutes. Kaelani Shufeldt, Lily Sherer, Madison Matta, Jessica Johnson, and Trinity Monaghan all earned victories by pin. Shufeldt, Sherer, Johnson, and Monaghan pinned their opponents in 50 seconds or less. Carly Gross earned a 10-0 tech fall victory. Emma Heslin, Samantha Reitnour, and Paige Jackson took victories by forfeit.
3. Shufeldt, Stem win Region I Championship titles
Shufeldt and Grace Stem earned back-to-back Region I titles on Feb. 24. At 109, Shufeldt won her first two matches by pin to advance her way to the semifinal bout. A 10-0 victory by tech earned her a spot in the first-place match. Shufeldt pinned Abby Duke of Elmira in 4:47 for her second straight championship victory. At 136, Stem made her way to the semifinals after a win by fall in 1:57 over Sabrina Sedor. Stem won her semifinal match before earning a 12-2 tech fall victory over Maura White of York for first place. Stem and Shufeldt earned trips to the NCWWC national championships with their first-place finishes. In total, Lock Haven sent four other wrestlers to nationals; Sherer, Jackson, Moore, and Stella Steigler.
2. Jackson pins Charlesworth
Lock Haven traveled to Ursinus for a dual meet on Feb. 11. The Bald Eagles came away with a 38-9 victory. At 143, Jackson lost by a 10-0 tech fall in 2:22 over Cloe Charlesworth. Fast forward two weeks later at the Region I Championships and Jackson would meet Charlesworth for the second time this year. Jackson fought back through the consolation matches where she won the fifth-place match over Carney Wyble by pin in 1:46. Charlesworth and Jackson would meet in the true fourth-place match with a guaranteed spot at national championships on the line. Jackson had a 4-2 lead and was able to turn Charlesworth on her back to secure the pinfall victory in 2:15.
1. Shufeldt pins Ryan and finishes as national runner-up
Shufeldt made history this season, being the first national finalist for Lock Haven women’s wrestling. Shufeldt started off her national championship run with back-to-back pinfall victories over Pauline Granados in 47 seconds and Jenavi Alejandro of Tiffin in 5:20 to earn herself a spot in the semifinal match against the No. 1 seed Kendra Ryan of North Central. Ryan scored the first takedown for a 2-0 lead but Shufeldt responded with a takedown of her own before turning Ryan over on her back to secure the fall victory in 3:53. Shufeldt would finish as the national runner-up at 109 after a 2-1 decision loss to Ava Bayless of Iowa.
