Five Earn Titles in Mile High Open

Women's Wrestling competed at the Embry-Riddle Mile High Open on Friday in Prescott, Arizona. The Tigers posted five championships among their 12 Top 6 placements in the tournament. Overall, the team posted 42 wins and a .750-win percentage while leading the tournament with 18 pins.

In the 103 bracket, Karina Vang won with a 3-0 record while Kimberly Navarette took fourth with a 3-2 record. Vang opened with a 10-0 tech fall win in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she defeated MaKayla Lopez (Ottawa, AZ), ranked No. 4 in the NCWA, by pin in 1:22. In the finals, Vang defeated Kinlee Brandley (Snow), ranked No. 4 in the NJCAA, by tech fall, 12-1.

Navarette opened with a 12-1 tech fall win in the quarterfinals. She dropped her match to Brandley in the semifinals by pin. Navarette bounced back with a 12-2 tech fall win but lost the match for third place to Lopez by pin.

Jaden Breeden took second place in the 110 bracket. She opened with three straight pins to advance to the finals. Her first pin came in 2:29 with her second pin in the quarterfinals coming in 1:31 over Jasi Oleson (UNLV). In the semifinals, she defeated Liliana Voakes (Ottawa, AZ) in 38 seconds. Breeden dropped the championship match to Rachel Jones (Snow), ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA, by tech fall, 10-0.

Emily Cano finished sixth in the 117 bracket. She opened with a 10-0 tech fall win before dropping her next two matches to a pair of ranked wrestlers. In the semifinals, she lost to NJCAA No. 6 Bella Butterfield (Snow), and lost a consolation match to NJCAA No. 3 Valentina Martinez (Snow). In the fifth place match, Cano dropped a high-scoring battle, 15-10.

In the 124 bracket, Cristelle Rodriguez and Julia Breeden wrestled for the championship. Rodriguez took the title with a 4-0 record. She won all four matches by tech fall, using only 3:01 of mat time. She recorded the fastest tech fall win of the tournament in her opening match as she defeated Marisol Pena (Grand Canyon) by a 10-0 score in 26 seconds. Following a 10-0 win in the quarterfinals, Rodriguez defeated NJCAA No. 7 Neida Valle (Snow) by a 12-0 final. She defeated Breeden by a 10-0 score.

Breeden went 3-1 as she opened with a 10-0 tech fall win. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Kaylee Young (Snow) by pin in 1:11. In the semifinals, she defeated NCWA No. 2 Marley Castenada (Ottawa, AZ) by pin in 34 seconds.

Tiger teammates also met in the 131 bracket as Ashlee Palimo'o and Brooke Cox met for the championship. Palimo'o came away with the win, going 4-0 on the day. She opened with a pin in 2:09 and took a 6-4 decision to advance to the semifinals. She defeated Kali Watson (Utah Tech), ranked No. 5 in the NCWA poll, by tech fall, 12-2. In the championship match, she defeated Cox by tech fall.

Cox went 3-1 to take second place. She posted three pins on her way to the finals. She defeated Yesenia Morales (Trinidad State) in 2:18 and Valery Ethington (Snow) in 2:21. In the semifinals, Cox defeated Mya Rashed (Grand Canyon) in 2:48.

Aevri Ciha won the 138 bracket with a 4-0 day. She won her first two matches by tech fall, 10-0 and 11-0. In the semifinals, she defeated Martynique Davis (Valiant) by pin in 4:40. Ciha trailed 6-4 in the second period but used a four-point takedown to set up her pin of Davis. In the championship match, she defeated Morgan Lucio (Valiant) by pin in 4:10 after jumping out to a 7-1 lead.

Bridgette Sotomayor went 2-2 in the 138 bracket. She opened with a win by tech fall, 12-2, over Lauren Manuelito (Trinidad State) but dropped her quarterfinal match. In the consolation bracket, she picked up a takedown early in her next match that resulted in an injury stoppage. Sotomayor dropped her final match by a 7-0 decision.

In the 160 bracket, Aspen Barber brought home a championship with a 4-0 record. She started the tournament with a pin in 1:44 over Lorilee Begay (UNLV). In the quarterfinals, she defeated NJCAA No. 3 Ashlea Larson (Snow) by a 6-0 decision. Barber defeated Larson's teammate Alize Acosta in the semifinals by tech fall, 11-0. The championship match was a rematch for Barber as she took on Trinity Bouchal (Arizona State). The two met in the opening match of last year's tournament with Bouchal winning by tech fall, 10-0. Today, Barber led 6-2 in the first period before scoring a takedown while rolling Bouchal to her back for a pin in 1:51 to pick up the win.

Hailey Romero placed third in the 180 bracket with a 4-1 record. She opened with a pin in 58 seconds over Chelsea Rivera (Trinidad State). In the quarterfinals, she posted a win in 1:18 by pin over Abigail Acosta (Snow). NCWA No. 1 Wyvonnie Fletcher (UNLV) defeated Romero in the semifinals but the Tiger wrestler won a rematch with Rivera with a pin in 20 seconds. The pin is the fastest of the season for Doane and the fourth-quickest in program history. In the match for third, Romero defeated NJCAA No. 7 Rachel Johnson (Snow) by tech fall, 13-2.

Yazmin Belk placed sixth in the 180 bracket. She won her opening match by tech fall, 10-0, over Hope Barton (Snow). In the quarterfinals, she defeated Tzuriyah Beaulieu (Colorado Mesa unattached) by pin in 5:05. Belk dropped her final three matches, two coming against NJCAA Top 10 opponents.

The next tournament for the Tigers is the Missouri Valley Open on November 17-18 in Marshall, Missouri.