Women's Wrestling Favored to Win GPAC; Ranked 6th in NAIA

CRETE, Neb. - Doane women's wrestling will start the 2025-26 season with high expectations entering the fourth year of the program. The wrestlers who helped start the program from scratch look to reap the benefits of the program's growth, starting the season ranked No. 6 in the NAIA and named the preseason favorites to win the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).

In the first year of the program in 2022-23, the Tigers took four wrestlers to nationals and those four will be looked upon to lead the way again this year. Returning 2025 NAIA All-Americans Cristelle Rodriguez and Karina Vang are joined by returning 2025 national qualifiers Lamia Benn and Aevri Ciha. Rodriguez starts the season ranked No. 1 at 124 and is the reigning two-time champion. Vang, a two-time All-American, is ranked No. 7 at 103. Benn, a two-time national qualifier, is ranked No. 14 at 160. Ciha, a two-time national qualifier, will start the season unranked as she works her way back from an injury at the national tournament and hopes to return to competition during the second semester.

Doane has nine nationally ranked wrestlers to start the season. Juniors Bridgette Sotomayor and Aspen Barber are returning All-American. Sotomayor is ranked No. 2 at 145 while Barber is ranked No. 4 at 160. Returning national qualifiers Ashlee Palimo'o and Yazmin Belk are ranked No. 9 at 131 and 180, respectively. Also a returning national qualifier, Hailey Romero is ranked No. 8 at 207. Transfer NJCAA All-American Angelica Vicente Gonzalez is ranked No. 15 at 117, moving down a weight class from last year.

GPAC Preseason Ranking
1) Doane
2) Hastings
3) Midland
4) Waldorf
5) Morningside
6) Dakota Wesleyan