FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. (Feb. 22) – For a third consecutive year, the University of Mount Olive women's wrestling program will be returning to nationals after featuring a pair of qualifiers at National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Coalition (NCWWC) Region III Championships, hosted by Emmanuel on Saturday.

As a team, the Trojans finished fourth overall with 69.5 points in the team standings in a field of 11 programs. No. 6 ranked Presbyterian captured the regional crown with 160 points while No. 11 Emmanuel finished second overall with 155 points behind 10 national qualifiers. No. 3 King rounded out the top three in the region with 117 points.

For a consecutive year, sophomore Ayonna McNeill secured her place on the national stage after placing third in the 124-weight class. After an opening round bye, she registered a 13-7 decision over Betty Cherry of Emmanuel before falling in the semifinals to Montana Delawder of King. McNeill rebounded with a 12-1 tech fall win over Makenna Dolt of Southern Virginia to advance to the third-place match. She secured her spot at NCWWC Nationals after winning a 6-4 decision versus Jewelysa Funakoshi of Emmanuel.

In the 103-weight class, Prendergast battled out of the consolation bracket to earn her first trip to nationals with a fourth-place finish. After suffering a loss in the quarterfinals, Prendergast pinned Jordan Epstein of Huntingdon before dropping a 16-10 decision to Chiara Barbieri of Presbyterian. In the fourth-place match, she recorded win via fall against Hope Eastes of Emmanuel.

The NCWWC National Championships will take place in two weeks on March 7-8 in Coralville, Iowa.
 
Individual Results
103
Champ. Round 1 - Emily Fleckenstein (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Mia Zuniga (King) over Emily Fleckenstein (Mount Olive) (Fall 0:30)
Cons. Round 2 - Emily Fleckenstein (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Hope Eastes (Emmanuel) over Emily Fleckenstein (Mount Olive) (Fall 1:42)
 
Champ. Round 1 - Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Chiara Barbieri (Presbyterian) over Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) (Fall 2:28)
Cons. Round 2 - Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Semi - Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) over Jordan Epstein (Huntingdon) (Fall 5:44)
3rd Place Match - Chiara Barbieri (Presbyterian) over Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) (Dec 16-10)
4th Place Match - Lillian Prendergast (Mount Olive) over Hope Eastes (Emmanuel) (Fall 2:41)
 
110
Champ. Round 1 – O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Dinayah Vazquez (Emmanuel) over O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) (Dec 12-9)
Cons. Round 2 – O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) 22-12 received a bye
Cons. Round 3 – O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) 22-12 received a bye
Cons. Semi - Dianna Holmes (King) over O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) (TF-1.5 2:31 10-0)
5th Place Match – O'marzria Wright (Mount Olive) over Onnika Christensen (Southern Virginia) (TF-1.5 1:46 10-0)
 
117
Champ. Round 1 - Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Melanie Mendoza (King) over Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) (Fall 0:54)
Cons. Round 2 - Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) over Paige Altizer (Bluefield State) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Semi - Charlize Shuler (Presbyterian) over Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) (Dec 5-4)
5th Place Match - Natalia Sanchez (Emory & Henry) over Mallory McDonald (Mount Olive) (Fall 0:57)
 
124
Champ. Round 1 - Ayonna McNeill (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Ayonna McNeill (Mount Olive) over Betty Cherry (Emmanuel) (Dec 13-7)
Semifinal - Montana Delawder (King) over Ayonna McNeill (Mount Olive) (Fall 1:15)
Cons. Semi - Ayonna McNeill (Mount Olive) over Makenna Dolt (Southern Virginia) (TF-1.5 1:23 12-1)
3rd Place Match - Ayonna McNeill (Mount Olive) over Jewelysa Funakoshi (Emmanuel) (Dec 6-4)
 
131
Champ. Round 1 - Chloe Lawler (Mount Olive) over Angelina Knepp (Huntingdon) (Dec 9-2)
Quarterfinal - Anna Dicugno (King) over Chloe Lawler (Mount Olive) (Fall 0:49)
Cons. Round 2 - Chloe Lawler (Mount Olive) over Seani Casperson (Southern Virginia) (TF-1.5 3:13 10-0)
Cons. Round 3 - Isabella Hoffman (Emmanuel) over Chloe Lawler (Mount Olive) (Fall 2:38)
 
138
Champ. Round 1 - Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) over Tristin Robinson (Huntingdon) (TF-1.5 2:17 (10-0)
Quarterfinal - Carina Giangeruso (Presbyterian) over Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) (TF-1.5 1:16 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) over Alexandra Costello (Emory & Henry) (Fall 2:32)
Cons. Round 3 - Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) over Annabel Garcia (King) (Dec 11-6)
Cons. Semi - Gianna Dibenedetto (Emmanuel) over Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) (Fall 2:03)
5th Place Match - Gianna Anaya (Emmanuel) over Angelica Steffy (Mount Olive) (Dec 6-0)
 
145
Champ. Round 1 - Kayleigh Savage (Mount Olive) over Genesis Chinchilla (Greensboro) (Fall 1:24)
Quarterfinal - Aine Drury (King) over Kayleigh Savage (Mount Olive)  (TF-1.5 0:28 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Kayleigh Savage (Mount Olive) over Aryiana Reid (Huntingdon) (Fall 0:44)
Cons. Round 3 - Sofia Vergara (Emmanuel) over Kayleigh Savage (Mount Olive) (Fall 1:39)
 
160
Champ. Round 1 - Aalijah Pineda (Emmanuel) over Jocelyn Mattingly (Mount Olive) (TF-1.5 3:00 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Jocelyn Mattingly (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 2 - Rihana Carson (Emory & Henry) over Jocelyn Mattingly (Mount Olive) (Dec 11-9)
 
Champ. Round 1 - Isabella Gretzinger (Presbyterian) over Savannah Bramhall (Mount Olive) 19-9 (TF-1.5 0:29 10-0)
Cons. Round 1 - Savannah Bramhall (Mount Olive) over Hayli Carbajal (Greensboro College) (TF-1.5 0:32 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 - Savannah Bramhall (Mount Olive) over Hannah Catungal (Bluefield State) (Fall 2:33)
Cons. Round 3 - Aalijah Pineda (Emmanuel) over Savannah Bramhall (Mount Olive) (Fall 1:27)
 
180
Champ. Round 1 - Reagan Smith (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Kascidy Garren (Presbyterian) over Reagan Smith (Mount Olive) (Fall 2:56)
Cons. Round 2 - Reagan Smith (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Morgan Thomas (Allen) over Reagan Smith (Mount Olive) (Dec 8-3)
 
207
Champ. Round 1 - Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) received a bye
Quarterfinal - Destiny Vaughans (Greensboro College) over Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) (Dec 11-8)
Cons. Round 2 - Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) received a bye
Cons. Round 3 - Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) over Mikayla ozueh (Randolph) (TF-1.5 1:40 10-0)
Cons. Semi - Maria Aiono (Presbyterian) over Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) (Fall 0:55)
5th Place Match - Andrea Smith (Mount Olive) over Emma Lozada (Emory & Henry) (TF-1.5 4:15 12-2)