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GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Graceland Women's Wrestling Shows Grit at William Penn Open

Graceland Women's Wrestling Shows Grit at William Penn Open

Results

OSKALOOSA, Iowa — The Graceland University women's wrestling team battled through one of the premier NAIA events on the calendar Monday, recording several key individual performances at the William Penn Open. With competitive matchups against some of the top programs in the region, the Yellowjackets demonstrated continued growth and resilience as the postseason draws closer.

The Yellowjackets were led by three entrants across the 117-, 124- and 138-pound brackets, each recording wins and placing in a deep tournament field.

Rivera Reaches Third-Place Match at 117

Amaris Rivera opened her day with a bye in the 117-pound quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinal round. There, she fell by technical fall (12-0, 1:43) to William Penn's Silvia Garcia, a top-ranked opponent. Rivera responded with a strong performance in the consolation semifinals, defeating Kylie Bustos (WP) by 7-4 decision to reach the third-place match.

Rivera capped the tournament with a narrow loss in the placement bout, dropping a 12-7 decision to Aneth Campos (IC). Rivera's overall performance showed her continued technical improvement and mat endurance over multiple rounds.

Davenport Battles Through 124 Bracket

At 124 pounds, Sierra Davenport faced high-caliber opposition in every round. She dropped her opening match via fall (0:31) to Lacey Reed (IC) and was sent into the consolation bracket. There, Davenport was defeated by technical fall (10-0, 0:38) against Madison Rich (Ottawa) before wrestling again in the 7th-place match.

Davenport finished her day with another contested bout, falling by fall (0:24) to Jennifer Lopez-Alvarado (AU). Despite the setbacks, Davenport's work on the mat continues to reflect her effort and commitment to match preparation.

Basaldua Earns 5th at 138 After Six Matches

Ilee Basaldua had the most extensive competition slate of the day, wrestling six total matches in the 138-pound bracket. Basaldua opened with an offensive showing, scoring a technical fall (14-4, 4:11) over Germara Guillory (IC) in the championship first round.

She was pinned in the quarterfinals by Tatiana Garcia (WP) at 5:46, dropping her to the consolation side. After receiving a bye in consolation round two, Basaldua earned an 8-8 decision win over Jordan Buffum (IC) to reach the consolation semifinals, where she was again defeated by fall at 5:46 by Jalyiah Gardner (WP).

Basaldua closed strong, defeating Garcia in a forfeit win in the fifth-place match, notching a key placement in a competitive field.

"This group is showing a lot of progress in how we compete at these types of events," said Graceland head coach Evan Hansen. "Each match is an opportunity to test our systems and make adjustments on the fly. Our wrestlers are committed to growth, and we're seeing the benefit of that effort in their match awareness and execution."

Graceland now turns its attention to one of the most important duals of the season, as the Yellowjackets travel to Fulton, Missouri, for a showdown with William Woods University. This event represents a significant test against top-tier collegiate competition, and offers a crucial opportunity to build momentum ahead of the postseason.

Graceland University will compete in its next dual on Monday, Jan. 26, at 6:00 p.m. CST against William Woods University at Anderson Arena in Fulton, Missouri.

For more information on Graceland women's wrestling and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.