Kansas City, MO – Cumberlands wrestling earns back-to-back weeks of NAIA Wrestler of Week awards, announced by the national office. After a perfect 4-0 weekend Bridgette Duty takes home the honor this week after Jaine Stephens won the award a week ago.

UC is the first team to have two wrestlers from the same team win the honor this year. This is the fifth time a Cumberlands wrestler has earned the award, the most by any program in the NAIA. Duty has also won the award twice in her career.

"I have been very impressed with how much Bridgette keeps improving. People watch her and, the God gifted talent is evident but, behind the scenes you see one of the hardest working most dedicated athletes I've ever coached, " said Head Coach Donnie Stephens, "Bridgette has a legitimate chance to win a national championship in any of the three weight classes she chooses to wrestle post season. It's an honor to win NAIA Wrestler of the Week and Bridgette has earned it!"

On Friday #5 Life hosted #7 Cumberlands in a Mid-South Conference dual. Entering the sixth match of the dual, the Running Eagles were up 15-10. Ranked second in the 136-weight class. Duty faced Briana Kellin, ranked ninth in the 130-weight class. Despite Kellin having a height advantage over Duty, she struggled to even score a point against Duty. The Needville, TX native earned three points against Kellin in just 24 seconds of action. Duty worked herself up to a 7-0 lead when Kellin tried to earn points of her own, but Duty shut her down and earned a two-point takedown to win the match with a 9-0 decision.

The team then traveled over to Franklin Springs, GA for the Robert Memorial Tournament at Emmanuel College. Duty had to win three matches in order to be crowned the 136-weight class champion where she faced two NCAA D-II ranked wrestlers. She found herself behind in two of the matches, but battled back in both to win her second individual title of the season.

In her first bout of the tournament, Duty saw another Life wrestler, this time Angie Prado. Duty succumbed to a four-point takedown, but carried her momentum against Prado to earn her own two-point takedown. The takedown would flip Prado on her back and into a fall at 1:28.

The senior then wrestled seventh ranked Julia Padilla from Emmanuel, (NCAA D-II) in the semifinals. Duty wasted no time in this match, rattling point after point, combining takedowns and leglaces. Already up 6-0 with 40 seconds left in the first period, Duty picked up four more points to ensure the match did not go into the second period to win with a 10-0 tech fall.

Eighth ranked Felicity Bryant from Emmanuel (NCAA D-II) was the next opponent for Duty. Bryant got out to a two-point lead with a takedown, but just like before, Duty escaped and then got two points of her own to lead 3-2. The match would remain close the rest of the way with the two wrestlers exchanging points. At the end of the match Duty would once again have to battle back, down 8-4, but she would answer with six points of her own to win with a 10-8 decision.

The week was capped with Duty becoming the second all-time wins leader with 93 career victories from her four wins, passing Olympian Toccara Montgomery.

UC is the first team to have two wrestlers from the same team win the honor this year. This is the fifth time a Cumberlands wrestler has earned the award, the most by any program in the NAIA. Duty has also won the award twice in her career.

The Patriots will return to Williamsburg for a tri-dual against MSC foes, #2 Campbellsville and #19 Lourdes. The duals will start at 7 pm with livestream found here.

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