NAIA Preliminary Brackets

Williamsburg, KY – With the NAIA National Invitational starting later this week, Cumberlands is set to compete, taking 12 wrestlers to the Jamestown, ND. The NAIA has released the official brackets for the tournament, with five wrestlers receiving a seeding in their weight classes.

Of the 12 wrestlers representing UC, eight of them are making the trip for at least the second time in their collegiate career, including six All-Americans.

Jesse Kirby is the highest ranked wrestler at #3 for the 191-weight class. She was the Mid-South Conference Champion this season and earned All-American in 2019 and 2020. Kirby has amassed the most wins of her career this season, for a 30-4 overall record. Joining Kirby in the 191-weight class is 2021 All-American, MaQuoia Bernabe who is seeded 12th. She had a fourth-place finish at the MSC Championships and has posted a 4-4 record this year.

After finishing second at the MSC Championships in the 170-weight class, Dymond Guilford has the #5 seed. She has a 2-1 record on the year with her wins coming in a 10 second fall and 1-0 tech fall. Chamira Cooper will also be in the 170-weight class as the #7 seed. Cooper finished last season in fifth, placing as a NAIA All-American. On the season she holds a 25-5 record, for the most wins of her career.

In the 101-weight class Elizabeth Dosado is representing Cumberlands as the #11 seed. She earned Third Team All-MSC at the Conference Championships. On the season Dosado is 16-14 overall.

Jaine Stephens will be competing in the 109-weight class. She is unseeded in the tournament but is currently ranked #17 in the NAIA. This season, the Williamsburg, KY native has posted a 15-9 record. Also at 109 is Alexis Medina who is also ranked, but unseeded. Medina comes in as the #8 wrestler in the 116-weight class, but is competing in 109 for the NAIA Tournament. She has put together her most successful season with a 17-8 record.

Returning for her third straight NAIA appearance is senior Kailee Godinez. She will be competing in the 143 bracket and is unseeded but has been ranked this season. Godinez just missed out on All-American status a season ago and currently has a 15-12 record. Also in the 143-weight class is Taylor Whitehurst, marking her first time at the National Tournament. She has compiled five wins so far this season.

The Patriots will have two wrestlers in the 123-bracket in Zoey Smith and Dylan Hernandez. Both wrestlers are making their debuts on the national stage. Smith has five wins on the season while Hernandez has three.

Allyson Arrington is back to the tournament for back-to-back seasons. She will be unseeded in the 136-weight class. She has surpassed her win total from last year, bolstering an impressive 12-9 record this year.

The NAIA Tournament is a two-day event in Jamestown, ND. It will kick off on March 11 at 10AM ET. Live video can be found here and live stats here.

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