Jamestown, ND – For the second straight season, Cumberlands has a wrestler at the top of the podium at the NAIA Championships. This time it was Dymond Guilford claiming the 170-weight class title. Guilford joined three other teammates who took home All-American accolades, all with top-five finishes.

Guilford went 2-0 on day one to get herself to the semifinals on the final day. In her first match on day two, Guilford had to face eighth-seeded Bailey Dennis from Southern Oregon. The match only took 35 seconds as Guilford quickly rattled off a 10-0 tech fall. The Lancaster, CA native got the two-point takedown and then utilized the leg lace four times to blank her opponent and head to the National Championship bout. For the title match, Guilford had to square off against sixth-seeded Olivia Robinson from Eastern Oregon. And once again, Guilford dominated the match from start to finish, not conceding a point. Guilford went up 2-0 in the first period for the only points in the opening round, patiently waiting to strike at the right moment. Then in the second period, she scored five more points. They all came within 40 seconds of each other, pushing the match out of reach of Robinson. The 7-0 lead was all Guilford needed to claim the championship, the second collegiate title of her career.

When asked about the final match and what it means for her, Guilford responded, "From the moment I heard the girls (my teammates) cheering, I knew it was going to be another great match."

This season was the first time Guilford was on the team, but Head Coach Donnie Stephens knew her impact would be immediate. "We were very fortunate bringing Dymond on board at the semester," said Coach Stephens. "She has raised the intensity level of our workouts and her enthusiasm has been catchy! Today she won the NAIA championship at 170 lbs. We are very proud of her accomplishments and her leadership qualities.  It will be fun working together next year."
The win gives Guilford All-American status for the season, pushing her record to 8-1. She follows Bridgette Duty from last season as the only two NAIA National Champions in the program's history.

As a team, UC earned 83 points, moving them up to 8^th place in the final rankings. Mid-South Conference opponent Campbellsville took home the team title with 189 points.

All four Patriots who made it to day two of the NAIA Tournament claimed top-five finishes, earning All-American honors. After going 3-1 on the first day of competition, Alexis Medina picked up three wins on day two to finish in third place. She was unseeded in the tournament and had to beat three ranked wrestlers to secure her top finish. Her first match was against #7 Jessica Corredor from Missouri Baptist. Medina got the early two-point lead, but Corredor had the quick answer to tie things up. With less than a minute left in the opening period, Medina earned two more points and then added four more in the second to win via an 8-2 decision pushing her into the consolation semifinals. The Covina, CA native once again dominated her match, this time against #4 Jasmine Godinez. Medina gave up just one point in her 12-1 tech fall win. Medina scored six two-point takedowns to secure the win at 5:37. The third-place bout was a rematch from day one against Tehani Soares from Indiana Tech. Before, Medina had just won 10-8, but this time she won from a five-point margin for the 6-1 decision win. Not only did the win give Medina the first All-American honor of her career but also marked her top finish as a Patriot.

Jesse Kirby also earned her best finish at the NAIA Championship, ending in fourth for the 191-weight class. She went 2-0 on day one to position herself in the semifinals. She had to face Kelani Corbett, ranked second from Lyon. Corbett had a 4-0 lead on Kirby, but she battled back with a two-point takedown. However, with just over 10 seconds left in the first, Corbett got a four-point takedown to go up 8-2 at the break. Kirby once again mounted a comeback hitting a pair of two-point takedowns and a point for stalling from Corbett. Unfortunately, Corbett got a two-point takedown with less than 25 seconds left which resulted in a pin, to knock Kirby to the consolation bracket. Kirby bounced back in the consolation semifinals when she faced #4 Lilliana Vergara from Campbellsville. The match was Kirby's from start to finish winning 9-0 for the decision win to put her in the third-place bout. In that match, Kirby had the tough task of going against #1 Tavia Heildelberg-Tilliston from Menlo College. Kirby lost the match 10-0 to finish in fourth place, her highest placement at the NAIA Championships, and her third All-American honor. She ended the year at 36-7 for the most wins on the team and the most in a single season for Kirby.

Chamira Cooper finished in fifth place for the second consecutive year at the 170-weight class, making her a two-time All-American. She found herself in the semifinals on day two, after picking up a pair of wins on the opening day. Cooper fought hard against #8 Olivia Robinson from Eastern Oregon but fell 6-4. Cooper got the first point of the match from a passivity warning to Robinson. But then Robinson hit a four-point takedown in the second period to go up 4-1. Cooper earned three more points, but Robinson put the match out of reach with two more points for the 6-4 win. This sent Cooper to the consolation semis up against #4 Jordan Nelson from Life. Nelson defeated Cooper with an 8-1 decision, forcing Cooper to the fifth-place match. Despite the two losses, Cooper came out firing on all cylinders in her last match of the season. She never trailed in the match, nor gave up a point for a dominant 10-0 win over #8 Bailey Dennis from Southern Oregon. The Cerritos, CA native finished with a 27-8 record on the season, posting the most wins of her career.

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