RESULTS (PDF)

Fort Wayne, IN – The Patriots traveled to Indiana Tech for the Warrior Open, making a statement with eight wrestlers placing in the top-eight of their weight class with four medalists. As a team, UC won 36 matches and outscored their opponents 202-66.

Jesse Kirby led the way with her first individual title this season, winning the 191-bracket. Competing in the same weight class was MaQuoia Bernabe who placed third. Both Chamira Cooper (170) and Ariana Pereira (155) also placed third in their weight classes.

The 191-weight class was round robin style with each wrestler getting six matches, both Kirby, Bernabe and #14 Riley Dempewolf from Indiana Tech all went 5-1, but their placements went on criteria, giving Kirby the upper hand from her four falls. The Culpeper, VA native had the most falls with the least amount of time out of all of the wrestlers in the tournament, pinning her opponents with a combined time of 3:20. After a 36 second fall in her first match, Kirby followed it up with a pin at 1:47. She was able to hit a two-on one which led to a four-point single directly to a fall. Her final two matches each resulted in falls in 30 seconds or less. The first one she once again got a two-on one and it led to an arm bar putting her opponent on her back at 30 seconds. Then in her final match of the day, sealing her first-place finish, Kirby landed a snatch single to an arm bar for the fall victory at just 27 seconds. The senior now has 94 wins in her career, moving her to third all time in career wins.

Bernabe also went 5-1 on the day. Her first win came from a fall at just 2:34. Her next four wins all came from a tech fall and three decisions where she outscored her opponents 20-0. Bernabe was able to defeat #14 Dempewolf who finished second, blanking her with an 8-0 decision win.

Cooper picked up her third place finish with a pair of falls, a tech fall, and a decision. Her first two matches results in falls, the first at 4:01 and then she earned one under a minute at 54 seconds. Cooper lost her next match 5-5 based on criteria, but battled all the way back to the third-place match. Her first consolation match, she blanked her opponent 11-0. The third place match proved to be tight, with each wrestler scoring three points, but Cooper edged her out to take third place.

Competing alongside Cooper in the 170-weight class was Cierra Abrego. She went 3-2 to finish in seventh place. Abrego started the day off with a fall at 1:24. She lost her next match via tech fall, but once again got another fall in her next match, this time at 1:41. Abrego lost the following match, but again rose to the occasion in her final match. She only conceded one point, to take the 7-1 decision win and claim seventh place for her first placement as a Patriot.

In her first open tournament competing at 155, Pereira had a 4-1 record with her only loss to 7^th ranked Anastasia Hardin from Missouri Baptist. Pereira opened the tournament in dominating fashion, winning with a 10-0 tech fall. Her next match was a tough battle, coming down to the wire, but Pereira edged her opponent out, 3-2. Pereira followed that up with a fall less than minute into the second period at 2:58. She moved on to the semifinals, but lost via a decision from Hardin. But Pereira came out with vengeance winning with a 10-0 tech fall to claim third place.

Olivia Hogan placed seventh in the 130-weight class after going 3-2. She opened and ended the tournament with a fall at 1:28 and 2:37 respectively. Her third victory came from a decision, beating her opponent 9-4.

Ivy Partin earned two wins in the 123-weight class which gave her an eighth place finish. She came out with a 1:08 fall, but bettered that in her second, pinning her opponent just outside a minute at 1:02.

The final placer for the Patriots was Alex Uribe in the 101-weight class. She lost in her first match, but left it unfazed to pick up a win by pin right after at just 1:40. She was able to earn eighth place, for her first placement at UC.

Both Erica Moore and Hailey Budney went 2-2 on the day. They each started off the tournament with a pin victory, Moore's came at 4:47 and Budney notched hers at 1:59. The second win for Moore came from a 5-2 decision and for Budney it was a 12-1 tech fall win.

Next, Cumberlands returns to Mid-South Conference action with a tri-dual at Campbellsville on February 3. It will also feature St. Andrews and take place in Campbellsville, KY.
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics. Please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter- @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.