Women’s Wrestling Earns Season-Opening Sweep at Big Cat Classic

TOPEKA, Kan. - The No. 17 Baker women's wrestling team opened up its 2023-24 season with a pair of victories, defeating (RV) York and Central Christian to earn a sweep at the Big Cat Classic on Wednesday night in Topeka, Kan.

The Wildcats kicked off the season-opening competition hosted at Seaman High School with a 26-22 victory over the Panthers before going on to finish off the night with a 34-14 win over the Tigers.

Aaliyah Bueno (116) and Elisa Robinson (191) each picked up a pin in their first bouts of the year with Robinson's takedown at 191 sealing Baker's four-point win against the Panthers.

After a forfeit 101 pounds, Kylee Slyter earned the first of four tech falls for the Wildcats in the match, defeating her opponent at 109 pounds, 10-0. Following Bueno's pin at 116 pounds, the Panthers would take a 10-9 lead before back-to-back tech falls by Mikyah Cain (130) and Belle Hernandez (136) put BU back on top, 17-10.

Another Panthers pin brought them within two, but Jaclyn Daley added another four points for Baker in her 155-pound match. Coming down to the final bout with BU leading 21-20, Robinson, a senior from Junction City, Kan., capped the victory with her first pin of the season.

The Wildcats chipped in another couple of pins in the nightcap against Central Christian with Slyter and Hernandez each tallying a pin in their bouts.

Slyter's pin at 109 pounds and a couple of forfeits gave Baker a quick 15-0 lead. After a Tigers pin, the Wildcats used another forfeit and a pin by Hernandez at 136 to increase their lead. Daley came through with her second tech fall of the night and Robinson earned a forfeit to finish off BU's 35-15 win.

The Wildcats head out for their first tournament of the year with the Falcon Invite, hosted by Friends on Saturday, Nov. 3 with the action getting underway at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan.

#BakerBuildsChampions