Women’s Wrestling Hosts Wildcat Duals, Goes 3-1 in Regular-Season Finale

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – No. 14 Baker women's wrestling played host to the inaugural Wildcat Duals on Saturday in the Collins Center where BU won three of its four duals on the day in the final regular-season competition for the Wildcats.

Baker won its first three duals on Saturday with victories over Avila (26-21), Friends (27-21) and William Woods (29-14) before falling to the only other Heart team competing in the tournament, No. 7 William Penn.

Katherine Heath (116) and Jaclyn Daley (170) each went undefeated in their matches with Heath leading the Wildcats with three wins, including defeating a pair of top-20 wrestlers, while Daley battled to a couple of tough decisions in back-to-back duals.

With a total of eight teams competing in Collins, the Wildcats opened up the day with a 26-21 victory over Avila. Heath and Aaliyah Bueno delivered back-to-back tech falls with Bueno picking up her win in the 123-pound match. Belle Hernandez (136) and Jannell Avila (191) added a couple more wins for BU with Avila capping the victory with a pin.

After trading forfeits to start the dual against Friends, the Wildcats picked up points in three straight matches with Kylee Slyter earning a tech fall at 116 pounds and Heath, who moved up a class, pinned her opponent in the 123-pound match. With Baker trailing 20-19, Daley and Avila came through with a couple of big wins with Avila's 16-second pin giving the Wildcats their second straight victory.

With forfeits in six of the 10 rounds, Daley provided the lone win for the Wildcats in their outing against Williams Woods. Daley fought to a tough 3-2 decision at 170 pounds in what would be her final win of the day.

Boasting a total of eight top-20 wrestlers, the Statesmen won five of the six rounds to knock off the reeling Wildcats. Heath picked up her third win with a victory over the NAIA's 17th-ranked wrestler on a 3-0 decision.

Finishing off the year with a 10-9 record in duals, Baker will gear up for a postseason stretch that begins with the 2023-24 Heart Women's Wrestling Championships, hosted by the Statesmen, on Feb. 24 in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

#BakerBuildsChampions