MANHEIM, Pa. – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced their first women's wrestling Region Wrestlers of the Month today, this season with six regional winners. Following great opening months, Grace Stem of Lock Haven University, Claire DiCugno of King University, Juliana Alejandro of Tiffin University, Kendra Ryan of North Central College, Brianna Gonzalez of the University of Iowa, and Julia Richey of Simon Fraser University took home the awards for November.
Stem has gotten off to an outstanding start to the season, going 8-2 in November. She helped the eighth-ranked Bald Eagles top 22nd-ranked Elmira 35-12 as the third-ranked wrestler posted a 10-0 technical fall over 10th-ranked Zoey Lints in the first period. Stem went 5-0 to win the Adrian College Invitational at 143 pounds. She started the season with a fourth-place finish at the Princeton Open, going 2-2 with a pair of technical fall wins.
In the first two tournaments of the season, DiCugno earned titles at 136 pounds at the East Stroudsburg Open and Eagle Madness. She went 3-0 with one pin and two technical fall victories to win the East Stroudsburg Open. DiCugno then posted a pin and three technical fall wins to take the Eagle Madness crown and end the month with a perfect 8-0 mark.
Alejandro has started the season with a 9-2 record, with one win over a ranked opponent. She won the Tiffin University Open at 101 pounds and went 4-0 at Adrian Duals. Alejandro closed the month by taking seventh at the highly competitive Missouri Valley Open, beating the seventh-ranked girl in the NWCA Rankings.
Ryan went 11-0 in November, ending ten matches by fall or tech fall. She twice earned tech falls over Indiana Tech's multiple-time All-American Tehani Soares, currently ranked fifth in the NAIA. She also won a 12-1 technical fall over McKendree University's fourth-ranked Pauline Granados, an NCWWC National Champion and three-time All-American. She also owns a win over third-ranked Kaelani Shufeldt of Lock Haven, avenging a loss from last spring's U20 World Team Trials.
Gonzalez started her career at Iowa with a 13-0 record in November. She won both the Princeton Open and Missouri Valley Open at 116 pounds. During the month, she outscored her opponents 84-12 and went from unranked to start the season to fourth in the latest rankings.
Richey had a big month to start the season, going 13-1 at 191 pounds. During November, she posted two wins over NCAA Ranked opponents and another victory over an NAIA-ranked foe. She won the highly competitive Missouri Valle Open and the Pacific Mike Clock Open while taking third at the Simon Fraser Open.
November Regional Wrestlers of the Month
Region 1 – Grace Stem, Lock Haven
Region 2 – Claire DiCugno, King
Region 3 – Juliana Alejandro, Tiffin
Region 4 – Kendra Ryan, North Central
Region 5 – Brianna Gonzalez, Iowa
Region 6 – Julia Richey, Simon Fraser
All six are now eligible for National Wrestler of the Month, which will be announced next week.
