MANHEIM, Pa. – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the six women's wrestling Region Wrestlers of the Month today. Following a solid month of January, Zoe Gress of East Stroudsburg University, Victoria Baez-Dilone of King University, Emily Mendez of Adrian College, Alara Boyd of North Central College, Shelby Moore of McKendree University, and Holly Beaudoin of Colorado Mesa University took home the awards for January.
Region I – Zoe Gress (130 pounds – East Stroudsburg)
Gress extended her winning streak to 25 matches in January, taking 13 victories without losing in the month. She went undefeated at the Warrior Duals, the Will Abele Open, the Guelph Open, and the Pennsylvania State Championships. Gress improved her season record to 27-2, with losses to then nationally ranked Naenae Estrella (Iowa) and Isis France (Wyoming Seminary). The two-time All-American is now 49-11 during her ESU career after transferring from Colorado Mesa.
Region II – Victoria Baez-Dilone (130 pounds – King)
Baez-Dilone Went a perfect 7-0 with five technical falls with wins over the top two ranked individuals at 130 pounds. She Defeated second-ranked Alexis Janiak of Aurora University 8-0 before topping top-ranked Cameron Guerin of McKendree University 2-2. Baez-Dilone also defeated 10th-ranked Emily Frost on a 10-0 technical fall. She was Tornado Open champion with a 3-0 record, beating now eighth-ranked Anna DiCugno on an 11-0 technical fall in the final. She also won a bronze medal in an international competition in France, going 4-1.
Region III – Emily Mendez (109 pounds – Adrian)
This year, Mendez is having a good season, as she has only lost to ranked wrestlers. The highlight of January was winning the Tornado Open and beating three-time All-American Samantha Miller of the University of Mount Olive in the final.
Region IV – Alara Boyd (143 pounds – North Central)
Boyd returned to collegiate competition with a bang in January. At the NWCA National Duals, she defeated McKendree's seventh-ranked Viktorya Torres by tech fall 10-0 in the semifinals. In the championship dual meet against the University of Iowa, Boyd defeated the Hawkeyes' top-ranked Reese Larramendy 9-4, controlling the match from start to finish. She also went 3-0 at the CCIW Championships to win an individual conference title and help the Cardinals win their second consecutive team championship.
Region V – Shelby Moore (123 pounds – McKendree)
Moore helped push McKendree to a third-place finish at NWCA National Duals. She went 4-0 for the month, including four wins at the national duals. Moore defeated then-top-ranked Amani Jones of North Central 8-5 before topping fourth-ranked Virginia Foard of King by technical superiority.
Region VI – Holly Beaudoin (136 pounds – Colorado Mesa)
Beaudoin went 6-0, with all six wins coming by pin in January. She went 5-0 at the NWCA National Duals, including a 42-second pin of now fifth-ranked Alex Szkotnicki of McKendree. She then bumped up to 143 pounds and earned a pin over Adams State University's Liana Fernandez. On the season, she is 12-1 with nine pins.
January Regional Wrestlers of the Month
Region I - Zoe Gress, East Stroudsburg
Region II - Victoria Baez-Dilone, King
Region III - Emily Mendez, Adrian
Region IV - Alara Boyd, North Central
Region V - Shelby Moore, McKendree
Region VI - Holly Beaudoin, Colorado Mesa
All six are now eligible for National Wrestler of the Month, which will be announced on Thursday.
