ELMIRA, N.Y. — D'Youville placed fifth out of 16 teams at the 2026 NCAA Women's Wrestling Region I Regional Qualifier, highlighted by two national qualifiers and multiple podium finishes.
Freshman Alyssa Sedillo led the Saints at 103 pounds. The No. 2 seed went 3-0 to secure her national berth, advancing to the championship match before medically forfeiting because of a nagging knee injury to protect her health for nationals.
Eliza Stricklin clinched her spot in dramatic fashion. Wrestling in the final match of the tournament, Stricklin secured a 7-0 fall in 2 minutes, 13 seconds in the third-place bout to punch her ticket to the national championships.
At 124 pounds, Alexis Brua wrestled back to a sixth-place finish after an opening-round loss. Despite a nagging back injury, she battled through the consolation bracket before being unable to compete in the fifth-place match. Teammate Madison Wellen finished 3-2, opening with a 29-second technical fall and adding a 12-10 decision in the second round. After falling to the eventual champion, Wellen recorded a 33-second fall in wrestlebacks before dropping the third-place match to narrowly miss qualifying for nationals.
Annika Lopez (117) and Ollie Ridling (110) competed hard in their respective brackets but fell short of the podium. Sophomore Olivia LaPoint stepped in at 138 pounds for injured Saniyah Ward and went 2-2. Freshman Emma Beckles also finished 2-2 at 160 pounds.
Alessandre Elliot earned a fifth-place finish, controlling the fifth-place match with a 12-3 technical fall in 5:16 after dropping two bouts on the first day to eventual national qualifiers. At 180 pounds, lone senior Riley Wentlent closed her collegiate career with a fifth-place finish, earning a 12-2 technical fall in 6:00 in her final match. Her only losses came to the two wrestlers who advanced to the third-place match. After beginning the sport without prior competitive experience, Wentlent ends her career with multiple podium finishes and a previous national qualification.
Sedillo and Stricklin will travel to Coralville to compete at the NCAA Women's Wrestling National Championships on March 6. The Saints departed Elmira having left their blood, sweat and tears on the mat, representing D'Youville with resilience from start to finish.
