By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Once again, a premier tournament on the women’s college wrestling calendar delivered for fans of the sport.

The latest example was Sunday’s North Central College Invitational – where the host Cardinals topped a talented field comprised of 30-plus teams with 139 points.

(Full team scores are available here.)

Iowa and the University of Providence followed with 76.5 points apiece, with Colorado Mesa University and King University rounding out the top five.

Athletes from around the country poured into the Hal and Benna Wilde Res/Rec Center. And, to showcase the depth/diversity of the field, only one college program – NCAA #6 King University – placed multiple champions atop the podium in the ‘A’ division.

Paths to a title – the lightweights 

For the third-consecutive year, three-time NAIA national finalist (and 2025 champ) Erin Hikiji took top honors at 103 pounds.

The University of Providence product was flawless on Sunday, winning all four matches via identical 10-0 technical falls. Only two of those reached the second period, including a finals matchup against high school senior Madison Niewenhuis (Unattached) – who defeated 2023 NCWWC national champ Madison Avila (North Central), 3-1 in the semis.

110 pounds may have been the weight of the tournament, and its four heaviest hitters all reached the semifinals.

Ultimately, local high school star Morgan Turner (Lockport, Illinois) stole the show – defeating a pair of past collegiate national finalists to secure first place.

In the semis, Turner used a second-period takedown and activity clock point to knock off three-time NAIA finalist (and 2024 champ) Mia Palumbo, 3-1.

A higher scoring final would follow, with the two-time U17 World champion outpacing 2024 NCWWC finalist Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central) by a margin of 10-7.

Elsewhere in the bracket, fellow high school hammer Jaclyn Bouzakis also got a crack at both Palumbo/Shufeldt.

A runaway champ several weeks ago (at 103 pounds) at the prestigious Missouri Valley Open, the 2027 prospect bumped up this weekend to a new weight class. And though she took early leads in both bouts, Bouzakis was ultimately pinned in the second period each time en route to a fourth-place finish.

Meanwhile, 117 pounds proved to be a one-woman show, as Clare Booe (West Point Wrestling Club) bonused her way to a title.

Formerly of King University, the 2025 NCWWC runner up only allowed four points during the entire tournament. She’d cap off her dominant run with a 10-0 tech. fall over North Central freshman Riley Rayome in the final.

Paths to a title – the middleweights 

At 124 pounds, both finalists had to overcome some real adversity to get there.

For eventual champion Sara Sterner (North Central), the 2025 NCWWC runner up found herself trailing Iowa freshman Isabella Gonzales 9-0 in the quarterfinals before scoring a reversal for the match-winning fall.

And in another quarterfinal, Molly Allen (Oklahoma State) had to hold off 2025 U20 World Team Trials champion Lorianna Piestewa (Colorado Mesa University), 5-4, to continue to her run on the top side of the bracket.

In their final, Allen led 3-1 after an early second-period takedown. But Sterner (ranked #4 in the NCAA ranks) quickly countered with a score of her own – then held off the hard-charging freshman for the criteria victory (3-3).

The champ at 131 pounds took on an international flavor, as Mia Friesen (Brock University) earned top honors. A regular age-level World team member for Canada, Friesen’s closest call came in a 13-11 barnburner of a semifinal against William Penn’s Kendall Bostelman.

Comparatively, her pin of 2024 NCWWC runner up Virginia Foard (King University) in the final was a bit less dramatic.

Elsewhere, the story at 138 was all Claire DiCugno.

Competing unattached, the 2024 NCWWC champ for King University outscored her competition 42-0 in a pristine performance.

DiCugno – who will wrestle for NCAA #4 North Central during the second semester per FloWrestling’s Kyle Klingman – bested soon-to-be Cardinal teammate Grace Stem, 10-0, in the first-place match.

And at 145, a deep, young and talented field was led by its (presumably) youngest competitor – high school senior Olivia Davis.

The Spring Valley, California, native’s trek across the country was well worth it, as she secured wins over NCAA #7 Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan) and NAIA #5 Elise Twait (University of Providence) during her four-match run to a title.

Paths to a title – the upperweights 

Another bracket littered with promising young talent was 160 pounds. But this time, it was a ‘veteran’ who emerged victorious, as NCAA #6 Stella Steigler (King University) topped the field.

A 2025 U20 World Team Trials runner up, Steigler defeated U20 World teamer Daniela Nugent (Oklahoma State) in Sunday’s final, when Nugent was forced to injury default while trailing 7-1 late in the second period.

Arguably the strongest run of Sunday’s tournament – at least in terms of ranked wins – came from Iowa’s Katja Osteen.

The Hawkeye notched four decisive victories over ranked NCAA foes at 180 pounds – including a 10-1 decision over #3 Shenita Lawson (North Central) for first place.

Before that, Osteen bested #8 Isabella Phillips (Gannon), #5 Mia Gaetjens (Adrian College) and #6 Abbie Miles (Northern Michigan) via a decision (7-1) and back-to-back falls.

Speaking of impressive performances, there may have been none more dominant than Eliana Bommarito’s at 207 pounds.

The King University senior entered Sunday ranked #3 in the NCAA and did nothing to dispel that notion.

Bommarito spent a total of 5:51 on the mat over three matches. And after a 10-0 quarterfinal tech. fall, she pinned #5 Caroline Ward (North Central) and #4 Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa University) in 1:16 and 0:37 respectively – the latter in the championship bout.

Final results and complete brackets for the 2025 North Central College Invitational are available at FloWrestling.org.

Full match replays from the event are also available with a FloWrestling subscription.

2025 North Central College Invitational 

At Naperville, Illinois, December 14 

Placement Match Results 

103 pounds 

1st – Erin Hikiji (University of Providence) tech. fall Madison Nieuwenhuis (Unattached), 10-0 (3:28)

3rd – Mia Zuniga (Colorado Mesa University) dec. Zoey Haney (Indiana Tech), 4-1

5th – Madison Avila (North Central) tech. fall Zurri Zamora (North Central), 10-0 (0:25)

110 pounds 

1st – Morgan Turner (Unattached) dec. Kaelani Shufeldt (North Central), 10-7

3rd – Mia Palumbo (Unattached) fall Jaclyn Bouzakis (Unattached), 4:37

5th – Paige Morales (University of Providence) tech. fall Teegan Sibble (East Stroudsburg), 12-2 (3:19)

117 pounds 

1st – Clare Booe (West Point Wrestling Club) tech. fall Riley Rayome (North Central), 10-0 (3:58)

3rd – Alexandra Waitsman (William Jewell College) dec. Harlee Hiller (Iowa), 9-8

5th – Lilly Roberts (Unattached) fall Sereena Baca (Quincy), 1:07

124 pounds 

1st – Sara Sterner (North Central) dec. Molly Allen (Oklahoma State Club), 3-3

3rd – Haley Narahara (Menlo College) vs. Louisa Schwab (Menlo College) double forfeit

5th – Isabella Gonzales (Iowa) tech. fall Roe Kaplan (Indiana Tech), 13-2 (5:01)

131 pounds 

1st – Mia Friesen (Brock University) tech. fall Virginia Foard (King University), 14-4 (3:45)

3rd – Bella Williams (Iowa) dec. Kailey Benson (Oklahoma State Club), 8-7

5th – Kendall Bostelman (William Penn) tech. fall Ruby Julien-Newsom (King University), 15-5 (5:35)

138 pounds 

1st – Claire DiCugno (Unattached) tech. fall Grace Stem (North Central), 10-0 (2:38)

3rd – Jennifer Soto (Tarleton State Club) dec. Lilly Luft (Iowa), 2-1

5th – Ella Schmit (Iowa) fall Jacinda Espinosa (Lindenwood University), 2:40

145 pounds 

1st – Olivia Davis (Unattached) tech. fall Elise Twait (University of Providence), 12-0 (2:00)

3rd – Alissa Caltagirone (Northern Michigan) dec. Margaret Buurma (Grand Valley State), 10-2

5th – Gretchen Donally (Colorado Mesa University) tech. fall Riley Aamold (Unattached), 11-1 (4:58)

160 pounds 

1st – Stella Steigler (King University) def. Daniella Nugent (Oklahoma State Club), 5:29

3rd – Sophia Bassino (Northern Michigan) dec. Sydney Perry (North Central), 6-5

5th – Taylor Graveman (North Central) fall Janiya Johnson (Unattached), 1:19

180 pounds 

1st – Katja Osteen (Iowa) dec. Shenita Lawson (North Central), 10-1

3rd – Jael Miller (North Central) fall Kathryn Hingano (Southern Oregon University), 1:44

5th – Kalila Shrive (Menlo College) fall Abbie Miles (Northern Michigan), 2:04

207 pounds 

1st – Eliana Bommarito (King University) fall Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa University), 0:37

3rd – Caroline Ward (North Central) dec. Tirza TwoTeeth (North Central), 5-0

5th – Dasia Yearby (North Central) dec. Phoebe Burt (William Penn), 8-3