Lady Vikings wrestling team begins season Friday

The 2024-25 Carl Albert State College Lady Vikings wrestling season will begin this weekend with the Lady Vikings wrestling in the Friends University Open, which will take place this Friday in Wichita, Kan.

“We have 37 girls on the roster through 11 weight classes,” CASC Lady Vikings coach Jake Lords said. “We’re two to three, sometimes four, wrestlers per weight. Unless something crazy happens with injuries, we should never have to forfeit (any matches in duals). We didn’t put all our chips on our Black vs. Blue Dual (which took place Oct. 23 at CASC’s Mick Thompson Fieldhouse). We’ll wait and see how they compete in these open tournaments. That will kind of determine who we wrestle in duals and things like that. We want to put our best possible line-up out there and be as competitive as we can be. Fortunately, we have a bunch of women, no matter if they start at the start of the year or whatever the case may be, that they’re going to step up and compete, have fun and, hopefully, at the end of the day get their degree, leave here better people all while serving the community.”

One wrestler back is local, Vian’s Taya Hunt. “She red-shirted last year (knee injury),” Lords said about the former Lady Wolverine. “We’re pretty excited about her. She’s worked really hard to rehabilitate her knee, and she’s in good shape. She’s been doing some pretty good things in the practice room. She should make some noise this year for sure.”

All total, there are 15 returning Lady Vikings, with three of them being All-Americans.

“Calli Connally is a (returning) national champion (at 103 pounds),” Lords said. “Abigail Butts was an All-American at 117 (pounds), but she’s dropped down to 110 this year. Sam Markwardt (131/138 pounds) was an All-American from two years ago. She tore her ACL and defaulted to sixth (in the 2023 NJCAA National Tournament), so she red-shirted last year. There’s a pretty strong core group there.”

Since there is not a regional tournament for the Lady Vikings, they can go right to the national tournament. Several of this year’s team got to record at least one win at the 2024 NJCAA National Tournament.

“Eight other girls back who were at the (2024) national tournament that won some matches were Alondra Valles (138/145 pounds), Kaylee Campbell (117), Angeline Wetselline (235), Linlee Asbill (160), Chanelle Alburg (124), Brynlee Goodvoice (160, in 2023), Rylie O’Steen (110), Grace Thompson (160) and Margret Jordan (160, in 2023),” Lords said. “Brynlee also red-shirted last year, and Margret tore her ACL in her first match of the (2023-24) year so she really didn’t get to compete (last season).”

For the first time, the CASC Lady Vikings will have a pair of sisters on the team, thanks to a transfer by one of the sisters.

Thompson’s sister Emma (145 pounds) and Tristan Nolan (124) both are transfers.

“That’s the first set of sisters we’ve had in the (women’s wrestling) program,” Lords said. “Tristan was here second semester last year. She will be eligible for the second semester this year.”

A third transfer is former Friends University wrestler Georgia Smith at either 138 and/or 145 pounds.

Two freshmen from Carrolton, Texas, have caught Lords’ eye.

“We have a couple of new girls that we’re pretty excited about,” Lords said. “Two of them were Folkstyle All-Americans in high school, Amaya Rubalcado (103/110 pounds) and Olivia Sandoval (138), both from Carrolton, Texas.”

A third freshman Lords is high on is Tulsa Union’s Jessina Smith.

“She’s very athletic,” he said. “If we can teach her a couple of freestyle things, she should make a pretty big splash.”

After winning backto back national championships for the Lady Vikings, Alexis “Lexi” Miller is coming back as an assistant coach.

“We’re really excited to have her on staff,” Lords said. “It’s pretty fun to watch these grown men be told what to do by a 110-pound woman. They just do it. They don’t even ask questions.”

Rounding out the roster are Emma Hall (103 pounds), Harley Stringer (103), Laila Mirza (117), Victoria Haggard (117), Skyler Hunter (117), Madison Roe (117), Jaida McGeisey (124), Emery Anderson (124/131), Kristin Barnes (131), Alexis Ahtone (138), Trysten Rittberger (145), Izzy Pack (160), Kylea Birdsong (160), Ryelle Clark (160), Emily Foster (207), Gabby Watson (235) and Stacey Nash (235).

Every one of them likely will get to wrestle at the 2025 NJCAA National Championship Tournament, which will be March 7-8 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“It’s a little bit different on the women’s side because we can have three (wrestlers) per weight up to 25 to the national tournament,” Lords said.