Finally!

After a series of near misses, Life University won the 2025 NAIA Women’s Freestyle Championships. The Running Eagles finished second three of the past four years but slammed the door on doubt in Park City, Kansas, by placing 70 points ahead of runner-up Grand View. 

Sisters Zaynah (138) and Latifah McBryde (160) and Savannah Isaac (207) won titles in an inspired team performance that saw Life send six to the finals with 10 All-Americans. All 12 wrestlers scored, contributing to 190.5 points — a record since the NAIA sanctioned women’s wrestling in 2023. 

"This group of young women is so special," Life coach Ashley Flavin said. "They fight for each other daily and push each other to new heights. I'm excited to have them all back next year." 

Nigerian Olympians Christianah Ogunsanyah (117) and Esther Kolawole (145) secured titles for William Penn with wins over Running Eagles. Ogunsanya shut out Salyna Shotwell, 8-0, and Kolawole defeated returning champion Jamilah McBryde, 12-5.

Dickinson State’s Jumoke Adekoye defeated 2023 US Open champ Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Missouri Valley), 5-3, in a rematch of the Heart of America conference finals won by Mota-Pettis. 

Ashley Lekas (180) of Texas Wesleyan and Stefana Jelacic (110) of Lourdes won their second straight titles, and Erin Hikiji (103) of Providence won her first title after finishing second twice. 

Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane) defeated Katie Gomez (Cumberlands), 5-5, in the match of the night. The two age-level World champions squared off in an all-California 124-pound final that lived up to the hype. Rodriguez won her second title after finishing third as a freshman. 

The Flavin File: Ashley and Christian Flavin At The National Duals and National Championships

Top 10 Team Scores

1. Life — 190.5
2. Grand View — 120.5
3. Cumberlands — 116.5
4. William Penn — 114.0
5. Missouri Valley — 101.5
6. Providence — 85.0
7. Southern Oregon — 79.5
8. Texas Wesleyan — 73.5
T9. Doane — 70.5
T9. Indiana Tech — 70.5

Placing Matches

103 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Erin Hikiji (Providence) won by decision over 3 Alexis Miller (Oklahoma City) (Dec 8-2)

3rd Place Match
5 Judy Sandoval (Grand View) won by fall over 7 Makayla Young (Indiana Tech) (Fall 0:39)

5th Place Match
Alexis Hatfield (Avila) won by forfeit over Angelina Casteneda (Cumberlands) (FF)

7th Place Match
4 Karina Vang (Doane) won by injury default over Sofia Abramson (Oklahoma City) (Inj. 0:17)

110 Pounds
1st Place Match
2 Stefana Jelacic (Lourdes) won by decision over 1 Anaya Falcon (Life) (Dec 7-2)

3rd Place Match
3 Paige Morales (Providence) won by tech fall over 6 Tehani Soares (Indiana Tech) (TF 10-0)

5th Place Match
4 Emma Baertlein (Southern Oregon) won by decision over 8 Alexsys Jacquez (Saint Mary) (Dec 3-0)

7th Place Match
7 Tristan Nitta (Grand View) won by injury default over Nizhoni Tallman (Evergreen State) (Inj. 6:00)

117 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Christianah Ogunsanya (William Penn) won by decision over 3 Salyna Shotwell (Life) (Dec 8-0)

3rd Place Match
Shammilka Miranda (Cumberlands) won by tech fall over 6 Mayangelie Colon (Grand View) (TF 11-0)

5th Place Match
5 Jasmine Howard (Southern Oregon) won by decision over 2 Camille Fournier (Texas Wesleyan) (Dec 7-4)

7th Place Match
7 Katherine Heath (Baker) won by decision over Icart Galumette (Campbellsville) (Dec 10-6)

124 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane) won by decision over 2 Katie Gomez (Cumberlands) (Dec 5-5)

3rd Place Match
3 Joanna Vanderwood (William Penn) won by decision over Catharine Campbell (Grand View) (Dec 5-1)

5th Place Match
4 Jasmina Immaeva (Missouri Valley) won by tech fall over 5 Rose Kaplan (Indiana Tech) (TF 10-0)

7th Place Match
6 Maya Davis (Grand View) won by tech fall over Ariana Martinez (Life) (TF 13-2)

131 Pounds
1st Place Match
5 Jumoke Adekoye (Dickinson State) won by decision over 3 Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Missouri Valley) (Dec 5-3)

3rd Place Match
2 Mercy Adekuoroye (Wayland Baptist) won by decision over 1 Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon) (Dec 15-6)

5th Place Match
6 Olivia Mottley (Life) won by injury default over 4 Sarah Savidge (Life) (Inj. 0:00)

7th Place Match
8 Devin Patton (William Penn) won by decision over Larissa Kaz (Hastings) (Dec 14-12)

138 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Zaynah Mcbryde (Life) won by tech fall over 2 Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp (Providence) (TF 10-0)

3rd Place Match
5 Samantha Barragan (Texas Wesleyan) won by fall over 6 Reagen Gallaway (Hastings) (Fall 2:27)

5th Place Match
3 Jordan Suarez (Wayland Baptist) won by fall over Serenity De La Garza (Missouri Valley) (Fall 3:33)

7th Place Match
Isabelle Hawley (William Penn) won by fall over Natalia Posada (Oklahoma City) (Fall 1:21)

145 Pounds
1st Place Match
3 Esther Kolawole (William Penn) won by decision over 1 Jamilah Mcbryde (Life) (Dec 12-5)

3rd Place Match
2 Liv Wieber (Eastern Oregon) won by fall over Sevreign Aumua (Missouri Valley) (Fall 2:54)

5th Place Match
Bridgette Sotomayor (Doane) won by fall over Aubrey Yauger (Texas Wesleyan) (Fall 4:33)

7th Place Match
Alivia Ming (Cumberlands) won by disqualification over 6 Anastasia Hardin (Missouri Baptist) (DQ)

160 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Latifah Mcbryde (Life) won by decision over 7 Darby Weidl (Ottawa) (Dec 7-2)

3rd Place Match
2 Flor Parker Borrero (Evergreen State) won by fall over 4 Micah Fisher (Cumberlands) (Fall 1:28)

5th Place Match
5 Josette Partney (Missouri Baptist) won by injury default over 6 Allyssa Johnson (Jamestown) (Inj. 0:00)

7th Place Match
8 Aspen Barber (Doane) won by fall over Abigail Sebesta (Ottawa) (Fall 2:08)

180 Pounds
1st Place Match
1 Ashley Lekas (Texas Wesleyan) won by tech fall over 3 Kelani Corbett (Missouri Valley) (TF 12-2)

3rd Place Match
Jannell Avila (Baker) won by fall over 2 India Page (Lindsey Wilson) (Fall 5:23)

5th Place Match
5 Liliana Vergara (Campbellsville) won by fall over Lillian Gradillas-Flores (Southern Oregon) (Fall 0:27)

7th Place Match
6 Reka Busa (Life) won by fall over 7 America Lopez (William Penn) (Fall 0:43)

207 Pounds
1st Place Match
3 Savannah Isaac (Life) won by decision over 4 Riley Dempewolf (Indiana Tech) (Dec 4-1)

3rd Place Match
1 Olivia Brown (Grand View) won by decision over 5 Hannah Jackson (Ottawa) (Dec 6-0)

5th Place Match
Maquoia Bernabe (Cumberlands) won by decision over 2 Kathryn Hingano (Southern Oregon) (Dec 3-1)

7th Place Match
Mariyah Brumley (William Woods) won by fall over 6 Alysse Phillips (Lourdes) (Fall 0:47)

Top 10 Team Points (Individual)

1    Cristelle Rodriguez (Doane) — 27.0
2    Ashley Lekas (Texas Wesleyan) — 26.0
2    Esther Kolawole (William Penn) — 26.0
4    Jumoke Adekoye (Dickinson State) — 25.0
4    Erin Hikiji (Providence) — 25.0
6    Zaynah Mcbryde (Life) — 24.5
7    Savannah Isaac (Life) — 24.0
8    Flor Parker Borrero (Evergreen State) — 23.5
9    Shammilka Miranda (Cumberlands) — 23.0
9    Latifah Mcbryde (Life) — 23.0
9    Stefana Jelacic (Lourdes) — 23.0
9    Christianah Ogunsanya (William Penn) — 23.0

Top Four Team Breakdowns

Life University — 1st — 10 All-Americans
103: Katherine Hernandez DNP and has scored 4.0 team points.
110: Anaya Falcon's place is 2nd and has scored 18.0 team points.
117: Salyna Shotwell's place is 2nd and has scored 22.0 team points.
124: Anna Krejsa DNP and has scored 3.0 team points.
124: Ariana Martinez's place is 8th and has scored 10.0 team points.
131: Sarah Savidge's place is 6th and has scored 14.0 team points.
131: Olivia Mottley's place is 5th and has scored 15.0 team points.
138: Zaynah Mcbryde's place is 1st and has scored 24.5 team points.
145: Jamilah Mcbryde's place is 2nd and has scored 22.5 team points.
160: Latifah Mcbryde's place is 1st and has scored 23.0 team points.
180: Reka Busa's place is 7th and has scored 12.0 team points.
207: Savannah Isaac's place is 1st and has scored 24.0 team points.

Grand View — 2nd — Six All-Americans
103: Judy Sandoval's place is 3rd and has scored 21.0 team points.
103: Devyn Moore DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
110: Lita Cruz DNP and has scored 6.0 team points.
110: Tristan Nitta's place is 7th and has scored 14.5 team points.
117: Cailin Campbell DNP and has scored 3.5 team points.
117: Mayangelie Colon's place is 4th and has scored 19.5 team points.
124: Catharine Campbell's place is 4th and has scored 19.0 team points.
124: Maya Davis's place is 7th and has scored 11.5 team points.
145: Krista Warren  DNP and has scored 4.0 team points.
160: Emmalee Spurgeon DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
207: Olivia Brown's place is 3rd and has scored 17.5 team points.
207: Bella Porcelli DNP and has scored 6.0 team points.

Cumberlands — 3rd — Six All-Americans
103: Dutchess King DNP and has scored 3.5 team points.
103: Angelina Casteneda's place is 6th and has scored 14.0 team points.
117: Shammilka Miranda's place is 3rd and has scored 23.0 team points.
124: Katie Gomez's place is 2nd and has scored 20.5 team points.
124: Presley Anderson DNP and has scored 1.0 team points.
131: Mary Jane Porter DNP and has scored 3.0 team points.
131: Annabelle Suto DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
145: Alivia Ming's place is 7th and has scored 12.0 team points.
160: Micah Fisher's place is 4th and has scored 20.0 team points.
180: Saiheron Preciado-Meza's DNP and has scored 6.0 team points.
207: Maquoia Bernabe's place is 5th and has scored 11.0 team points.
207: Naomi Duenas DNP and has scored 2.5 team points.

William Penn — 4th — Six All-Americans
103: Lillian Zapata DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
103: Olivia Atkins DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
117: Christianah Ogunsanya's place is 1st and has scored 23.0 team points.
124: Joanna Vanderwood's place is 3rd and has scored 20.0 team points.
124: Catherine Steinkamp DNP and has scored 2.0 team points.
131: Devin Patton's place is 7th and has scored 9.5 team points.
138: Kendall Bostelman DNP and has scored 5.5 team points.
138: Isabelle Hawley's place is 7th and has scored 12.5 team points.
145: Esther Kolawole's place is 1st and has scored 26.0 team points.
145: Naida Abdijanovic DNP and has scored 0.0 team points.
160: Alexa Wolf DNP and has scored 3.0 team points.
180: America Lopez's place is 8th and has scored 12.5 team points.