Council Bluffs, IA – 23 members of the Indian Hills Women's Wrestling squad will head to the Mid-America Center this weekend for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women's Wrestling Invitational.
The Warriors enter the national invite having won four consecutive national titles, including back-to-back NJCAA National Championships.
Defending national champion Genesis Gilmore (Clarksville, TN/Montgomery Central), the No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the nation will head to Council Bluffs as the top overall seed at 145lbs. Gilmore, who took home the 155lb national title a year ago during her freshman campaign, will match up with Iowa Central Community College's Emily Angelo in the opening bout.
The 123lb national runner-up from a year ago, Angelica Vicente Gonzalez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Eugenio Guerra Cruz) claimed the top overall seed in this year's 124lb bracket. Gonzalez, the No. 4 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the nation will square off against Angelica Quintana Aficial of Trinidad State College (CO) in the opening round.
Freshman Nevaeh Hayden (Tulsa, OK/Union), ranked No. 3 in the nation in the latest pound-for-pound rankings, claimed the top overall seed in the 180lb bracket. Hayden will open up the national invitational against Savanna Salen of Iowa Lakes Community College.
Freshman Chasey Karabell (Aurora, CO/Eaglecrest) earned the No. 1 overall seed in the 103lb bracket. Karabell will open up the national invite against Anna Kos of Itasca Community College (MN).
Sophomores Madison Leverknight (Kansas City, MO/Winnetonka) and Amaria Ridgner (Richton Park, IL/Rich Township), who both earned All-American honors last season, earned the No. 2 overall seed in the 117lb and 131lb, brackets, respectively. Ruth Jimenez Batista (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Trina Padilla De Sanz), an All-American in 2024, earned the No. 3 overall seed in the 138lb bracket.
Freshman Paola Rodriguez (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Rosalina C. Martinez), the 2025 NJCAA Region 11 individual champion in the 180lb class, earned the No. 3 overall seed heading into this weekend's national invite.
In total, 16 individuals earned one of the top-eight seeds in their respective bracket.
Fans can follow all the action of the NJCAA National Invitational a number of ways:
- GoHillsTV (Audio Only)
- GoHillsTV Facebook
- GoHillsTV Mobile App
- https://www.gohillstv.com/browse
- NJCAA Network (Live Video)
- FloWrestling (Live Stats)
Fans attending the NJCAA National Championships can purchase tickets in advance: NJCAA Women's Wrestling Championship
BRACKETS
103 | 110 | 117 | 124 | 131 | 138 | 145 | 160 | 180 | 207 | 235
WARRIORS AT NATIONALS
| CLASS | NAME | SEED | 1ST ROUND OPPONENT |
| 103 | Chasey Karabell | 1 | Anna Kos (Itasca) |
| 103 | Alycia Perez | 6 | Natalie Johnson (Bid Bend) |
| 103 | Jamiyah Blount-Taylor | Unseeded | (7) Angeline Pillejera (Umpqua) |
| 110 | Ariah Mervilus | 6 | Adelina Valencia (NOC-Tonkawa) |
| 110 | Hinda Doucoure | Unseeded | Alyson Ortiiz (Umpqua) |
| 117 | Madison Leverknight | 2 | Vaea Lamourneaux (Umpqua) |
| 117 | EmmaLyn Burnett | Unseeded | Lexi Timmerman (Iowa Lakes) |
| 124 | Angelica Vicente Gonzalez | 1 | Angelica Quintana Aficial (Trinidad State) |
| 131 | Amaria Ridgner | 2 | Lyndsay Thomas (Southwestern Oregon) / Ariana Blume (Southeast) |
| 131 | Eden Smith | 8 | Caxton Smyth (Fort Hays) |
| 138 | Ruth Jimenez Batista | 3 | Emily Kesterson (Iowa Western) |
| 145 | Genesis Gilmore | 1 | Emily Angelo (Iowa Central) |
| 160 | Olivia Stean | 6 | Emma Thompson (Carl Albert) |
| 160 | Afi Koumasse | Unseeded | (2) Ayana Fletcher (Iowa Western) |
| 160 | Tanihya Wilson | Unseeded | Cambree Howe (Ellsworth) |
| 180 | Nevaeh Hayden | 1 | Savanna Salen (Iowa Lakes) |
| 180 | Paola Rodriguez | 3 | Izzy Pack (Carl Albert) / Brylie Schaub (Iowa Central) |
| 180 | Sarah Lewis | Unseeded | (4) Kaylin Montano (Umpqua) |
| 207 | Wyntergale Oxendine | 5 | Jada Bohm (Iowa Western) |
| 207 | Ileen Castrejon | 7 | Angeline Wetseline (Carl Albert) |
| 207 | Kara Schemkes | Unseeded | (8) Stacey Nash (Carl Albert) |
| 235 | Sha'Niayha Wysinger | 4 | Makenna Fetters (Hawkeye) |
| 235 | Kennedi Johnson-Washington | 8 | (1) Arianah Cowgur (Snow) |
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