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GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Graceland Women’s Wrestling Hosts First-Ever Home Conference Dual

Graceland Women’s Wrestling Hosts First-Ever Home Conference Dual

Results

LAMONI, Iowa — Graceland University made history Wednesday night, hosting the first-ever home conference dual in the history of its women's wrestling program. The Yellowjackets fell 40-4 to Missouri Valley College in Heart of America Athletic Conference action at the Morden Center.

The milestone event marked the official launch of Graceland's conference dual slate. With the result, Graceland moves to 0-1 in Heart duals and 0-1 overall, while Missouri Valley improves to 1-0 in Heart duals and 1-0 overall.

Graceland's lone team points came at 160 pounds, where Yanni Sanchez earned a 16-6 technical fall victory over Missouri Valley's Mya Willis. Sanchez pushed the pace from the opening whistle, scoring consistently to build a 10-point margin that closed the match by tech fall at the conclusion of regulation.

Missouri Valley secured the team win by collecting points through six forfeits at 103, 110, 124, 138, 180, and 207 pounds. Graceland, in the early stages of developing its roster, was unable to fill those weights. The 131-pound class resulted in a double forfeit, with no points awarded.

The Vikings added to their team score with bonus-point wins in two of the three contested matches. At 117 pounds, Ashtyn Sagely of Missouri Valley defeated Amaris Rivera by 10-0 technical fall, while Eternity De La Garza pinned Graceland's Virginia Myers at 1:49 in the 145-pound bout.

Despite the final score, the evening carried significant meaning for the program.

"This entire season is about blazing a trail," said Evan Hansen, head coach of both Graceland's men's and women's wrestling teams. "We are building the foundation of what will one day be a championship-caliber program for women's wrestling here at Graceland. Tonight was special — not just because we competed in our first home conference dual, but because our athletes are laying down the building blocks for the future."

Held inside the Morden Center, the event marked the first home appearance in program history, drawing support from across campus and the Lamoni community. Hansen credited the team's competitive spirit and expressed optimism about the program's trajectory.

"We had a great crowd, and the energy in the gym was fantastic," Hansen added. "This is a program and a community that's going to continue to grow. We're proud of how our team competed and proud of the support we received tonight."

Looking ahead, Graceland will continue its first season of women's wrestling with a return to tournament competition next week. The Yellowjackets are scheduled to compete at the Missouri Valley Open, a two-day tournament held Friday and Saturday, November 21–22, beginning at 9:00 a.m. CST each day. The event will take place at the Burns Athletic Center in Marshall, Missouri, and will offer the Yellowjackets valuable mat time against a strong regional field featuring NAIA and NCAA institutions.

For more information on Graceland women's wrestling and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.