Gallaway and Kaz Finish Top 8 to be Named All-Americans; Team Takes 19th at Nationals

(Park City, KS) – Hastings had eight wrestlers qualify for Nationals, which took place on Friday and Saturday in Park City, KS. Sophomore Reagen Gallaway at 138 and junior Larissa Kaz 131 were named NAIA All-American for finishing in the top eight. Gallaway, who was an All-American last season, had the best individual finish at fourth and Kaz, who was an All-American two seasons ago, took eighth, as Hastings placed 19th out of 35 teams.

Gallaway, seeded sixth, had a bye in her first round and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 12-1 tech fall win over 10th-ranked Isabelle Hawley from William Penn. In the quarterfinal against the #3-seed Jordan Suarez from William Baptist, the score was even at two after the first period. She took a 4-2 lead in the second and held on for the 4-3 win. 

Gallaway trailed 4-0 early in the first period of the semifinals against Providence's Waipuilani Estrealla-Beauchamp, seeded #2, but got on the board at the 2:44 mark of the first period to make it 4-2 before losing by a 12-2 tech fall. She trailed 4-3 to Missouri Valley's Serenity De La Garza, ranked #11, but got a near-fall in the second period that later turned into a pin at the 4:51 mark. In the third place match against #5-seeded Samantha Barragan of Texas Wesleyan, she got five quick points and led 9-1 with 51 seconds left in the first period, but Barragan got a near-fall and a pin at the 2:27 mark, as Gallaway took fourth.

Kaz, ranked #15 at 131, won her first match with a 10-0 tech fall over #7-ranked Andrea Hernandez from Indiana Tech, but lost by an 11-0 tech fall to fourth-seeded Sarah Savidge from Life. She won her first consolation match by fall over 16th-ranked Keira Nartatez from Midland, then pinned #19 Destiny Campbell of Oklahoma City at the 3:49 mark. 

Kaz moved on to the consolation quarterfinals with a 13-2 tech fall win over the seven-seeded Ashley Whetzal of Missouri Valley. She lost a competitive 5-1 bout to sixth-seeded Olivia Mottley to set up an eighth-place match with #8-seed Devin Patton of William Penn. With the match tied at 10 after the first period, Kaz got a takedown early in the second to go up 12-10, but Patton got two takedowns to close the period, as Kaz took eighth.

Junior Lisa Hoeflich, ranked #18, wrestled at 145 and won a 7-2 decision over Midland's Makena Schramm to open her day. She was pinned by Grand View's Krista Warren, seeded #5, at the 2:26 mark, then lost by an 11-0 tech fall result to Missouri Valley's Aniseta Acosta, who was ranked #19.

Freshman Emma Stice, ranked #17, had a bye in the first round of 145. In the next round, she lost to seventh-ranked Josselinne Campos from Lindsey Wilson in a hard-fought match in which Stice held a 6-0, got behind 7-6, and held a late 9-7 lead before getting tied up at nine late and losing by criteria of Campos scoring last. After a bye in her first consolation match, she lost a 9-4 decision to #16 Bridget Sotomayor of Doane.

Also wrestling at 138 was senior Tabitha Wood, ranked #19, who was pinned early in her bout to fourth-ranked Kendall Bostelman of William Penn, then following a consolation bye, she was pinned in the second period by Campbellsville.

At 160, freshman Izzy Deeds, ranked #18, was pinned in the first round by #19-ranked Abigail Sebesta of Ottawa and after a consolation bye, she lost a 9-0 decision to #13-ranked Kiley Hubby from Dickinson State to end her day.

Competing at 180, senior Marissa Patterson, ranked #13, had a first round bye, then was pinned by second-seeded India Page of Lindsey Wilson. After a consolation bye, she concluded her day with an 11-0 loss to #7-seed America Lopez from William Penn.

After a first round bye at 207, junior Taylor Rickley, ranked #16, lost a 10-0 tech fall to fifth-seeded Hannah Jackson from Ottawa in her first battle. In the consolation round she faced another Brave in #11-ranked Kena Leonard, losing in a close 4-2 match.

The Broncos will look to build off of this years' success of finishing second in the conference and qualifying eight for the National Tournament as they begin preparations for next season.