The North Carolina Women’s Invitational takes place this Saturday in Greensboro. There was some frustration with the number allowed into the brackets and the NCSHAA released a statement related to the issue. I am not going to go into the discussion of what happened, etc. in this post … and am instead simply going to highlight the tournament. I’m sure we will have an opportunity to revisit the issue once the season has concluded (and there is nothing to be done about it now).
RankedNCwomen.com are releasing their viewer’s guide and probably have a better outlook related to what to watch this weekend. I have not been “on the ground” watching these girls compete like RankedNCWomen’s has and their analysis will likely be much more insightful than mine. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to highlight the tournament and the women competing. Below I’ve included a copy of the brackets (you can find the actual brackets on trackwrestling) and the top seeds for each weight class. The #1 seed is the favorite, #2-4 are the contenders and then we pick someone as the “darkhorse” - a wrestler that he feel could surprise a few people.
100 lbs.
Favorite: Lily Pendergast (South Brunswick)
Contenders (based on their seeds):
Anna Ockerman (Corinth Holders)
Jeulenea Khang (Freedom)
Jamie Hearl (Mt Airy)
Darkhorse: Liliana Zapote (North Henderson)
Looks like Pendergast has spent sometime this season as the 106 for South Brunswick and has some very good wins - including a decision over #2 seed Anna Ockerman. She hasn’t faced either Khang or Hearl (and she could get Hearl in the semis). Ockerman has filled in at 106 and 113 this season for Corinth Holders and has a very good freshman campaign. Khang has a solid win over 107 #3 seed Moran Repasky and also has a loss to Fink … she will be one to watch. Hearl, who is the 4 seed, has some very good wins including a fall of 107 lb. #2 seed Glennin Hanson earlier this year. It doesn’t appear that many of in the bracket have faced one another this year - so be prepared for anything to happen. Zapote is the darkhorse primarily because of the number of people in the bracket she has wrestled … losing to Khang and Hearl as well as top seed at 107 Aynsley Fink as well as Tennessee State Champ Jenna Baines. She knows what the competition looks like and you can expect the North Henderson staff has a plan to help her succeed.
107 lbs.
Favorite: Aynsley Fink (Robbinsville)
Contenders:
Glennin Hansen (North Henderson)
Morgan Repasky (McDowell)
Bryanna Luihn (Wake Forest)
Darkhorse: Megan Rowland (Pinecrest)
Fink is a hammer and is certainly the favorite entering the tournament after taking the 106 lb. title a year ago and finishing 2nd two years ago. She is a mainstay in the Robbinsville lineup and has been a instrumental part of Robbinsville’s success this season. The contenders include Hansen, Repasky, and Luihn … none has wrestled Fink this year - so that is something to keep an eye on. Hensen has some solid wins including beating Wheeler (the 9 seed) and Valerio (the 11 seed), but she also has losses to Hearl and Hope Horan of Mt Airy (who are in the weights above and below). Repasky is the 3 seed and draws Kirkland in the opening round (she has an injury default win over Kirkland from earlier in the year) … the winner could the 6 seed Martha Dominguez of Purnell Swett. Luihn is the 4 seed and is a returning placer (I believe she was 4th a year ago). She could pull a tough Rowland in the quarters, but needs to focus on Alicia Silvarrey of East Forsyth first. Rowland is the darkhorse and will have a tough road as the 5 seed, but has proven her mettle this season in the Pinecrest lineup.
114 lbs.
Favorite: Reagan Riddick - First Flight
Contenders:
Diya Dhananjay (Mallard Creek)
Liliana Lizarde (Overhills)
Hope Horan (Mt Airy)
Darkhorse: Jazmin Palma (Uwharrie Charter)
Riddick is the clear favorite and will look to claim her 3rd title (I believe) on Saturday. She routinely wrestles all over the country and is going to be tough to beat this weekend. Dhananjay is the 2 seed and has wins over Jimenez, Magana, Parker and others … she also has a loss to the 5 seed Mariel Mayo-Perez. Lizarde is the 3 seed with wins over Leland of Middle Creek and Dominguez of Purnell Swett (the 6 seed at 107) along with a loss to Canady (who is seeded 11th) - who she could see in the quarters. Horan is very tough and is a returning runner-up (along with a returning boys 1A State Placer) … she has a nice win over Hansen and hasn’t lost to anyone in the bracket. Not to look ahead but Riddick vs. Horan could be fun to watch. Palma is our darkhorse … and the transitive property does not apply to wrestling, but it is something to note. Palma has already beaten Canaday (and Canaday has beaten Lizarde) … meaning that the quarter could (possibly) go to anyone … as a result we think you should keep an eye on the freshman from Uwharrie.
120 lbs.
Favorite: Kennedie Brantley (Havelock)
Contenders:
Sophia Forquer (Corinth Holders)
Ava Weber (Pinecrest)
Leyle Cius (Ardrey Kell)
Darkhorse: Isabel Rodriguez (Dixon)
This should be a fun weight to watch with the freshman Kennedie Brantley in the #1 seed spot and Corinth Holders’s Sophia Forquer in the 2 seed. I don’t believe Kennedy has seen anyone in the bracket … which always makes things interesting. She has had a solid season for Havelock with an ice win over Mason McMullen of Jacksonville and Jacob Devinney of Topsail. Forquer, Weber, and Cius are the contenders … Forquer has some solid wins over Canaday and Vindigni, but also hasn’t faced Weber or some of the others on her side of the bracket. Isabel Rodriguez is the darkhorse … she comes in as the 10 seed and (according to the seeds) will be the underdog in all of her matches on the front side of the bracket. That said - she was a finalist a year ago and I watched her compete at the Grappler Fall Classic (yes it was freestyle I believe) - but she wrestled extremely well and should not be overlooked by anyone.
126 lbs.
Favorite: Brooke Zak (Currituck County)
Contenders:
Milena Daniels (Hoke County)
Bella Murillo (Fike)
Isabella Tejeda (Jack Britt)
Darkhorse: Emmy Everhardt (Swain County)
Zak is the returning 120 lb. State Champ and is certainly the favorite entering the tournament. Daniels was 2nd a year ago at this weight - losing to Efird of Parkwood in the finals. She knows what it takes to get to the finals and will look to use last year’s experience to knock off Zak and claim the top spot in 2022. Murillo and Tejeda are the 3 and 4 seeds and both have had very good seasons … but neither wrestled in the invitational a year ago. It will be interesting to see how they handle being one of the top seeds. Everhardt is our darkhorse … she wrestled a year ago at 145 and fell in the quarters to eventual placer Mackenzie Eller. She will look to improve on that in 2022.
132 lbs.
Favorite: Brianna DeLeon (Weddington)
Contenders:
Giovana Disbennet (Dixon)
Zoe Weimer (Jack Britt)
Tasia Neadeau (Swain County)
Darkhorse: Hailie Misplay (Pine Forest)
A pair of freshmen sit in the top two seeds at 132. It is interesting because Kenley Riley of West Carteret a returning placer in the bracket after taking 3rd a year ago (and she is seeded 5th) … so obviously the freshmen must have had a very good season up to this point to take the top spots in the bracket. DeLeon is unbeaten according to rankwrestlers with wins over Trinity Davis, Kori Harris, and others - but none over any of the top seeds in the bracket. Disbennet is the same with a win over Lauren Britt of Richlands, but (as far as we can tell) no matches with anyone else in the top 5. Weimer is the 3 seed and here only loss came to April Kelly of Woodmont (SC) - an absolute hammer - at Holy Angels.
Hailie Misplay of Pine Forest if a perfect example … she is 10-12 on the season but has wrestled mostly guys at 126 for Pine Forest. She is a returning Invitational Champ at 138 and was an All American in Fargo this past summer. According to trackwrestling the seeding criteria was:
past invitational placer (1st - 4th)
record
So has Misplay lost to those seeded 1 through 7? Not according to rankwrestlers - so it is hard to know because it looks like record was the primary criteria (both Misplay and Riley had last year’s placement listed).
So we have gone with the seeds in terms of the favorite and contenders … and am hoping the seeding committee knows far more than we do, but based on past accomplishments - one would think that Misplay is the favorite. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.
138 lbs.
Favorite: Alysha Earley (Alexander Central)
Contenders:
Eva Keefauver (East Henderson)
Mariah Carver (West Henderson)
Marissa De La Cruz (Parkwood)
Darkhorse: Mara Cavazos (Bunn)
Tons of returning State Placers at 138 - led by returning State Runner-up at 138 Alysha Earley. Earley lost to Misplay in last year’s final and returns ready to make a run for the top step in 2022. Eva Keefauver and Mariah Carver are your 2 and 3 seeds and find themselves seeded above returning 3rd placer from a year Marissa De La Cruz of Parkwood. Keefauver is 10-1 according to rankwrestlers and has a quality win over Kenley Riley of West Carteret. She didn’t wrestle in the invitational last year. Carver did wrestle in the invitational a year ago - losing to Kenley Riley in the opening round. She is 8-1 and has split with Tasia Neaudeau (who is seeded at 132). She also has a good win over Kaly Brookshire who as 4th last year at 138 and is seeded 7th. We will go with Cavazos as our darkhorse after she took 2nd a year ago at 145.
145 lbs.
Favorite: Abigayle Stilwell (Franklin)
Contenders:
Susannah Piatek (Cleveland)
Nevaeh Banks (Lake Norman)
Jamira Jackson (Montgomery Central)
Darkhorse: Carly Manning (Apex Friendship)
Stilwell, Piatek, and Banks take the top 3 seeds. None wrestled in last year’s invitational, but Stilwell is unbeaten according to rankwrestlers and has a nice win over last year’s placer Serenity Sobolefski of Mitchell (who is seeded 10th). Piatek is 6-2 with wins over Carly Manning and Madison Gonzalez and losses to Sumaiya Aamoud and Eva Keefauver. Banks also has a win over Sobolefski and Sumaiya Aamoud, and has split with Marissa De La Cruz. A loss to April Kelly of Woodmont (SC) doesn’t hurt her standing at all as Kelly is one of the best 138/145’s in the southeast (and in the top 20 in the country). Jamira Jackson is the only returning placer in the top 4 after taking 3rd at 170 in 2022. Carly Manning is one to watch … she lost in the quarters last year and placed in 2020.
152 lbs.
Favorite: Sydney Bell (Purnell Swett)
Contenders:
Rohana Gebremichael (Wakefield)
Sophia Ozanich (Jack Britt)
Caleigh Suddreth (Lake Norman)
Darkhorse: Autumn Motes (North Henderson)
No returning placers in this bracket from what I can tell, but we do have two that have competed in the invitational before in Suddreth and Motes. Suddreth, the 4 seed, has been outstanding this season and it is interesting that she isn’t seeded higher after having two wins over Bell earlier this season. She also has wins over Shepstead (the 5 seed) as well Gebremichael (the 2 seed) … so I have no idea how this was seeded. Suddreth’s only loss to another girl came at Holy Angels to Loraeli Smith of Cabell Midland (West Virginia). So we put Bell as the favorite because she is seeded #1 and her only losses this season came to Suddreth. Bell does have a win over Gebremichael, Shepstead and others. Ozanich is the 3 seed and she had a good Holy Angels tournament with wins over Paige Amos, Sarem Desalegn, and others. Keep an eye on Autumn Motes who wrestled in the invitational last year and fell in the quarters to the eventual runner-up.
165 lbs.
Favorite: Savannah Bramhill (Parkwood)
Contenders:
Laura Thompson (Cleveland)
Karilynn Cuevas (71st)
Zariah Moss (Thomasville)
Darkhorse: Tatiana Encinas (West Henderson)
Very good weight class headlined by two returning champs in Bramhill and Thompson. Bramhill pinned her way to the 170 lb. title a year ago and wasn’t challenge at all … she is 21-0 on the season with some quality wins, but we haven’t seen her and Thompson wrestle. Thompson was equally dominant on her way to the 152 lb. title a year ago and has also had some quality wins this season. It looks like a champ vs. champ for the 165 lb. title this year. Cuevas is the 3 seed and didn’t wrestle in the invitational a year ago … but our 4 seed, Moss, finished 4th with a loss to Bramhill in the semis. Keep an eye on Encinas who has put together a good season and her only losses coming to 185 #2 seed Emma Warren of Enka.
185 lbs.
Favorite: Elaina Pollock (Laney)
Contenders:
Emma Warren (Enka)
Cynthia Smith (Hickory Ridge)
Victoria Shepard (Jack Britt)
Darkhorse: Ella Beam (Burns)
Another weight where I don’t quite understand the seeding process. Ella Beam is a returning Champ at 195 and is ranked nationally … but is seeded 6th. She has a 10-18 record, but has stepped in and wrestled 170/182 for Burns much of the season. In fact I’m not sure she has wrestled any of the girls in the bracket (perhaps her 6-9 record listed in the seeds is against girls, but I can’t find any head to head matchups). Pollock is the top seed and being a freshman hasn’t wrestled at the invitational before. Warren has competed on this stage the last two years and last year lost in the opening round 6-5. Smith and Shepard are your #3 and #4 seeds and neither has wrestled in the invitational previously (from what I can find).
As I said before - I’m going to assume the seeding committee has more information than we do and that Beam is seeded appropriately.
235 lbs.
Favorite: Samantha Kidder (Hoke County)
Contenders:
Victoria Darden (RJ Reynolds)
Katie McElmon (Swansboro)
Khalila Corry (Mallard Creek)
Darkhorse: Jocelyn Paredes (West Wilkes)
Samantha Kidder of Hoke County enters as the fvorite after finishing 4th a year ago. Darden and McElmon are the #2 and #3 seeds, but neither wrestled a year ago in the invitational. Khalila Corry is seeded 4th and lost in the opening round at 195 last year to Encinas. This is another weight where it is a bit confusing regarding the seeding criteria … Paredes finished 2nd at 195 last year (losing to Beam in the finals) - she is 3-7 on the year, but has wrestled mostly guys at West Wilkes and that almost certainly accounts for her losses.
