THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK WOMEN'S WRESTLING
The DSU women's wrestling team will compete at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28, hosted by William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Competition is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
The conference championship serves as the primary qualifying event for the NAIA Women's Wrestling National Championship, set for March 13-14 at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kan. Each conference champion at every weight class earns an automatic berth to the national tournament, with additional allocations determined by the final regular-season ratings. The Heart of America Athletic Conference has been allocated 51 automatic bids across the 10 weight classes, including seven at 110 pounds, eight at 117, seven at 124, four at 131, three at 138, four at 160 and eight at 180.
Dickinson State enters the weekend following a 23-19 road dual victory at Jamestown in its most recent competition. The Blue Hawks built an early lead in that dual and sealed the win with a fall in the final bout, carrying momentum into the postseason. The Blue Hawks will send a full lineup to Oskaloosa, highlighted by three nationally ranked wrestlers. At 110 pounds, Jenna Gerhardt enters the tournament ranked No. 15 nationally. She is joined in the bracket by teammate Myriam Riley.
Dickinson State will have four wrestlers competing at 117 pounds and 124 pounds combined. At 117, Mikayla Jardine is ranked No. 17 nationally, and Rebekah Anderson will also compete in the weight class. At 124, Jazmine Turner and Birta McCaskill represent the Blue Hawks. Jumoke Adekoye leads the Dickinson State lineup at 131 pounds. Ranked No. 3 nationally, Adekoye has been a consistent scorer throughout the season and will look to secure an automatic berth to nationals. McKenzie Shaw will also compete at 131. Kaytlin McAnelly is slated to wrestle at 138 pounds, while Olivia Anderson will compete at 160. Dickinson State will have two entries at 180 pounds in Bridgette Price and Savannah Rickter.
The conference tournament format places added emphasis on individual advancement, as placements determine qualification opportunities. Following the completion of all conference championships, a 10-member committee will select the remaining at-large qualifiers to fill the 210-wrestler national field. The full list of national qualifiers is scheduled to be released Tuesday, March 3, by 5 p.m. CST, with seeds and brackets announced March 6.
Results and updates from the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament will be available following the conclusion of competition.
