THIS WEEK IN BLUE HAWK WOMEN'S WRESTLING
Dickinson State will send five wrestlers to the 2026 NAIA Women's Wrestling National Championships, scheduled for March 13–14 at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Wichita, Kan. The fourth annual national championship event will feature 210 qualifiers across 10 weight classes. The Heart of America Athletic Conference leads all leagues with 60 qualifiers competing in the tournament.
The Blue Hawks qualified five athletes for the national tournament: Myriam Riley (110), Jenna Gerhardt (110), Mikayla Jardine (117), Jazmine Turner (124), and Jumoke Adekoye (131).
Adekoye enters the tournament as the defending NAIA national champion at 131 pounds after winning the title last season. She earned an automatic qualification through the Heart of America Athletic Conference and will begin the championship bracket against Bryce White of Oklahoma City.
At 124 pounds, Turner qualified for nationals as an at-large selection following her performance during the conference season. She will open the tournament against Kamrial Brooks of Lindsey Wilson. Jardine secured an at-large bid at 117 pounds and will face Salyna Shotwell of Life in her opening-round matchup. The sophomore is making her appearance on the national stage as the Blue Hawks look to add team points early in the bracket.
Dickinson State will have two competitors in the 110-pound bracket. Riley qualified automatically through the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament and will face Grace Elliott of Texas Wesleyan in the opening round. Gerhardt also qualified at 110 pounds after receiving a conference wildcard berth, this will be Gerhardt's third NAIA Championship. She will open the tournament against Kayla McNatt of Arizona Christian.
The NAIA Women's Wrestling National Championships feature four sessions across two days. Preliminary and consolation rounds will take place on March 13, with the tournament concluding with championship matches on March 14. All matches from the event will be streamed live through FloSports, the NAIA Network, and the Urban Edge Network.
Brackets for the national championship were determined by a 10-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members from the five sponsoring conferences. Automatic bids were awarded based on final regular-season rankings and conference tournament results, with additional at-large selections made following conference championships. The tournament field includes competitors from across the NAIA, with Grand View (Iowa), Life (Ga.), Providence (Mont.), and William Penn (Iowa) each qualifying 12 wrestlers to lead all institutions.
Dickinson State enters the national tournament with momentum after strong performances throughout the conference season and at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships. The Blue Hawks will look to build on last year's success, highlighted by Adekoye's national title, as they compete against the top wrestlers from across the NAIA in Wichita.
