MARIETTA, Ga. – In the first head-to-head dual of the 2022-23 stretch, the Presbyterian College women's wrestling squad paired up against Life University in the Peach State, ultimately taking the losing end of a competitive 29-16 bout at the hands of last spring's NAIA national champions. Samantha Miller, Ainslie Lane, Paige Wehrmeister, and Ella Beam grasped individual wins as the Blue Hose turn their attention to the "Eagle Madness" tournament tomorrow morning, also hosted by Life.

An early-season battle between two of the most prominent programs in their respective divisions (with the Running Eagles approaching their season-opener at #7 in the NAIA rankings), Presbyterian took the early advantage thanks to Samantha Miller in the 101-lb. class, establishing her fourth personal W in as many attempts over Devyn Gomez by Fall. Life answered back with a technical victory in the 109-lb. match, trimming PC's lead to 5-4.

Staying in front behind a dominant 10-0 TF performance by Lane that toppled LU's Brianna Funakoshi, Presbyterian's 9-4 edge was brought to a nine-all tie once the Running Eagles again countered in the 123-lb. dual.

This would be the start of three straight decisions in the home side's favor – including a Fall over the Princeton Open's 130-lb. champion Sierra Marie Miller – to give the Running Eagles a nine-point edge that they would cling to for the rest of the evening.

In the 143-lb. tussle, Wehrmeister picked up where Lane left off with a flawless 10-0 technical win to mark the freshman at 5-0 individually on the year. The one-sided decision trimmed the advantage to 18-13, although one final Life stand in the 170-lb. match pushed the deficit back to 10 with one dual left.

Said dual turned into the first win for freshman Ella Beam in her first appearance donning the blue and white, gaining a hard-fought triumph over Madeline Welch that brought the final tally to 29-16. After the Running Eagles easily disposed of Avila University (Mo.) by a 46-1 clip earlier in the day, the Blue Hose nearly handed Life their first loss at Upper Gym in a grueling November test that just tipped towards the other side

RESULTS:
101 – Samantha Miller (PC) def. Devyn Gomez (LU) by Fall = 5-0 PC
109 – Peyton Prussin (LU) def. Cassandra Lopez (PC) by TF, 10-0 = 5-4 PC
116 – Ainslie Lane (PC) def. Brianna Funakoshi (LU) by TF, 10-0 = 9-4 PC
123 – Anna Kresja (LU) def. Olivia Waller (PC) by Fall = 9-9 Tie
130 – Zaynah McBryde (LU) def. Catherine "CG" Bertrand (PC) by TF, 10-0 = 13-9 LU
136 – Kailey Rees (LU) def. Sierra Marie Miller (PC) by Fall = 18-9 LU
143 – Paige Wehrmeister (PC) def. Ulyette Curiel by TF, 10-0 = 18-13 LU
155 – Jamilah McBryde (LU) via Forfeit = 23-13 LU
170 – Jessie Lee (LU) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by Fall = 28-13 LU
191 – Ella Beam (PC) def. Madeline Welch (LU) (Criteria, 6-6) = 29-16 LU
 
UP NEXT:
There will be little time for rest before PC gets right back in the thick of things, staying in Marietta for a different pace of action on Saturday morning in the form of the multi-team tourney. Six days after competing at a similar event and seeing rave results with three 1^st-place championships from the Millers and Wehrmeister (not to mention top-four placements from Lane and Cassandra Lopez), Presbyterian will aim for a similar result in their third outing of the campaign.

Eagles Madness will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.