LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Progressing through each round of the 2023 NWCA National Duals bracket with another nationally-ranked competitor standing in their way, the Presbyterian College women's wrestling team – aided by a 5-0 record from senior Ainslie Laine over the past two days and 10 more team victories in the tourney's second half – completed a 6^th-place trek on Saturday in the Derby City by defeating their third top-20 adversary of the event. A 26-20 victory over #14 Sacred Heart pushed PC into a chance to land a top-five result across the 15-team tournament, although ending the weekend with a 29-17 loss to #5 Augsburg.

Only one week after posting six top-four competitors at the Midlands Championships in Chicago, the Blue Hose again proved their #7 national ranking was validated by vanquishing both #12 Adrian College and #18 Lock Haven yesterday to put themselves in position to finish in either 5^th or 6^th among a field that included 13 of the NWCA's top 20 programs as of January 2. All told, the only two schools to get the better of PC in Louisville (Colorado Mesa and Augsburg) are within the country's top five, polishing off perhaps the most impressive performance of the year from head coach Zach Shaeffer's club.
 
NOTABLES
- While there are many contenders for PC's most impressive grappler on the national stage over the past two days, Lane's perfect record against five consecutive ranked opponents takes the prize, recording back-to-back technical falls on Saturday after compiling a trio of pins through the tourney's first three rounds. The senior's two W's over Sacred Heart and Augsburg added up for a combined score of 23-1, moving her 2022-23 personal record to an astounding 17-3. Every single Lane win since November minus one has occurred by either pin or TF, helping the Blue Hose increase their win count on the season to 116.

- Joining Lane in the company of a perfect record after the first three duals of the marquee bracket, sophomore Catherine "CG" Bertrand concluded her time in the spotlight with a 4-1 march in Louisville, gathering her ninth pinfall victory of the year over Sacred Heart's Tatiana Walker in only 45 seconds. The second-year Georgia product aided PC to a 17-1 cushion over the Pioneers, more than enough to grant the team their fifth head-to-head triumph over the last two months.

- Another Blue Hose performer to scoop up a technical fall in the Sacred Heart W, freshman Paige Wehrmeister slides to a terrific 19-3 record since the Princeton Open back on November 6, tied with Sierra Marie Miller for the highest number of wins on the roster. Speaking of Miller, the sophomore backed up a 2-2 mark yesterday in three matches with two more hand-raising results over the Pioneers and Auggies, needing only 73 seconds to surpass SHU's Veronica Whiteacre before a 10-2 decision that toppled Augsburg's Autumn Flanigan. The West Virginia product has grabbed a team-leading 11 pins on the season, part of a 17-6 Presbyterian advantage over the country's fifth-ranked squad before a furious Augsburg rally pushed the team result in the other direction.

- Both 101-pounder Samantha Miller and 109-pounder Cassandra Lopez embarked on the same two-match path in the tourney's last dual, downing their Sacred Heart foe before winning via forfeit in the Augsburg contest that featured a pair of top-10 units. The two lowest weight-class representatives have synced for 34 victories and 15 pins, adding up for seven wins over the last two days.
 
RESULTS
 
#7 Presbyterian def. #14 Sacred Heart, 26-20
101 – Samantha Miller (PC) def. Aaliyah Payne-Parris (SH) by Dec., 8-4 – 3-1 PC
109 – Cassandra Lopez (PC) def. Ahsia Torres (SH) by Fall, 3:48 – 8-1 PC
116 – Ainslie Lane (PC) def. Nohea Moniz (SH) by TF, 11-0 – 12-1 PC
123 – Catherine "CG" Bertrand (PC) def. Tatiana Walker (SH) by Fall, 0:45 – 17-1 PC
130 – Alexandra Fitzgerald (SH) def. Sierra Marie Miller (PC) by TF, 10-0 – 17-5 PC
136 – Sierra Marie Miller (PC) def. Veronica Whitacre (SH) by Fall, 1:13 – 22-5 PC
143 – Paige Wehrmeister (PC) def. Selena Sifuentes Shaffer (SH) by TF, 10-0 – 26-5 PC
155 – Madison Sandquist (SH) won by Forfeit – 26-10 PC
170 – Cara Broadus (SH) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by Fall, 0:15 – 26-15 PC
191 – Jacklyn Smith (SH) won by Forfeit – 26-20 PC
 
5^th Place Match - #5 Augsburg def. #7 Presbyterian, 29-17
101 – Samantha Miller (PC) won by Forfeit – 5-0 PC
109 – Cassandra Lopez (PC) won by Forfeit – 10-0 PC
116 – Ainslie Lane (PC) def. Tateum Park (AUG) by TF, 12-1 – 14-1 PC
123 – Gaddy Skidmore (AUG) def. Catherine "CG" Bertrand (PC) by TF, 11-0 – 14-5 PC
130 – Sierra Marie Miller (PC) def. Autumn Flanigan (AUG) by Dec., 10-2 – 17-6 PC
136 – Blanche 'Nina' Kemu Makem (AUG) def. Paige Wehrmeister (PC) by TF, 10-0 – 17-10 PC
143 – Katie Lange (AUG) won by Forfeit – 17-15 PC
155 – Marlynne Deede (AUG) def. Isabella Badon (PC) by TF, 10-0 – 19-17 AUG
170 – Kahlea Jolly (AUG) won by Forfeit – 24-17 AUG
191 – Faith Tuttle (AUG) won by Forfeit – 29-17 AUG
 
UP NEXT
- Earning 45 pinfall results and 32 more techs to back up their lofty ranking as one of the nation's most well-built programs – achieving these highs in only the fourth season that the team has been active – Presbyterian returns to regular dual duties on Friday, January 13 in a visiting environment against Brewton-Parker. The first of 10 standard matches versus the Barons will begin at 6:00 p.m.

- BP has enjoyed an 11-4 record in one-on-one meetings, claiming six wins out of their last seven appearances while also a contestant in the NWCA National Duals – albeit on the NAIA side of proceedings. The Barons bested Missouri Baptist and Baker in Louisville before having their tournament stay ended by Central Methodist in a 23-22 thriller.