Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan women's wrestling team showcased their skills at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The Wildcats achieved a 7th place finish with four athletes reaching the podium.

Noelle Gaffney led the team with a second-place finish in the 155 weight class, contributing 16.0 points to the team's total. Gaffney advanced to the final after securing victories by technical fall in both her quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

In the 143 weight class, Alissa Caltagirone secured third place, adding 17.0 points for Northern Michigan. Caltagirone had a record of five wins and one loss across six matches, including two wins by decision and one each by tech fall, fall, and forfeit. She claimed third place with a victory by fall over Kendall Bostelman from North Central College.

Zhivanna Magdaleno and Ruby Joseph both earned sixth-place finishes in their respective weight classes. Magdaleno competed in the 123 weight class and scored 11.5 points with three wins out of six matches. Joseph participated in the 170 weight class, also winning three out of six matches—all by fall—adding 12.0 points to the team's score.

Sharon Leon contributed an additional three points for Northern Michigan at 136 pounds after winning one of her three bouts.

Overall, Northern Michigan finished seventh among fifteen competing schools or clubs. North Central College took home the team victory. The Wildcats recorded seven pins during the event, ranking third overall in this category. Ruby Joseph led her team with three pins, tying for second most among all wrestlers.

Northern Michigan will next compete at home against Alma on January 12th at 2 p.m., marking their first bout of the new year at Superior Dome.