Women's College Pound-For-Pound Rankings

There's A New #1 In The Latest Women's College Pound-For-Pound Rankings!

There's A New #1 In The Latest Women's College Pound-For-Pound Rankings!

NCAA regionals and the Zagreb International Open led to shifts in the latest women's college pound-for-pound rankings.

Feb 22, 2023 by Kyle Klingman
There's A New #1 In The Latest Women's College Pound-For-Pound Rankings!

Below are the fourth pound-for-pound rankings of the women’s collegiate wrestling season, which includes all divisions. Off-season results from the past year factored into the rankings but those increasingly decrease as championship season draws near.

The Grand View Open, Bearcat Open, duals, and NCAA regional championships factored heavily. This is the final set of pound-for-pound rankings until all women's collegiate national championships are complete.

The women on this list are those likely to compete in the postseason. A few top wrestlers were not at regionals, so they are not eligible for this ranking. This is a collaboration between FloWrestling and American Women’s Wrestling.

1. Yelena Makoyed (North Central), SR, NCAA, 170 pounds

Makoyed takes the top spot following her stellar performance at the Zagreb Open, which included a 12-2 technical superiority over previous #1 Dymond Guilford. It was her fourth international ranking tournament gold medal in a row following a pin over the reigning World champion at the World Cup. The Cardinal superstar is undefeated this season and is seeking her third national title.

Previous rank: 2

2. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Iowa Wesleyan), SO, NAIA, 136 pounds

Nwachukwu hasn’t lost this season and has wins over Alara Boyd at the All-Star meet (when Nwachukwu moved up a weight), Andrea Schlabach (P4P #11), Nina Makem (P4P #14), and two wins over Paige Respicio (#2 in her weight class). Only two matches have gone the distance, and that was against 2021 national champion Boyd, 6-0, and Schlabach, 13-4.

Previous rank: 3

3. Dymond Guilford (Cumberlands), SR, NAIA, 170 pounds

Guilford — a 2022 Senior and U23 World teamer — has wrestled well this season and is still the favorite to win the NAIA Championships in March. She earned a bronze medal at the Zagreb Open with a 3-1 record, including two techs and a pin. Guilford won 13-0 over USA teammate and 2019 NAIA Invitational finalist Precious Bell. 

Previous rank: 1

4. Lexie Basham (Texas Wesleyan), SO, NAIA, 130 pounds

Basham is undefeated in college this season with two signature wins, 5-3 over Victoria Baez-Dillone (#11 P4P) and 3-1 over Cameron Guerin (#14 P4P). She also reached Final X and competed at the 2022 World Cup. 

Previous rank: 4

5. Emily Shilson (McKendree), SR, NCAA, 109 pounds

Shilson is an undefeated four-time national champion who dominated her way through the regional championships and has an 8-4 All-Star win over Peyton Prussin (#6 P4P). She is new to the rankings since the regional title was her first competition for the Bearcats after transferring from Augsburg.

Previous rank: NR

6. Peyton Prussin (Life), SO, NAIA, 109 pounds

Prussin — a two-time NAIA Invitational champion — has wrestled a limited schedule this season but has defeated everyone she has faced following the Shilson loss. Her most recent win was a 7-3 victory over NAIA #3 Tehani Soares on January 27. 

Previous rank: 6

7. Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa), JR, NCAA, 123 pounds

Gallegos is having her best college season following finishes of third, second, and third at the national championships. She is on track to win the NCWWC title after notching all falls and tech falls. 

Previous rank: 7

8. Ashlynn Ortega (King), SR, NCAA, 143 pounds

Ortega dropped in the last rankings due to inactivity but she moved up following a win over teammate Ana Luciano (#10 P4P) at the Tornado Open on January 15 and a dominant remainder of the season. She’s on pace to win her second national title. 

Previous rank: 14

9. Jaslynn Gallegos (North Central), JR, NCAA, 116 pounds

Gallegos dropped a spot despite picking up a tech and a fall at her regional championship. She injury defaulted in the finals to McKendree’s Payton Stroud so the match never took place. Gallegos won Midlands with a tech and two falls and had three quick falls at National Duals. She was pinned during the finals of the North Central Open by King’s Samara Chavez but she vindicated that loss by pinning her in the National Duals final. 

Previous rank: 8

10. Ana Luciano (King), SR, NCAA, 136 pounds

Luciano didn’t drop since she lost 4-1 to teammate Ortega wrestling up a weight. She outscored three opponents by a 30-0 count at the regional, including a 10-0 tech in the finals over teammate and previous P4P #25 Viktorya Torres.

Previous rank: 10 

11. Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua CC), FR, NJCAA, 130 pounds

Baez-Dillone — a 2022 U23 World teamer for Spain — lost to Basham at the Missouri Valley Open and finished third. She won the Soldier Salute with all techs and has been dominant ever since. 

Previous rank: 11

12. Alexis Gomez (Grand View), SR, NAIA, 143 pounds

Gomez has wins over Oklahoma City’s Destiny Lyng, 4-0, Indiana Tech’s Samantha Snow (fall), Life’s Jamilah McBryde, 7-3, and Southern Oregon’s Emily Se, 9-6. She also won a tough Midlands bracket that included Alara Boyd (McKendree), Katie Lange (Augsburg), and Kendall Bostelman (North Central). She’s had two techs since the National Duals, so she maintains her #12 ranking.

Previous rank: 12

13. Andrea Schlabach (Grand View), JR, NAIA, 130 pounds

Schlabach went 4-0 at National Duals with three dominant wins at 130. She bumped up to 136 in the Southern Oregon final and secured a 5-1 win over Bella Amaro. She has dominated all her matches since the National Duals. 

Previous rank: 15

14. Marlynne Deede (Augsburg), SR, NCAA, 155 pounds

Deede has been dominant all season but had one blemish on her record:  a 4-4 loss to North Central’s Tiera Jimerson in the Midlands finals. She avenged that loss to Jimerson with a 10-0 tech in the regional finals. 

Previous rank: 16

15. Sydnee Kimber (McKendree), SR, NCAA, 191 pounds

Kimber is a three-time NCWWC champion who was on a 68-match winning streak dating back to November 17, 2019. North Central’s Traeh Haynes scored the upset in the regional finals, but Kimber remains in the top 15. 

Previous rank: 5

16. Nina Makem (Augsburg), SO, NCAA, 136 pounds

Makem fell to North Central’s Yele Aycock, 3-2, in the regional finals but is still 4-2 against her on the season, which is why she stays ahead of her in the pound-for-pound rankings. Her only other loss was to Nwachuckwu in a #1 vs #1 matchup between NAIA and NCAA programs. 

Previous rank: 9

17. Alexis Janiak (Aurora), FR, NCAA, 130 pounds

The 130-pound class is the wild west of women’s college wrestling. Janiak is 2-1 against Guerin even though Xochitil Mota-Pettis beat Janiak on a Saturday and Guerin defeated XMP the following day. 

Previous rank: 21

18. Cameron Guerin (McKendree), JR, NCAA, 130 pounds

Guerin is the reigning two-time national champion who comes through when it counts. She won by fall over Janiak when the two faced off early in the season.  

Previous rank: 13

19. Sage Mortimer (King), SO, NCAA, 109 pounds

The addition of Shilson bumped almost everyone down a notch, while the Janiak-Guerin rivalry made the bottom half of the pound-for-pound rankings difficult to sort out. Mortimer hasn’t lost since the National Duals and has a pair of wins over highly-ranked teammate Dianna Holmes. 

Previous rank: 17

20. Emily Cue (Simon Fraser), SR, NCAA, 170 pounds

Three straight falls at the Region V national qualifier is an indication of how good Cue is, and why she is in a position to reach the finals against Makoyed at the national championships in Cedar Rapids. 

Previous rank: 20 

21. Joye Levendusky (Southern Oregon), SR, NAIA, 170 pounds

Levendusky has a 3-0 loss to Augsburg’s Ashley Lekas who did not compete at the regional championships. Other than that, the returning NCWWC national finalist is perfect for the season. She dominated her way through the recent Grand View Open and is in a position to reach the NAIA finals against Dymond Guilford. 

Previous rank: 22

22. Cheyenne Bowman (King), SO, NCAA, 170 pounds

Bowman can still hang her hat on handing Makoyed her last college loss. The potential semifinal showdown between Bowman and Cue at nationals should be one of the best matches at the tournament. She had a tech and a fall to take the regional championship. 

Previous rank: 23

23. Yele Aycock (North Central), SO, NCAA, 136 pounds

Welcome back to the pound-for-pound rankings, Yele. You defeated Makem early in the season, lost four in a row, then won a regional title by defeating her in the finals. Solid tournament. Solid wrestler. 

Previous rank: NR

24. Kelani Corbett (Missouri Valley), SR, NAIA, 191 pounds

A pair of losses to Kimber are the only blemishes on a mostly dominant season for Corbett. 

Previous rank: 24

25. Traeh Haynes (North Central), SO, NAIA, 191 pounds

Welcome to the pound-for-pound rankings, Traeh. Your win over Kimber by earning three cautions is what got you here. You are the fourth member of your team on this list. Not bad for a D3 program.