No. 9 women's wrestling opens season at Tiffin Open

TIFFIN, Ohio – Starting their second season as a program, the No. 9 Otterbein University women's wrestling team competed at the Tiffin Open. The day was highlighted by a runner-up performance by freshman Morgan Leonhardt at 124.

At 103 Vita Savage was 3-3 for the Cardinals. Savage earned a tech fall in 28 seconds in her opening bout, and later claimed victories of 10-3 and a fall (1:49). Selah Gitonga turned in a 2-2 record. The freshman earned wins of 10-6 and a tech fall in 1:38 in her collegiate debut.

Sophomore Kellie Kennedy was 3-2 at 110. All three of Kennedy's wins came via the fall, including one where she was trailing in the bout (:55, 1:57, 1:21).

The Cardinals saw sophomores Rylee Touhalisky and Hailey Hatfield wrestle at 117. Hatfield finished the day 2-2, picking up a pin in 2:48. Touhalisky went 0-2 in the competition.

Four Otterbein wrestlers competed at 124 – Morgan Leonhardt, Emmy Caton, Olivia Friend and Caroline Kearns. Leonhardt was 3-1 on the day, as she needed 1:28 to tech fall her first opponent before pinning the next two in 51 seconds and 1:03. In the championship bout, she fell in sudden victory to the No. 8 ranked wrestler in the nation at 124.

Caton and Friend both posted 2-2 records. Caton picked up a pair of falls (1:01, 1:07) while Friend recorded a fall (4:03) and a tech fall (1:33). Kearns rounded out the weight class going 1-2, earning a pin in 5:55.

At 131, Alicia Coleman led the way, going 2-2 on Saturday. The sophomore recorded two pins coming in 2:44 and 1:03. Emma Rinehart and Izzy Samczuk each finished the day with 1-2 records. Both victories came via tech falls, with Rinehart's coming in 2:19 and Samczuk's in 5:30.

Abby Green, Raegan Briggs and Madison Sheehan all represented Otterbein at 138. Green led the way going 1-2, pinning her second opponent of the day in 31 seconds.

At 145, freshman Jada Weiss had a stellar debut, posting a record of 5-3. She pinned three opponents – including one in a bout where she was trailing – while earning a pair of tech falls.

Freshman Raegan Hites was 1-2 in her collegiate debut, earning a 34 second pin at 180. Also wrestling at 180 on Saturday was Kaitlyn McCann and Grace Murphy. Junior Marvet Hejazin was 0-2 at 207.

Next Sunday, Otterbein travels to Michigan to compete in the Adrian Women's Open. Matches begin at 10 a.m.

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