Top-eight finishes stack up at Warrior Open

Vita Savage and Emma Rinehart won their respective weight classes to lead the charge.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – In a stacked field at the Warrior Women's Open, Vita Savage and Emma Rinehart led the way for the Otterbein women's wrestling team, each winning their respective weight class brackets. With 38 teams competing, there were multiple brackets for each weight class. There were no team scores in the competition.

Freshman Vita Savage won her bracket at 103. She secured a tech fall victory against Joshyonna Coppage-Dortch (Avila, 5:07) and claimed champion honors with a fall in 1:51 against West Liberty's Sydney Chambers.

Kellie Kennedy placed third at 110 with a 4-1 showing. The sophomore won her first two bouts by tech fall over Brewton Parker's Elizabeth Mayora (2:29) and Rio Grande's Haley Williams (2:32). She fell in her next match, but responded with a pin in three minutes over Laila Jordan (Baker). Ending the weekend on a high note, Kennedy pinned Heidelberg's Audrey Miracle in 4:11 to finish third.

Sophomore Emma Rinehart won her 131-pound bracket with a perfect 3-0 showing. After a forfeit in the first match, she picked up a 12-0 tech fall win in 1:14 over Southeastern CC's Emma Warth. In her final bout, she secured another tech fall, this time in 2:16, over Georgetown's Nicole Arroyo.

Also competing at 131, Alicia Coleman was fourth in her bracket with a 4-2 record. Opening the weekend, she made quick work of Kyla Johnson with a pin in 41 seconds. After a tough loss, she pinned her next two opponents in just 36 seconds (Kahlyn Fouty) and 18 seconds (Peyton Nedlesky,). With another pin in a tightly contested match against teammate Kira Cole, the sophomore dropped her final bout of the weekend.

Cole was the third Cardinal to wrestle at 131. The freshman went 3-2 to finish fifth. Cole started her weekend with a tech fall in 2:29 over Kahlyn Fouty before a first period pin over Caitlin Van Praag (Southeastern CC).

Abby Green finished second in the 138 bracket, posting a 3-1 record on the weekend. She started the tournament with a fall in 1:55 over Adrian's Jayna McClory before picking up another fall over Leann Tran (Lourdes, 5:01). Rebounding after a loss, she won her final match with another fall, this one coming in 1:19 (Celeste Nunez, Indiana Tech).

Finishing second at 145 was Jada Weiss, who went 4-1 in the tournament. The freshman grinded out a 6-0 win to start the weekend (Nadirra Matlock, Mount Union) and pinned Allie Silcox in 2:57. Weiss added two more wins with bonus points in a tech fall over Heidelberg's Annabell Hunter and a fall over Indiana Tech's Madalaine Menchaca (2:47) before falling in the championship bout.

In her 145 bracket, Sarah Abner also took second. The freshman went 3-1 and finished with a big-time pin over Dawn DeGood of Alma College in 1:50.

Audrey Garcia placed seventh for the Cardinals in the 160-pound bracket, answering an opening round loss with three consecutive wins. Pins over Paige Russell (Rio Grande, 4:02) and Maggie Milbery (Heidelberg, 2:32) were followed up with a 12-1 tech fall victory in 3:41 (Katelyn Capper, Indiana Tech). Dropping her next bout, Garcia ended the weekend victorious with a 48 second fall over Marin Wigginton.

At 180, Kaitlyn McCann placed eighth. She finished the weekend 1-3 overall, with her win coming in a pin over Mount Union's Alexis Wetzel in just 1:28.

Otterbein returns to the mats on Jan. 30 when the team hosts Manchester and Hiram in its lone home duals of the season. Prior to the matches, the Cardinals will recognize its first-ever senior, Olivia Shore, as well as present her with her 2025 National Championship ring. The matches will begin at 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Kellie Kennedy: Sophomore

Olivia Shore: Senior

Emma Rinehart: Sophomore

Alicia Coleman: Sophomore

Audrey Garcia: Freshman

Kira Cole: Freshman

Jada Weiss: Freshman

Vita Savage: Freshman

Sarah Abner: Freshman

Kaitlyn McCann: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kellie Kennedy
: Sophomore

Olivia Shore
: Senior

Emma Rinehart
: Sophomore

Alicia Coleman
: Sophomore

Audrey Garcia
: Freshman

Kira Cole
: Freshman

Jada Weiss
: Freshman

Vita Savage
: Freshman

Sarah Abner
: Freshman

Kaitlyn McCann
: Freshman