JAMESTOWN, N.D. – 17th-ranked Mountaineer Women's Wrestling is sitting inside the top-10 as a team after day one of the NAIA National Invite. Eastern Oregon scored 63 points and sits eighth going into day two.

Along with being inside the top-10 as a squad, the Mountaineers have four wrestlers advancing to day two to secure All-American status. Making it to the second day in the championship bracket are Macy Higa at 123 pounds and Olivia Robinson at 170 pounds. Both grapplers will compete in the semifinals with a shot at competing for a National Championship.

Also advancing to day two is Kaylee Moore at 130 pounds and Morgan Shines at 143 pounds. Both wrestlers suffered one loss on the day, but are still in the hunt to finish as high as third. For the four wrestlers advancing to the second day, they posted a combined 11-2 record.

Higa was 4-0 on the day and posted a 3-0 record in the first session to get to the quarterfinals. She started the day with a 10-0 tech fall over Dakota Darby of Ottawa in 58 seconds. In the round of 32, she pinned Josie Bartishofski in 2:58 after grabbing a 9-0 lead. In the round of 16, Higa capped off the morning session by pinning Laila Sa of Life University in 3:53. In her final bout, Higa pinned Devin Patton of Texas Wesleyan in 1:28 to punch her ticket to the semifinals.

Robinson had to wrestle in just two matches, one in each session to advance to the semifinals. She received a first round bye to start the day before scoring a 9-1 decision in the round of 16 to move onto the quarterfinals. She defeated Danielle Saldivar of Missouri Valley College by eight points to move on. In her second bout, she battled to a 7-4 decision victory over Brittyn Corbishley of Texas Wesleyan to stay undefeated and move onto the semifinals.

Moore also had four wins on the first day and went 4-1. She went 3-0 in the morning session to punch her ticket to the quarterfinals. She started with a 10-0 tech fall in 58 seconds over Bailey Hoyt of Friends University. She followed up with a 13-2 tech fall over Corrine McClure in Central Methodist in 4:21. In the round of 16, Moore posted another shutout with a 11-0 tech fall Julissa Taitano in 2:08. In the quarterfinals, she fell via a 10-0 tech fall in 6:00 to move into the consolation bracket. In her consolation match, Moore scored a 7-0 shutout decision over Emily Paulino of Midland University.

Shines posted a 3-1 record and in the morning session she needed just two wins at 143 pounds to make the quarterfinals. She was 2-0 after receiving a first round bye. In the second round, she scored a 12-0 tech fall over Kailee Godinez in 1:52. Shines' second win was a 9-1 decision over Carley Anderson of Indiana Tech. In the quarterfinals, she dropped a 10-0 tech fall in 5:30 against Alexis Gomez of Grand View. Shines bounced back with a 9-0 decision over Sadie Forman of Wayland Baptist to move on.

Earning two wins on day two was Dempsi Talkington at 155 pounds. Both of her wins were by way of pin, but she fell via fall in her two other bouts. Six wrestlers went 1-2 on the day in Nayeli Flores Roque (101 lbs.), Stephanie Blankenship (109 lbs.), Irma Retano (116 lbs.), Krystal Fabricante (136 lbs.), Nayeli Maston (143 lbs.), and Tenley Swope (155 lbs.).

Day two action of the NAIA National Invite will begin tomorrow, March 12, at 8 a.m. PT/10 a.m. CT. Should Higa and Robinson win their semifinal matches, they will compete in their respective championship bouts at 5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT.

FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS