LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon (RV) Women's Wrestling team had a standout performance at the Mountaineer Open on Sunday, securing 13 place finishes and making a statement on their home turf. The team was led by impressive victories from
Telsarina Walter and
Lexie Garza, who each claimed first place in their respective weight classes.
Walter, competing at 110 pounds, breezed through her matches, highlighted by a 12-2 technical fall over Providence's Nyla O'Brien, followed by a 10-0 technical fall against Providence's Carlye Ana Boenau. She capped off her run with a hard-fought 7-6 victory over Providence's Megan Morales to secure the title.
Garza was equally dominant at 131 pounds, winning all three of her matches by pin. She needed just 13 seconds to defeat Rachel Kidd (WSU), followed by a 1:09 pin of Lucias Schlapfer (UP), and closed the tournament with a 55-second pin over Eliza Goodwin (SOU) to claim the gold.
In addition to their champions, the Mountaineers also had strong showings throughout the tournament, with No.9
Veil Foreman securing a runner-up finish in the 145-pound bracket. Foreman opened with back-to-back pins—19 seconds over Katelyn Wiseman (SOU) and 1:26 over Eden Baguio (UP)—before falling to Holland Wieber (SOU) in the championship match.
Four Mountaineers earned third-place finishes:
Nia Avelino (110),
Gillian O'Neal (124),
Isabella Coronado (117), and
Kiona Michel (207). Avelino rebounded from a first-round loss with two technical falls and a pin, all in the first period. O'Neal also bounced back after an early loss, edging teammate
Brooklyn Jones before earning a 12-2 technical fall over Kacey Malck (WSU). Coronado showcased her dominance with four technical falls, including a 10-0 victory over Kaylie Zeller (UP) in just 48 seconds. Michel finished 2-2 on the day, highlighted by a 3:42 pin over McKenzie Mills (UP).
Other notable performances included
Jocelyn Velasco (145) and
Hannah Hernandez (160) in fourth place,
Brooklyn Jones (124) and Makayla Bonham (138) in fifth, and
Gloria Diaz (117) and
Paige Allen (160) placing sixth.
The Mountaineers have one dual remaining before the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships. Eastern Oregon will travel to Southern Oregon to face the Raiders on Friday, February 6, at 5:00 p.m.
