Avila Women Earn Split at Eagle Duals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The women of (RV) Avila wrestling had a strong start to a full weekend of collegiate wrestling in Kansas City, winning their first two home duals of the day – and of the season – before settling for a split in their four total duals on Friday at the 2022 Eagle Duals in Mabee Fieldhouse.
Wrestling in their first home event of the regular season in front of a good crowd against quality competition, Avila put together a strong performance overall. A number of wrestlers saw their first extended real competition of the season – or of their collegiate careers – as they wrestled in front of home fans and teammates for the first time since the preseason Black and Purple showcase in October.
Avila's first of four opponents was William Penn in a matchup that ended up being the closest of the four the Eagles would contest on the afternoon. The Statesmen held an early edge before three Avila freshmen – Kirsten Bruegel, Sara Souresjhani and Jada Meredith, all wrestling in their first collegiate matches in Mabee Fieldhouse – all defeated their opponents via pin at 143, 155 and 191, respectively, to seal up an exciting first match for the Eagles, 25-19.
Up next, Avila faced off with local rivals Baker. The Wildcats are a very familiar opponent in all settings for the Eagles, but this weekend's Baker team was undermanned and quickly proved no match for Avila this time around. Zoey Mzeru, Markayla Lottie and Byanca Cook all earned pins, and Baker's only victory came via forfeit: Avila dominated with a final of 34-6.
The competition got a lot steeper from there. In a KCAC matchup against conference frontrunners Ottawa, the Eagles once again got off to a hot start: Mzeru, Lottie and Cook all won again (tech, fall and decision, respectively), but the Braves closed the dual by winning the final five bouts, including a pair of pins, to ultimately pull away for a 31-12 win.
Avila's final opponent was the toughest. Ranked the No. 11 team in the NAIA, Iowa Wesleyan made short work of a solid Eagles squad. Souresjhani capped a strong day with a decision win at 143 and Julia Datus scored a forfeit win in her first action of the season, but that was all the Eagles could muster in a 33-9 victory for Iowa Wesleyan.
Overall, it was a very strong day for Avila wrestling. Lottie and Meredith both picked up a pair of wins, while Cook continued her strong freshman campaign with a 3-1 mark, a record matched by both Souresjhani and Mzeru in the best day of competition this season for both underclassmen.
The Avila women will now have a bit of a break for the end of 2022 before the Eagles return to action in mid-January at the York Open in Nebraska on January 14. For details on how to watch and follow the Eagles for 2023 and beyond, follow Avila Athletics on social media and stay tuned to avilaathletics.com.
