3rd place

Women's Wrestling Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Moccia Captures Title at 109 lbs. as Gannon Finishes Third at NCWWC Northeast Regional

Eight Golden Knights Qualify for Nationals

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's wrestling team turned in a strong performance at the 2022 NCWWC Northeast Regional Championships on Sunday at the Gannon Recreation and Wellness Center, placing third for the second straight year in the field of 12 teams. More importantly, eight Gannon wrestlers punched their ticket to the 2022 NCWWC National Championships to be held on March 4-5 in Adrian, Mich. That matches the number of Golden Knights who qualified a year ago.
 
Tiffin repeated as the Northeast Regional champion, with Adrian second and Gannon third. That was the same order as a year ago. Tiffin came in ranked eighth in the NWCA Team Tournament Rankings, with Adrian ninth, Gannon 12th and Sacred Heart 14th. The Dragons won by a large margin with a total of 165.5 points and two champions. Adrian had 128 points with three champions. Gannon edged East Stroudsburg by a point, 115 to 114.
 
FINAL TEAM SCORES
1.  Tiffin – 165.5 points
2.  Adrian – 128.0
3.  GANNON – 115.0
4.  East Stroudsburg – 114.0
5.  Elmira – 79.0
6.  Sacred Heart – 73.5
7.  Lock Haven – 71.5
8.  New Jersey City – 57.5
9.  Albion – 29.0
10t.  Hiram – 20.0
10t.  Delaware Valley – 20
12.  Davenport – 0.0
 
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
101 lbs. – Olivia Shore (Tiffin) fall over Kat Pendregrass (Gannon), 2:33
109 lbs. – Julianne Moccia (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) (Gannon) fall over Izabelle Frezzo (NJ City), 2:22
116 lbs. – Angela LoRusso (Adrian) tech. fall Nikoly Dos Santos (Matthews, N.C./Providence) (Gannon), 12-1 (1:56)
123 lbs. – Emily Klein (ESU) dec. Grace Jones (Tiffin), 11-6
130 lbs. – Solana Mottola (Tiffin) dec. Anya Knappenberger (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) (Gannon), 8-4
136 lbs. – Zoe Nowicki (Adrian) fall over Lana Perez (Honolulu, Hawaii/Moanalua) (Gannon), 1:37
143 lbs. – Avia Bibeau (ESU) fall over Madison Sandquist (Sacred Heart), 0:42
155 lbs. – Skylah Chakoulan (Elmira) fall over Jessica Johnson (Lock Haven), 2:38
170 lbs. – Aspen Dodge (Adrian) dec. Jacklyn Smith (Sacred Heart), 11-4
191 lbs. – Ashley Reed (Sacred Heart) dec. Sandra Guerrero (NJ City), 4-3
 
First-year head coach Breonnah Neal entered 14 wrestlers in the regional, and eight will join her at Nationals. The top five finishers in each weight class earned trips to Nationals. The Golden Knights ran into some bad luck when Annabelle Helm (Vancouver, Wash./Union), rankled seventh and the number one seed at 170 lbs., suffered an injury in her first round match and could not continue the rest of the tournament.
 
Six Gannon grapplers reached the finals, with Julianne Moccia (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) coming away with the title at 109 lbs. The freshman won by fall over Izabelle Frezzo of New Jersey City at 2:22 to earn his first trip to Nationals. Moccia won all three of her matches by fall while improving to 20-6.
 
Five other Golden Knights brought home runner-up finishes. Kat Pendergrass (South Hill, Va./South Granville(NC)) (16-5) placed second at 101 lbs. and will have a chance to repeat as an All-American after finishing eighth at 109 lbs. while competing at Ferrum.
 
At 116 lbs., Nikoly Dos Santos (Matthews, N.C./Providence) (5-2) had seen limited action this year but reached the finals before coming in second to qualify for Nationals for the second year in a row. Freshman Anya Knappenberger (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) (26-6), ranked eighth at 130 lbs., won twice to reach the finals before coming in second.
 
Eighth-ranked Lana Perez (Honolulu, Hawaii/Moanalua) was looking to repeat as a regional champion after winning at 130 lbs. last year. The sophomore would go on to earn All-American honors with an eighth place showing. She would lose in the finals at 136 lbs. to Zoe Nowicki of Tiffin, the lone returning 2021 champion to repeat.  She will enter Nationals with an 18-8 record.
 
Stephanie Floor (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Leone) will make her fourth appearance at Nationals after finishing fourth at 143 lbs., while Ekta Arora (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) (101 lbs.) will make her first. The most compelling story for the Golden Knights may been written by Mikayla Dockweiler (Corpus Christi, Texas/Richard King). Competing at 136 lbs., the senior lost in the consolation semifinals while suffering an injury in the process. With a trip to Nationals on the line, Dockweiler gutted out a 6-0 decision in the fifth place match to earn her second trip to Nationals. She previously competed at 130 lbs. in 2019.
 
Gannon Wrestlers in 2022 NCWWC Northeast Regional
 
101 lbs.
No. 8 Kat Pendergrass (South Hill, Va./South Granville(NC)) (16-5, So.) 2nd PLACE
Semifinals – won by fall over Shanna Morris (Tiffin), 1:39
Finals – lost by fall to Olivia Shore (Tiffin), 2:33
 
Ekta Arora (Shavertown, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) (4-9, Fr.) 4th PLACE
Semifinals – lost by fall to No. 1 Olivia Shore (Tiffin), 1:01
Third Place Match – lost by tech. fall to Shanna Morris (Tiffin), 10-0 (4:36)
 
109 lbs.
Julianne Moccia (Bel Air, Md./John Carroll) (20-6, Fr.) 1st PLACE
Quarterfinals – won by fall over Madison Packer (Lock Haven), 1:28
Semifinals – won by fall over Kylee Bentley (Hiram), 0:47
Finals – won by fall over Izabella Frezzo (New Jersey City), 2:22  
 
116 lbs.
Nikoly Dos Santos (Matthews, N.C./Providence) (5-2, Jr.) 2nd PLACE
Round of 16 -- Bye
Semifinals – won by fall over Carly Gross (Lock Haven), 3:44
Finals – lost by tech. fall to Angela LoRusso, Adrian (Adrian), 12-1 (1:56)
 
130 lbs.
No. 8 Anya Knappenberger (Berlin, Md./Stephen Decatur) (26-6, Fr.) 2nd PLACE
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – won by tech. fall over Ayeska Zanetti (Sacred Heart), 10-0 (0:54)
Semifinals – won by dec. over Naomi Henry (New Jersey City), 4-2
Finals – lost by dec. to Solana Mottola (Tiffin), 8-4
 
Sam Houser (Wakarusa, Kan./Washburn Rural) (4-11, So.)
Round of 16 – won by dec. over Bethany Smith (Hiram), 6-2
Quarterfinals – lost by tech. fall to Mia Macaluso (East Stroudsburg), 10-0 (0:33)
Consolation Rd. of 8 #2 -- lost by fall to Renee Richter (Adrian), 1:05
 
136 lbs.
No. 8 Lana Perez (Honolulu, Hawaii/Moanalua) (18-8, So.) 2nd PLACE
Round of 16 -- Bye
Quarterfinals – won by fall over Shawna Oesterling (Adrian), 2:12
Semifinals – won by tech. fall over Arianna Carrasquillo (Tiffin), 11-0
Finals – lost by fall to Zoe Nowicki (Tiffin), 1:37
 
Mikayla Dockweiler (Corpus Christi, Texas/Richard King) (8-8, Sr.) 5th PLACE
Round of 16 – won by fall over Tays Pascual (Sacred Heart), 4:54
Quarterfinals – lost by fall to Zoe Nowicki (Adrian), 0:46
Consolation Rd. of 8 #2 – won by fall over Savannah Vanase (Sacred Heart), 5:45
Consolation Rd. of 4 – won by tech. fall over Michal Buska (Tiffin), 11-0 (6:00)
Consolation Semifinals – lost by tec. fall to Arianna Carrasquillo (Tiffin), 11-0 (4:02)
5th Place Match – won by dec. over Shawna Oesterling (Adrian), 6-0  
 
143 lbs.
Stephanie Floor (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Leone) (19-10, Sr.) 4th PLACE
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – won by fall over Sidney Ramos (Tiffin), 1:47
Semifinals – lost by fall to Madison Sandquist (Sacred Heart), 5:10
Consolation Semifinals – won by tech. fall over Temiatyo Sanusi (Sacred Heart), 12-2 (6:00)
Third Place Match – lost by fall to Nia Miranda (Tiffin), 5:00
 
Caroline Luna-Caramillo (2-2, R-Jr.)
Round of 16 – lost by fall to Nia Miranda (Tiffin), 1:15
Consolation Rd. of 8 #1 – won by dec. over Nahomi Marmolejo (Adrian), 7-2
Consolation Rd. of 8 #2 – lost by fall to Leslie Monterrosa (Elmira), 0:55
 
155 lbs.
Gabby Malinowski (Waterford, Pa./Fort LeBoeuf) (13-14, Jr.) 6th PLACE
Round of 16 – Bye
Quarterfinals – won by fall over Taylor Hites (Tiffin), 1:57
Semifinals – lost by tech. fall to Jessica Johnson (Lock Haven), 10-0 (0:18)
Consolation Semifinals – lost by tech. fall to Nyla Burgess (Adrian), 10-0 (2:01)
5th Place Match – lost by fall to Taylor Cutler (Adrian), 2:49
 
Jackie Sandquist (Humble, Texas/Kingwood Park) (1-2, So.)
Round of 16 – lost by fall to Kat Bott (Delaware Valley), 3:26
Consolation Rd. of 8 #2 – won by fall over Gorgeous Lee (Delaware Valley), 1:20
Consolation Quarterfinals – lost by fall to Taylor Hites (Tiffin), 1:17  
 
170 lbs.
No. 7 Annabelle Helm (Vancouver, Wash./Union) (25-7, Jr.)
Round of 16 – lost by tech. fall to Kayley Rada (Adrian), 11-0 (5:34)
Consolation Round – lost by forfeit (inj.) to Georgianna Ustaszewski (Elmira)

191 lbs.
Daniela Morales Dardon (Palmdale, Calif./Highland) (1-7, Jr.)
Round of 16 – lost by fall to Ashley Reed (Sacred Heart), 1:58
Consolation Rd. of 8 #2 – lost dec. to Shola Cascen (ESU), 6-4
 
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Players Mentioned

Mikayla Dockweiler

Mikayla Dockweiler

5' 7"
Sophomore
130
Stephanie Floor

Stephanie Floor

5' 7"
Sophomore
143
Nikoly Dos Santos

Nikoly Dos Santos

5' 3"
Freshman
109
Annabelle Helm

Annabelle Helm

5' 9"
Freshman
155
Gabby Malinowski

Gabby Malinowski

5' 6"
Freshman
136
Daniela Morales Dardon

Daniela Morales Dardon

5' 5"
Freshman
170
Samantha Houser

Samantha Houser

123
Sophomore
130
Lana Perez

Lana Perez

130
Sophomore
130
Jackie Sandquist

Jackie Sandquist

143
Sophomore
143
Kat Pendergrass

Kat Pendergrass

101/109
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Mikayla Dockweiler

Mikayla Dockweiler

5' 7"
Sophomore
130
Stephanie Floor

Stephanie Floor

5' 7"
Sophomore
143
Nikoly Dos Santos

Nikoly Dos Santos

5' 3"
Freshman
109
Annabelle Helm

Annabelle Helm

5' 9"
Freshman
155
Gabby Malinowski

Gabby Malinowski

5' 6"
Freshman
136
Daniela Morales Dardon

Daniela Morales Dardon

5' 5"
Freshman
170
Samantha Houser

Samantha Houser

Sophomore
130
123
Lana Perez

Lana Perez

Sophomore
130
130
Jackie Sandquist

Jackie Sandquist

Sophomore
143
143
Kat Pendergrass

Kat Pendergrass

Sophomore
101/109