LOCK HAVEN, Pa.  – Gannon women's wrestling junior Bella Phillips (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum High School) has earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Wrestling Co-Athlete of the Week honors after capturing the 180-pound title at the ESU Open on Sunday, November 1.

Phillips shares the inaugural PSAC Women's Wrestling Athlete of the Week award with fellow 180-pounder Azariah Moore of Lock Haven. The recognition comes during women's wrestling's first season as the conference's 24th championship sport.

Ranked No. 4 nationally at 180 pounds by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and No. 4 in the latest HerMat rankings, Phillips opened the 2026–27 season with a perfect 4-0 record to capture her second consecutive ESU Open championship.

She outscored her four opponents by a combined 34-2 while recording two technical falls and two decisions.

Phillips opened the tournament with a 12-0 technical fall over Delaware State's Zamaria Hemingway in 2:10 before defeating Lehigh's Brynn Shepardson, 11-0, in 2:12 in the quarterfinals.

The junior continued her dominant performance with a 4-0 decision over Lehigh's Sarah Henckel in the semifinals before securing the 180-pound championship with a 7-2 victory over Lehigh's Teagan McGuinness.

Phillips, who also captured the 180-pound title at the 2025 ESU Open, helped the Golden Knights finish sixth among 27 teams and clubs at the season-opening event.

Gannon returns to action on Friday, November 6, when the Golden Knights travel to Buffalo, N.Y., for their first PSAC dual meet against D'Youville. The match is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.