OCU takes last four matches in 24-19 loss to Cumberlands

Ashley Sword pinned Breija Macera.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University took the last four matches, but fell to defending national champion Cumberlands (Ky.) 24-19 in the first women’s college wrestling dual in school and state history.

The Stars fell behind 21-5 before Ashley Sword broke through with a pin at 67 kilograms. Sword won the first women's match in a dual for OCU.

Sword, a junior from West Palm Beach, Fla., took the first period by scoring the last points in that period. Sword broke down Breija Gallo-Macera with nine seconds remaining in the second period. Sword is ranked third in the nation at 67.

“I’m so excited,” Sword said. “Getting ready for the match, I tried to go through my moves in my head. As my blood started pumping, I got more into the flow.”

At 72, Melissa Simmons of OCU knocked off Paige Rife 2-0, 2-1. Then the Stars’ Lacey Novinska came from behind to win the 82-kilo match.

“I was proud of Lacey Novinska,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “Carrie Clark wrestled against a girl who outweighed her.”

Novinska, a junior from Fennimore, Wis., dropped the first period, then won the second. In the third period, she trailed until she scored four points by exposing her opponent’s back and getting a takedown in the final 20 seconds.

At 95, Carrie Clark of the Stars forced a third period by winning the second period on an early pushout. In the third, she won 3-0 on a pushout and a two-point exposure of her opponent’s back for the victory and the final margin in the dual.

In a matchup of the top two-ranked wrestlers at 44, No. 1-ranked Melissa Girard of Cumberlands prevailed over Lene Wood 1-1, 2-2 by scoring the final points of each period.

“We figured we could do well in the final four weights,” Randall said. “What we were trying to do was get a win in the top half of the weights. Every match was close. Winning at the beginning of the season is not as important as winning in February and March.”

CUMBERLANDS 24

OKLAHOMA CITY 19

44: Melissa Girard, Cumberlands, dec. Lene Wood, 1-1, 2-2

48: Jackie Stiles, Cumberlands, dec. Nicole Woody, 8-1, 8-2

51: Jessica Medina, Cumberlands, pinned Jennifer Peabody, 9-0, 0:48

55: Sandy Do, Cumberlands, dec. Ashley Hudson, 3-2, 3-2

59: Rachael Hubbard, Cumberlands, dec. Samantha Phillips, 1-1, 1-4, 4-1

63: Othella Lucas, Cumberland, tech. fall Marina Piccolotti, 4-1, 6-0

67: Ashley Sword, OCU, pinned Lauren Knight, 2-2, 1:51

72: Melissa Simmons, OCU, dec. Paige Rife, 2-0, 2-1

82: Lacey Novinska, OCU, dec. Christen Paysse, 1-4, 5-3, 4-2

95: Carrie Clark, OCU, dec. Theresa Fennell, 1-1, 1-0, 3-0

Exhibition matches

44: Stephanie Waters, OCU, dec. Shuntil Snyder, 2-1, 6-0

48: Kayla Brooks, Cumberlands, dec. Helen Timmons, 7-4-7, 0-7, 7-2

51: Shannon Reeves, Cumberlands, pinned Julie Huang, 3-0, fall 1:06

51: Shannon Reeves, Cumberlands, dec. Jennifer Peabody, 3-0, 5-0

55: Erica Torres, OCU, tech. fall Antonesia Giles, 8-1, 8-1

55: Erica Torres, OCU, tech. fall Misha Furnis, 6-0, 7-1

55: Linda Debakey, Cumberlands, dec. Julie Huang, 0-1, 3-1, 2-1

55: Krystal Kiyuna, Cumberlands, pinned Emma Mercer, 1:09

59: Rachel Hubbard, Cumberlands, dec. Emma Mercer, 2-1, 2-0

59: Norma Rueba, Cumberlands, dec. Emma Mercer, 1-1, 5-0

63: Breija Gallo-Macera, Cumberlands, pinned Sheila McCabe, 1:35

63: Lauren Knight, Cumberlands, pinned Sheila McCabe, 1:40

63: Marina Piccolotti, OCU, pinned Breija Gallo-Macera, 4-8, 1:39

67: Briana Conway, OCU, dec. Lauren Knight, 5-0, 2-0

72: Melissa Simmons, OCU, pinned Sherolynn Eppinger, 3-2, 0:37

95: Karon Scott, OCU, dec. Theresa Fennell, 3-2, 3-3, 3-0