ERIE, Pa. — The 2021-22 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) Northeast Regionals were held today, Sunday, Feb. 20, hosted on the campus of #10/12 Gannon University. The New Jersey City University women's wrestling team, which received votes in the most recent National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Poll, had a standout showing and earned eighth place overall in the team standings with 57.5 points. Moreover, three Gothic Knights — freshman Izabella Frezzo (East Rutherford, N.J./Becton Regional) and sophomore co-captains Sandy Guerrero (West Orange, N.J./West Orange) and Naomi Henry (Brooklyn, N.Y./Wingate) — secured spots at NCWWC Nationals just under two weeks from now in Adrian, Mich., on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5.

Jersey City saw Frezzo and Guerrero earn second-place finishes in their respective weight classes and Henry pick up a fourth-place finish. Beginning with 109 pounds, freshman Bella Frezzo — who entered the day 6-2 overall — earned a bye into the championship semifinal round. There, the first-year Gothic Knight dispatched Trinity Oredina of #5/8 Tiffin University with a 9-2 decision victory to advance to the championship match. In this one, Frezzo was defeated by Julianne Moccia of Gannon to finish as the 109-pound runner up.

At 130 pounds, Henry — ranked #5 nationally in her weight class — was the #2 overall seed, and earned a bye into the championship quarterfinal round, where she made quick work of Lily Sherer of Lock Haven University with a pin at 1:41 into the first to move on to the semifinals. In this match, #8-nationally ranked  Anya Knappenberger of Gannon grabbed a slim 4-2 decision win to edge out Henry, who then went directly to the consolation semifinals. There she defeated Mackenzie Tayerle of #9/#9 Adrian College with a pin at 1:11 into the first to advance to the consolation finals. Having already clinched a spot at nationals, she once again faced off with #7-nationally ranked Mia Macaluso of #RV East Stroudsburg University — whom she's already faced this season — but fell and finished in fourth place overall.

Last but not least, Guerrero — ranked #7 nationally at 191 pounds — took home the runner-up title, as well. She began with a pin at 2:44 in the first over Shola Cascen of ESU to get past the first round and into the championship quarterfinals. There, she topped JoRee Ybarra of Hiram College with another pin at 2:32 in the first. Then, in the semifinal round, Guerrero notched yet another pin, this time over Hollie Espinoza of Tiffin to move on to the finals. This one featured Guerrero against #6-nationally ranked Ashley Reed of #14 Sacred Heart University and the two battled it out to the tune of a tough 4-3 decision loss, as Reed claimed first.

One other Gothic Knight picked up a victory on the afternoon, but unfortunately did not qualify for nationals. Sophomore 143-pounder Lockslea Mayers (Westminster, Md./Westminster) defeated Nahomi Marmolejo of Adrian with a quick pin at just 0:38 into the first round to advance to the championship quarterfinal. There, she unfortunately fell to #7-nationally ranked Nia Miranda of Tiffin before closing out her season in the consolation round of eight.

Up Next:
As mentioned, Jersey City will send its trio of National Qualifiers — including 2020-21 All-Americans Guerrero and Henry — to Michigan next weekend. Wrestlers who place in the top eight nationally in their respective weight classes earn the title of All-American. Last season, the Gothic Knights tied for 13th overall at Nationals, and will look to improve upon that finish this season, having seen much more action heading into the competition compared to last.