NAPERSVILLE, ILL. - The New Jersey City University (NJCU) women's wrestling team had a strong showing at the North Central College Invitational on December 15, finishing 19th out of 30 teams with 38.5 points. Four Gothic Knights competed, with sophomore Fabiana Josa (Churchville, Pa./International Christian School) and senior Izabella Frezzo (East Rutherford, N.J./Becton Regional) leading the team by earning third and fourth place in the 160B-pound and 110-pound weight classes, respectively.

Josa had a dominant performance, advancing from the round of 16 with a pin over Clara Rice in 2:04. Although she fell in the quarterfinals to Sidney Milligan in a close 4-3 decision, Milligan went on to finish as the runner-up. Josa then secured third place with impressive victories: she pinned Brynn Campbell in 5:20 and followed it up with two 10-0 technical falls, earning her first bronze finish of her collegiate career.

Frezzo began her tournament strong, earning 10-0 technical falls in her first two matches against Rylee Balcazar and Lauren Nguyen. However, she was pinned by Kendra Ryan in the quarterfinals, and Ryan later secured second place. Frezzo bounced back in the fight for third place with a 3-1 decision over Katerina Pendergrass and a pin over Alison Hencher, but ultimately lost to Valarie Solorio in a 6-4 decision to finish fourth in the 110-pound class.

Junior Natalia Morales (), with a bye in the round of 32 and 16, faced Miriam Hopson in the first round and lost by a 12-1 technical fall. Morales rebounded with an 8-2 decision over Angelica Torres Lima before being pinned by MaryAlice Lynch, finishing with a 1-2 record.

Senior Bella Serrano (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) faced a tough tournament, suffering a pin in the round of 32 to Taylor Hood. She rebounded in the consolation bracket, pinning Madison Cook in 3:34 and defeating Linnea Britton with an 8-3 decision to advance to the semifinals of the consolation bracket. Serrano was eventually defeated by Elleahna Anderson by a 12-2 technical fall, ending her day with a 2-2 record.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will return to action on January 18 at the Will Abele Open in Collegeville, Pa., starting at 10:00 a.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.