By: Contact: Hannah Hirst; Assistant Athletic Communication Director
CORALVILLE, Iowa – Freshman Tehana Savory (Queens, N.Y./Brooklyn Technical) represented the New Jersey City University women's wrestling program on the national stage Friday, March 6, competing at the inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships at XTream Arena.
Wrestling at 160 pounds, Savory opened the tournament against Lene McCrackin of Simon Fraser University in the preliminary round. McCrackin built an early advantage, scoring five points within the first 30 seconds and extending the lead to 9-0 with 1:15 remaining in the opening period. Savory responded with a two-point takedown at the 1:20 mark to get on the board, but McCrackin ultimately secured a 13-2 technical fall at 1:59.
Savory continued her tournament run in the consolation bracket, where she faced Presley McCandlish of Lock Haven University. Savory started strong, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. However, McCandlish responded with an eight-point run to take control of the bout. Despite Savory's efforts to battle back, McCandlish closed the match with eight consecutive points to claim a 16-8 decision.
Despite the early exit from the championship bracket, Savory's appearance marked a historic moment for the Gothic Knights program. The freshman becomes the first NJCU wrestler to compete at the national championships at 160 pounds.
Savory concludes an impressive rookie campaign with a 21-12 overall record. During the season, she recorded 11 victories by pin, three wins by technical superiority (VSU), and one victory by points (VPO1). Her 21 wins are the most by a 160-pound wrestler in program history, further cementing her place in NJCU's record books.
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