Women's College Pound-For-Pound Rankings

Fresh Pound-For-Pound Women's College Rankings Are Here!

Fresh Pound-For-Pound Women's College Rankings Are Here!

The Missouri Valley Open led to changes in FloWrestling's second set of women's college pound-for-pound rankings.

Dec 1, 2022 by Kyle Klingman
Fresh Pound-For-Pound Women's College Rankings Are Here!

Below are the second pound-for-pound rankings of the women’s collegiate wrestling season, which includes all divisions. Off-season results from the past year factored into the rankings but the most recent college results — especially the Missouri Valley Open — weighed heaviest.

The list has expanded to 25 wrestlers after including 20 during the first set of rankings.

The women on this list are those likely to compete this season. Things can change, and so can this list. This ranking is a collaboration between FloWrestling and American Women’s Wrestling.

1. Dymond Guilford (Cumberlands), SR, NAIA, 170 pounds

Guilford hasn’t competed yet, but her international season keeps her at number one. She will join Yelena Makoyed — #2 on this list — as the U.S. 76 kg representative at the upcoming World Cup in Coralville.

Previous rank: 1

2. Yelena Makoyed (North Central), SR, NCAA, 170 pounds

Makoyed has dominated the competition so far this season, including a 10-0 tech over Life’s Jessie Lee at the All-Star Classic on November 22.

Previous rank: 2

3. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Iowa Wesleyan), SO, NAIA, 136 pounds

Nwachukwu skipped the Missouri Valley Open but won 6-0 over McKendree’s returning national champion Alara Boyd at the All-Star Classic. She dominated the Luther Hill Open but got tossed by Grand View’s Andrea Schlabach when the Iowa Wesleyan sophomore was ahead 9-0. Nwachukwu ultimately won, 13-4.

Previous rank: 3

4. Lexie Basham (Texas Wesleyan), SO, NAIA, 130 pounds

Basham’s stock rose after the Missouri Valley Open but she holds steady at #4 in the pound-for-pound rankings. She won the loaded 130-pound bracket, including a 3-1 victory in the finals over P4P #5 Cameron Guerin.

Previous rank: 4

5. Cameron Guerin (McKendree), JR, NCAA, 130 pounds

Guerin holds at #5 after dropping a tight match to Basham in the Missouri Valley Open finals. She’s been dominant this year other than a lone setback.

Previous rank: 5

6. Sydnee Kimber (McKendree), SR, NCAA, 191 pounds

Kimber is the heavyweight champion of college wrestling. She has three collegiate national titles and recently won the Missouri Valley Open over Missouri Valley’s returning NAIA champion, Kelani Corbett, in the finals. She defeated Corbett again at the All-Star Classic a few days later.

Previous rank: 6

7. Ashlynn Ortega (King), SR, NCAA, 143 pounds

Returning national champion Ortega holds at #7 even though she hasn’t competed yet this season.

Previous rank: 7

8. Peyton Prussin (Life), SO, NAIA, 109 pounds

Prussin went toe-to-toe with Emily Shilson — a four-time undefeated national champion — at the All-Star Classic. There’s no indication if Shilson will return to college competition, but Prussin more than proved she belongs with the college elite.

Previous rank: 8

9. Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa), JR, NCAA, 123 pounds

Gallegos blazed through the Maverick Open and then placed second at the Bill Farrell Memorial International.

Previous rank: 10

10. Marlynne Deede (Augsburg), SR, NCAA, 155 pounds

Deede moves into the top 10 following a commanding run at the Missouri Valley Open.

Previous rank: 11

11. Sydney Petzinger (North Central), SO, NCAA, 109 pounds

Petzinger has had a couple of close matches this season, but the rest have been techs or pins.

Previous rank: 13

12. Sage Mortimer (King), SO, NCAA, 116 pounds

Mortimer went 1-2 against stiff competition at the Bill Farrell Memorial International but has had only one close match during the college season: a 6-5 win over teammate Dianna Holmes.

Previous rank: 15

13. Jaslynn Gallegos (North Central), JR, NCAA, 116 pounds

Gallegos was a wrecking ball at this year’s Adrian Open.

Previous rank: 16

14. Olivia Shore (Tiffin), SO, NCAA, 101 pounds

Shore is a returning national champion but she hasn’t competed yet this year.

Previous rank: 14

15. Ana Luciano (King), SR, NCAA, 136 pounds

Luciano ran through the East Stroudsburg Open despite going 0-2 at the Bill Farrell Memorial International.

Previous rank: 18

16. Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan), SO, NAIA, 109 pounds

Palumbo placed third at the Missouri Valley Open behind Unattached-Iowa wrestlers Nyla Valencia and Brianna Gonzalez.

Previous rank: 19

17. Ashley Lekas (Augsburg), SO, NCAA, 170 pounds

Lekas enters the P4P rankings following her title in the tough 170-pound bracket at the Missouri Valley Open, which included a win in the finals over Simon Fraser’s Emily Cue.

Previous rank: Unranked

18. Victoria Baez-Dillone (Umpqua CC), FR, NJCAA, 130 pounds

Baez-Dillone wrestled for Spain at the U23 World Championships and now she earned a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings after a third-place finish at the Missouri Valley Open. She is the first junior college wrestler to be ranked.

Previous rank: Unranked

19. Yele Aycock (North Central), SO, NCAA, 130 pounds

Aycock has been on a tear this season, but it’s her 2-1 win over Nina Makem at the Pointer Open that earns her a spot on this list.

Previous rank: Unranked

20. Nina Makem (Augsburg), SO, NCAA, 136 pounds

Makem dropped three spots following the loss to Aycock but still has a place in the top 20 after her second-place finish at the Missouri Valley Open. She lost in the finals, 3-3, to Unattached-Iowa’s Nanea Estrella.

Previous rank: 17

21. Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon), SO, NAIA, 123 pounds

Moreno was a 2022 NAIA champion but her third-place finish at Missouri Valley and a previous 11-0 tech over Campellsville’s Leilah Castro (second place at the weight) was enough to snag a spot in this week’s rankings.

22. Emily Cue (Simon Fraser), SR, NCAA, 170 pounds

Cue fell a couple of spots but a runner-up finish to Lekas at the Missouri Valley Open keeps her in the rankings.

Previous ranking: 20

23. Alexis Gomez (Grand View), SR, NAIA, 143 pounds

Gomez placed third at the NAIA Invitational last season but she had an impressive showing at the Missouri Valley Open, losing only to Unattached-Iowa’s Reese Larramendy in the finals.

Previous ranking: Unranked

24. Ashley Gooman (Providence), SR, NAIA, 116 pounds

Gooman placed fourth at the 2022 NAIA National Championships and reached 116-pound Missouri Valley Open finals where she fell to Unnatached-Iowa’s Felicity Taylor.

Previous ranking: Unranked

25. Alara Boyd (McKendree), SR, NCAA, 143 pounds

Boyd was upset in the first round of the Missouri Valley Open, won four matches in a row, and defaulted. She fell to Nwachukwu a few days later at the All-Star Classic but she remains in the rankings, well, because she’s Alara Boyd: a three-time national finalist and 2021 national champion.