Indian Hills Wins Second NJCAA Championship in a Row, Fourth Overall

March 8, 2024

Council Bluffs, IA – For the fourth consecutive year, the Indian Hills Women's Wrestling team captured the national championship. The Warriors took home the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women's Wrestling National Invitational.

In an unprecedented run of success, head coach Cole Spree and the Warriors ran away with the national championship with 307.5 team points. The Warriors secured two individual national champions in freshman Genesis Gilmore (__) at 155lbs and sophomore Eliana Bommarito (Hartland, MI/Brighton) at 235lbs. In total, the Warriors earned 16 All-American honors, including five runner-up finishes and three third-place honorees.

The Warriors have now secured back-to-back NJCAA National Invitationals, the first two years of sanctioned women's wrestling at the NJCAA level. The Warriors previously took home two Junior College National Championships (JCNC) before competing at the NJCAA level. Indian Hills is the only women's wrestling team to win a national championship across any level of junior college wrestling.

Bommarito, the No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound wrestler in the nation, secured her second consecutive national title as the sophomore capped her Indian Hills career with an undefeated record. The sophomore cruised the 235lb bracket with ease as the No.1 overall seed. Bommarito earned a fall in 20 seconds in the Round of 16 and a 16 second fall in the semis to earn a spot in the title match. Competing against teammate Karla Padilla Zepeda (South Weber, UT/North Ridge) in the championship for the second consecutive year, Bommarito earned a fall in 1:29 to become a two-time national champion.

For her efforts, Padilla Zepeda became a two-time All-American for the Warriors, finishing as the 235lb national runner-up each year.

Entering the weekend as the No. 6 seed in the 155lb bracket, Gilmore produced a remarkable run through the tournament that resulted in the program's first-ever 155lb individual national champion. Gilmore scored three consecutive pins to advance to the semifinals with each match lasting no more than 1:12. Gilmore secured a fall in 25 seconds against the No. 2 seed from Snow College to earn a spot in the championship bout.

The freshman earned a 14-4 tech fall in the championship match to knock off No. 1 nationally ranked Ferny Hernandez of Iowa Western Community College. In total, Gilmore needed less than nine minutes of mat time to secure the national title.

101lbs

Sophomore Dutchess King (Lansing, IL/Thornton Fractional South), last year's 101lb national champion, became a two-time All-American after placing second overall for the Warriors. The No. 2 seed in the bracket, King earned back-to-back 10-0 tech falls to advance to the championship match. The sophomore fall in a narrow decision, falling by criteria after a 3-3 deadlock with Calli Connally of Carl Alber State College (OK).

109lbs

The Warriors secured two All-American honors at the 109lb weight class as Javanica Mickens (Orlando, FL/Jones) took home a national runner-up finish and Madison Leverknight (Kansas City, MO/Winnetonka) placed third overall for the Warriors. Mickens defeated Leverknight in the semifinals before falling in the championship match to No. 1 Alexis Miler of Carl Albert. Leverknight earned the win in the third-place bout over Dianna Pineda of Iowa Central Community College.

116lbs

Defending NJCAA National Champion Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Salinas, Puerto Rico/Eugenio Guerra Cruz) took home a second-place finish to earn All-American honors for the second consecutive year for the Warriors. The No. 2 seed earned a 10-0 tech fall in the quarters and a 6-1 decision in the semis. Diaz fell short in the championship match to top-seeded Flavia Nagatani of Iowa Western Community College.

123lbs

No. 2 seeded Angelica Vicente Gonzalez (Cidra, Puerto Rico/Eugenio Guerra Cruz) became an All-American in her freshman campaign after placing second overall in the 123lb bracket for the Warriors. Gonzalez ran through the opening three rounds uncontested before falling 13-3 in the championship match.

130lbs

Indian Hills brought home two All-American honors in the 130lb bracket as freshmen Amaria Ridgner (Richton Park, IL/Rich Township) and Ruth Jimenez Batista (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Trina Padilla De Sanz) secured fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively.

136lbs

Freshman Abbi Smith (Fort Collins, CO/Poudre) made headlines on the opening day as the No. 6 seed scored back-to-back falls to advance to the semifinals. Smith earned an upset pin over the No. 3 seed in the quarterfinal match and placed fifth overall to earn All-American status.

155lbs

Along with Gilmore's national championship at 155lbs, the Warriors earned an All-American honor in Jazmine Garcia (El Paso, TX/Quincy) after a third-place showing. Garcia battled through the consolation bracket with three consecutive wins, including two falls and an 8-6 decision in the third-place bout.

170lbs

Sophomore Yaracely Saenz (Bernalillo, NM/Bernalillo) became a two-time All-American for the Warriors after placing fourth overall in the 170lb bracket, the second consecutive season Saenz has taken fourth in the bracket. Saenz advanced to the championship semifinals after back-to-back pins, but fell in the third-place bout in the consolation bracket.

191lbs

The Warriors took home three All-American honors at the 191lb weight class as Norma Alejandro (Olathe, CO/Olathe) battled back through the consolation bracket to secure a third-place finish. Tiffany White (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park & River Forest) became a two-time All-American with a fifth-place showing while Kharisma Grahama (Clarksville, TN/Montgomery Central) placed sixth overall for the Warriors.

235lbs

For the second consecutive year, the Warriors dominated the 235lb bracket as Bommarito and Padilla Zepeda cruised the tournament. Indian Hills has now earned eight all-time All-American honors and two national titles in the 235lb weight class.