Women’s Wrestling Shines at First-Ever Home Open

COLBY, Kan. - The Colby Community College women's wrestling program hosted its first home event in program history over the weekend (Nov. 14-15), competing in four duals at the Dust Bowl Duals and competing in the Dust Bowl Open.

The Trojans opened the day with their closest dual of the weekend, falling 29–24 to Iowa Lakes in a competitive back-and-forth match. Colby picked up four head-to-head wins, highlighted by Isabella Garrity's 36-second pin at 117 lbs and Emma Parker's fall at 131 lbs. Audrie Felkins secured a 12–6 decision at 110, while Jazrine Nieto added another fall at 145. Kaylen McAtee also earned a forfeit victory at 160. Despite the strong performances, forfeits in several weight classes gave Iowa Lakes the edge.

Murray State, one of the strongest programs in the region, showcased its depth in the second dual, defeating Colby 49–4. The Trojans' lone win came at 160 lbs, where Atavia Cain dominated with a 13–2 tech fall. Garrity, Felkins, Reynoso, Nieto, and McAtee all faced ranked or highly experienced opponents, providing valuable early-season reps against top-level competition.

Colby continued its challenging slate against Northern Oklahoma College–Tonkawa, falling 50–5. Once again, 117-pounder Isabella Garrity delivered, earning a 12–1 tech fall to give Colby its points in the dual. Atavia Cain added a point through aggression at 160, but Tonkawa capitalized on multiple forfeits and early pins to take control.

In the final matchup of the day, Colby posted its strongest offensive dual, scoring 11 team points in a 36–11 loss to Schreiner University. Garrity continued her impressive performance with a 14–7 decision at 117 lbs, while Destiny Gonzalez (145 lbs) picked up a dominant 18–6 tech fall. Atavia Cain added her second tech fall of the event with a 12–0 win at 160 lbs.

While the Trojans finished 0–4 on the day, the Dust Bowl Duals provided invaluable early-season experience for a young roster still building depth. Garrity's strong 3–1 outing, Cain's pair of tech falls, and solid wins from Felkins, Parker, Nieto, and Gonzalez highlight the competitive potential within the lineup.

After a demanding day of duals, the Colby Community College women's wrestling team returned to the mats on Saturday (Nov. 15) for the Dust Bowl Open, where several Trojans delivered standout tournament performances, including two finalists and one champion.

Freshman redshirt Catherine Dutton put together a commanding run to win the 207-pound championship, going 3–0 on the day. After a bye into the quarterfinals, she earned a 20–10 tech fall, followed by a first-period pin in the semifinals. Dutton secured the title with a hard-fought 7–4 decision over Fort Hays State's Grace Johns, capping the Trojans' strongest individual performance of the event.

At 180 pounds, redshirt Aime Hernandez Perez advanced to the championship match with back-to-back decision victories, including a dominant 9–0 semifinal win. She finished the day as the runner-up, withdrawing in the finals.

Atavia Cain also reached the finals at 160 pounds, posting one of her best tournaments of the season. After a first-round bye, Cain picked up decisive wins of 10–3 and 11–6 to reach the championship match. She finished as the 160-pound runner-up, falling by pin late in the finals.

Freshman redshirt Aspen Sharpe turned in a solid performance at 110 pounds, wrestling her way into the consolation rounds. After dropping her quarterfinal, she responded with a dominant 27-second pin in consolation action before being eliminated one round shy of a placing match.

At 131 pounds, Ayvah Reynoso showed toughness throughout a long bracket. After a bye and a setback in the quarterfinals, she bounced back with a second-period pin over NOC–Tonkawa's Aubrey Merrell. Reynoso advanced to the fifth-place match before finishing sixth overall.

Despite coming off a grueling slate of duals the day before, Colby's women's wrestlers showed resilience and promise at the Dust Bowl Open. With one champion and two additional finalists, the Trojans made a strong statement at their first-ever home open. They now shift their focus to Missouri, where they'll look to build on that momentum at the Missouri Valley Open this Friday (Nov. 21) and Saturday (Nov. 22).