ADRIAN, Mich. – The first season for the Sacred Heart University women's wrestling team wrapped up Saturday at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships, hosted by Adrian College. Three Pioneers placed in the top eight, led by Madison Sandquist who took third at 143 pounds.
 
Also at 143 pounds, Temi Sanusi placed eighth. Jacklyn Smith also finished eighth at 170 points. 
 
Sacred Heart amassed 30.5 points to finish 14^th. McKendree University claimed the team championship with 188 points.
 
"It was amazing two days of wrestling," head coach Paulina Biega said. "All the hard work and consistency paid off.  Each match was a battle, there were no easy ones. We made huge progress this year, but are just getting started. The sky is the limit for this program."
 
The consolation bracket semifinal bout was a rematch of the Northeast finals. This time Sandquist came out on top as she recorded a 10-0 tech fall over Avia Bibeau of East Stroudsburg. Her dominant day continued when she pinned the number three seed, Kaylee Lac from Colorado Mason in 5:19.
 
In the seventh-place match at 143 pounds, Sanusi was just edged out by North Central's Kim Nunez, 3-1. Smith was stopped in the eighth-place bout, 7-3, by Tatum Heikkila of Colorado Mesa.
 
Year two should be another successful season for Beiga as she brings back all nine wrestlers on this year's squad and will add to the 2022-23 team.