What: 2024 NWCA National Duals — Women’s Freestyle (NAIA and NCAA)
Where: Cedar Falls, Iowa (UNI-Dome)
When: Friday, January 5 and Saturday, January 6
Tournament Brackets: Click here
How To Watch: Click the below link

Women’s Freestyle Schedule (Central Standard Time)

Friday, January 5
10 AM — NAIA Women (Round One/Eight Mats)
11:30 AM — NAIA Women (Quarterfinals & Consolation/Eight Mats)
1 PM — NAIA Women (Consolation/Four Mats)
2:30 PM — NCAA Women (Round One/Eight Mats)
4 PM — NCAA Women (Quarterfinals & Consolation/Eight Mats)
5:30 PM — NCAA Women (Consolation/Four Mats)

Saturday, January 6
9 AM — NCAA & NAIA Women (Consolations/Eight Mats)
10:30 AM — NCAA & NAIA Women (Semifinals & Consolation/Eight Mats)
12 PM — NCAA & NAIA Women (9th, 11th, 13th, & 15th Place Matches/Eight Mats)
1:30 PM — NCAA & NAIA Woman (1st, 3rd, 5th, & 7th Place Matches/Eight Mats)

NCAA Women’s Freestyle Seeds
1. North Central (6-0)
2. Iowa (6-0)
3. King (4-0)
4. McKendree (8-1)
5. Colorado Mesa (8-2)
6. Sacred Heart (8-2)
7. Presbyterian (4-2)
8. Lock Haven (7-1)

NCAA Women’s Freestyle Team Champions
2023: King
2022: King
2021: Canceled (COVID)
2020: McKendree

NAIA Women’s Freestyle Seeds
1. Life University
2. Menlo
3. Grand View
4. Southern Oregon
5. Providence
6. Texas Wesleyan
7. Campbellsville
8. William Penn

NAIA Women’s Freestyle Team Champions
2023: Southern Oregon
2022: Life University
2021: Canceled (COVID)
2020: Menlo

NCAA Breakdown

NCAA women’s freestyle wrestling is an emerging sport, so all three NCAA divisions (I, II, and III) compete in the same tournament. Iowa, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart are currently the only D1 programs to offer women’s freestyle wrestling. 

Iowa enters as the two-seed during its inaugural season. The Hawkeyes have looked sharp and haven’t been tested at full strength. Head coach Clarissa Chun has depth and quality options at every weight. Iowa will have a home crowd advantage since the venue is only 90 minutes away from Iowa City. 

Top-seeded North Central — a Division III program located in Naperville, Illinois — won the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships with 15 All-Americans and three champions. The Cardinals return 21 All-Americans, including national champions Alara Boyd and Yelena Makoyed who recently opted to use their final semester of eligibility.

Don’t count out D2 powers King (Bristol, Tennessee) and McKendree (Lebanon, Illinois). Both have powerful squads and both have combined to win the first three NCAA National Duals Championships. McKendree likely won’t have a full line-up since a few wrestlers are waiting to compete at regionals and nationals. 

King won the 2023 title with strategic moves that included a last-second shift in the finals against North Central. We’ll see if Tornado coach Jason Moorman has a few more tricks up his sleeve to win his third championship in a row. 

The NCAA semifinals will look like this if the seeds hold:
#1 North Central vs #2 McKendree
#2 Iowa vs #3 King

NAIA Breakdown

In 2022, the NAIA voted to adopt women’s wrestling as its 28th championship sport. The 2023 Women’s Freestyle NAIA Championships were the first officially sanctioned women’s collegiate national championship at any level. 

Southern Oregon made a clean sweep last season by winning the National Duals and the NAIA Championships. The Raiders lost several key wrestlers to graduation but have several new faces that will help Gabby Weyhrich during her second season as head coach. 

Life University (Marietta, Georgia) is the top seed and has looked strong all season. The Running Eagles won three individual titles at the Soldier Salute in Coralville, Iowa, on December 29-30 and stayed in Iowa all week to compete in the National Duals. 

Keep an eye out for the potential quarterfinal match between Life and #8 William Penn (Oskaloosa, Iowa). The Statesmen have three wrestlers who could win a national title but the dual format will test the team's overall depth. 

Menlo (Atherton, California) and Grand View (Des Moines, Iowa) should thrive in a dual format since the team is strong from top to bottom. Fifth-seeded Providence (Great Falls, Montana) is the team on the NAIA side to keep track of. The Argonauts could knock off Southern Oregon and Life if everything falls into place. 

The NAIA semifinals will look like this if the seeds hold:
#1 Life vs #4 Southern Oregon
#2 Menlo vs #3 Grand View