“NCC! NCC! NCC!”
Is this the final season we’ll hear this chant at the all-divisions NCAA Championships?
Division III North Central has built a second-to-none fanbase, annoying other teams and uplifting its own. However, D3 programs will host their own national tournament next season, despite head coach Joe Norton’s efforts to compete against athletic scholarship schools.
The 2027 NCAA Championships are the final season that every division will compete together. Embrace it. We’ll never get anything like this again as women’s wrestling continues to grow.
North Central's impact on women’s college wrestling can’t be overstated. This tiny school in Naperville, Illinois (2,632 undergraduate enrollment), made the impossible seem possible by winning national championships and creating a singularly unique culture.
The Cardinals made waves last season at the NWCA National Duals by handing Iowa its first loss in program history and taking down McKendree, the eventual NCAA team champion. Both wins were instant classics, and an important reminder that David still exists in a world filled with Goliaths.
Norton returns seven All-Americans on a team that will attempt to challenge Iowa and McKendree again for national supremacy. Much of North Central’s success depends on development, and the Cardinals will need every bit of it as the season progresses.
North Central's Four-Year Run
Bella Mir is the centerpiece of a team that will look to her for leadership. She is moving up to 160 pounds after winning the 145-pound NCAA title with a dominant run that included three techs and a fall in the finals.
“The bigger the stage, the badder she is,” Norton said. “It’s fun how our girls look to that and want to be the same way. Hopefully, it’s contagious and infectious.
“She’s a special kid on top of being an amazing teammate. She’s an incredible teammate. She was running up and down the bench when we were dualing McKendree. She was getting the girls on the bench fired up when her match was still coming up."
Claire DiCugno returns at 138 for another season after winning the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships for King and reaching the 2026 NCAA finals. Her unique style can be difficult to prepare for, making her must-watch entertainment.
Riley Rayome will bump up to 124 after reaching the 117-pound NCAA finals in her first year, falling to McKendree’s U23 World champion Yu Sakamoto in a competitive 4-3 shootout. The Shenandoah, Texas, native made week-to-week gains throughout the season, earning the starting spot for regionals.
Irvine, California, native Carissa Qureshi will push her to make the team after competing on two age-level World teams.
Kaelani Shufeldt (110) had an unfortunate end to her season, falling in a quarterfinal match that made global headlines. She reached the 2024 NCWWC finals for Lock Haven and will be an important piece of North Central’s line-up. Her fall at the National Duals made the ultimate difference in the team’s semifinal win over Iowa.
Grace Stem (131) will likely get her shot after two fourth-place national tournament finishes for Lock Haven. She was behind two-time national finalist Yele Aycock and DiCugno last season.
Taylor Graveman qualified for the NCAA Championships at 160, winning her opening match before losing the next two. She will drop down to her preferred weight of 145 after earning All-American honors at 136 and 138.
All-American Caroline Ward (6th at 207) will battle Tirza Twoteeth for the starting heavyweight spot.
Don’t overlook Brianne Graves (103), Mikayla Garcia (117), and Jael Miller (180). All three were in the starting line-up at various points and are All-American-caliber wrestlers. North Central’s depth means that quality wrestlers must wait their turn until they earn the spot or when someone graduates. These three reflect that.
There aren’t many question marks with this team. We know what North Central can do, and this Cardinal squad has a proven track record. Another NCAA tournament trophy seems inevitable.
For at least one more season, every team from every division should "Fear the Bird."
FloWrestling's Andy Hamilton discusses the upcoming season with Joe Norton at the NWCA convention
Joe Norton On The Upcoming Season
“We’re really excited to see what this team is this year. We will be turning the page to several youngsters who are ready to prove themselves. But we graduated four starters with 14 All-American awards and four finals appearances between them: Maddie Avila, Sara Sterner, Yele Aycock, and Shenita Lawson.
“That’s a lot of points to replace at the national tournament. We recruited well, and we continue to develop the women in our room as well as anywhere else in the country, so we fully expect to contend again in January and March.”
2026-27 North Central Overview
Head coach: Joe Norton (9th season)
Assistants: Grant Zamin, Robby Bates, Amanda Martinez, Kendra Ryan, Yele Aycock, Yelena Makoyed, Sara Sterner, Maddie Avila, Riley Aamold, Emma Grimm
2026 NCAA tournament finish: 3rd
2026 NWCA National Duals finish: 1st
2026 NCAA tournament record: 26-15
2026 NCAA tournament points: 123.5
2025-26 dual record: 14-2
Returning All-Americans: 7 (Kaelani Shufeldt, Riley Rayome, Grace Stem, Claire DiCugno, Taylor Graveman, Bella Mir, Caroline Ward)
Returning NCAA qualifiers: 6 (Kaelani Shufeldt, Riley Rayome, Claire DiCugno, Taylor Graveman, Bella Mir, Caroline Ward)
Last NCAA champion: Bella Mir (2026)
Highest NCAA tournament finish: 3rd (2026)
Highest National tournament finish: 1st (2023)
Highest NCAA tournament finish under Norton: 3rd (2026)
Most NCAA placers in a season under Norton: 6 (2026)
Line-up Options (All-American honors in parentheses)
103
Brianne Graves
Zurri Zamora
Justine Perez
Vina Nguyen
Alex Sebek
Lily Enos
Gabriella Costello
110
Kaelani Shufeldt (6th, 2nd)
Tylene Tran
Valeria Pesantes
Suri Bettencourt
117
Mikayla Garcia
Elle Paramo
Bella Bolek
Nadia Thomas
Mikayla Putich
124
Riley Rayome (2nd)
Carissa Qureshi
Janessa George
Gracie Guarino
Me'Kala James
Maile Nguyen
131
Grace Stem (4th, 4th)
Jax Realin
Milana Borrelli
Kaiya Winbush
Anna DiCugno
Kaiya Maggini
Lilly May
Lindy Strowbridge
Krista Green-Garza
138
Claire DiCugno (6th, 1st, 2nd)
Taylor Miess
Callie Alfieri
Karina Lojowski
Alyssa Reyes
Gabrielle Asabi
America Cabrera
Jasmine Zavaleta
145
Taylor Graveman (7th, 5th)
Claire Waite
Natalie Klavetter
Caylynn Chandler
Aleksandra Bastaic
Audrey Rogotzke
Brooke-Lynn Murray
160
Bella Mir (5th, 2nd, 1st)
Elizabeth Rosenstiel
Rejan Alhashash
Cait Jones
Emrie Fink
180
Jael Miller
Kenzie Conklin
Caitlyn Flaherty
207
Caroline Ward (6th)
Tirza Twoteeth
Maddie Miller