A pair of individual championships from Yareli Garcia and Harmony Moore highlighted the Barton Community College women’s wrestling team’s performance Friday at the fifth annual Women’s Viking Open, held at the Mick Thompson Fitness Center in Poteau, Oklahoma.
Competing for the second consecutive weekend to open the inaugural season, Barton posted a 17-26 combined record with four wrestlers earning podium finishes. Garcia captured the 160-pound title while Moore claimed top honors at 207 pounds, with Avery Hinojos adding a fourth-place finish at 117 pounds and Makenzie Rogers placing fifth at 138 pounds.
Garcia went unbeaten in four matches at 160-pounds, opening her championship run with consecutive falls over Schreiner University’s Anayah Manning (1:49) and Carl Albert State College’s Evelyn Romero (1:59). Garcia followed with a 10-0 technical fall over Carl Albert’s Ashley Thompson in the semifinals before securing the title by injury default against Lyon College’s Sidney Milligan.
Coming off a runner-up finish in the program’s inaugural competition, Moore continued her strong start to the season with three consecutive falls to capture the 207-pound championship. The freshman opened with a fall over Schreiner’s Tracy Linklater in 2:28 before pinning Murray State College’s Jordan Bread in an identical time during the semifinals. Moore capped her unbeaten afternoon with a 19-second fall over Murray State’s Heidi Benefield in the championship match.
Hinojos collected her second consecutive podium finish, compiling a 4-2 record on her way to fourth place at 117 pounds. After opening with a 10-0 technical fall over Carl Albert’s Savannah Wohrley. Hinojos dropped her quarterfinal bout before battling through the consolation bracket with three consecutive falls. Her run concluded with a loss by fall to Carl Albert’s Isabella Salas in the third-place match.
Rogers rounded out Barton’s four placers with a fifth-place finish at 138 pounds, posting a 2-2 record. Following a quarterfinal setback, Rogers rebounded with a fall over McMurry University’s Brandie Brown in 3:00 before securing fifth place with another fall, over Schreiner’s Aneyla Cantero in 3:52.
Rounding out the Cougars’ individual victories, Kaeleigh Klein (110 pounds) earned a 10-3 decision over McMurry’s Alexis Casique, while Yesseniai Castro (117) and Yaneli Carranza (145) each recorded consolation falls. Naomi Orozco added a 10-0 technical fall over Lyon’s Sarah Zuba at 180 pounds.
The Cougars return to the mats Friday and Saturday at the Cornerman Luke Preseason National Duals in Richfield, Utah. Competition gets underway Friday at 4 p.m. before resuming Saturday at 10 a.m.
