
The Waynesburg University women’s wrestling team traveled to the Millersville Women’s Collegiate Open this past Sunday, Oct. 10, where freshmen Ja’Khia Matthews and Faryn Dewitt both placed in their respective weight division.
Matthews won two matches by pinfall and a total of three matches to gather a fifth-place finish with a 10-1 victory in the 207-pound bracket, pinning her first opponent in 1:19, advancing to the 207 quarterfinals. Dewitt, who recorded the first ever win in program history in their previous tournament, finished fifth in the 110-pound bracket, recording a pin in 3:53.
“One main improvement I had noticed was my single leg shot defense,” Dewitt said. “Additionally, I noticed a significant improvement in stamina over a relatively short period of time. The tournament itself was much different than the first, as this one I had set higher expectations for myself than the first time around.”
As noted, Dewitt recorded the first ever win for the inaugural team at the East Stroudsburg Open on Nov. 3.
“I did not meet the goals I had set for myself this time around, so it was kind of disappointing,” Dewitt said. “Despite this, I am thankful for the opportunity to compete and have the time on the mat. I intend to use this experience as a stepping stone for improvement in the future. I believe that there is positive counteracting every negative, and I plan to use this as a chance to grow and help me achieve my goals for future tournaments and matches.”
Head coach Karli Thomas spoke highly of Dewitt’s and Matthews’ performances.
“Those girls are making history. Both have only wrestled for a couple years and never have done freestyle, so placing in their second tournament of the season is a great accomplishment for them,” Thomas said. “Them placing helps give the team confidence that they are making progress and they can win at the college level. Ja’Khia had a really great weekend. She’s been pushing herself a lot at practice and it paid off this weekend.”
Thomas also spoke to the women’s quick turnaround for their next match, and how it can both help and hinder her athletes.
“I think sometimes, a quick turnaround is good but I can absolutely see how it could be bad,” Thomas said. “I think there needs to be a balance. After this weekend, we won’t compete again until Dec. 14, so they will have lots of time to heal up. Usually a few days before a competition, we lighten the practices up and may even take a day off in that time.”
The women travel to University Heights, Ohio to the John Carroll Women’s Duals on Nov. 24.