KANSAS CITY, Mo. – No. 6-ranked Menlo College’s Nanea Estrella was named the NAIA Women’s Wrestler of the Week, announced Wednesday by the national office.
Estrella, a sophomore 130-pound wrestler from Makawao, Hawaii, lived up to the hype around her name, and then some, going undefeated on the weekend to take first place in the 130-pound bracket at the York College Open. After winning her debut in a dual against York, Estrella opened the tournament with a 33-second pin of Neah Finkbone (William Jewell College). Estrella followed with another pin in 2:16 against Claire DiCugno (Colorado Mesa) to move into the championship bout.
In what could be a preview of the NAIA National Championship at 130, Estrella sealed the deal with a late takedown to beat top-ranked Lexi Basham (Texas Wesleyan), 5-3.