UTICA, NY - Utica University's women's wrestling team returns to action this weekend following its first tournament of the new year. The Pioneers will look to build off recent competition as they prepare for a tri-meet matchup at Ithaca College.
Last Time Out: Utica most recently competed at the Alfred State Pioneer Invite last Sunday, sending five wrestlers into a competitive tournament field. The Pioneers' top result of the day came at 145 pounds, where
Hannah Kusmierczak (Rome, NY/Holland Patent) picked up the team's lone victory with a fall over Alfred State's Emily Brown, securing the pin 5:24 into the bout. She was ahead 12-5 at the time of the finish. Kusmierczak faced a challenging slate that also included opponents from Bridgeport, Lackawanna, and Ithaca. At 180 pounds,
Paityn Billard (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) competed through four bouts against opponents from Lackawanna, Maine Maritime, and Heidelberg, while
Octavia Dragotta (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) and
Dakoda House (Oneonta, NY/Cherry Valley Springfield) each saw action in the 124-pound bracket against Alfred State, Lackawanna, and Bridgeport.
Jackie Mace (Montour Falls, NY/Odessa-Montour) rounded out the Utica lineup at 131, facing opponents from Onondaga, Heidelberg, Ithaca, and Bridgeport as the tournament progressed.
Last Time in Ithaca: The orange and blue last competed on Ithaca's mat on November 12th at the Ithaca Invitational. At that event, five Pioneers saw action, each in a separate weight class. The team's strongest results of the day came at 145 and 138 pounds, where Kusmierczak and Mace each recorded wins by fall against Alfred State opponents. Kusmierczak secured her victory 2:47 into the bout, earning a 5-0 fall over Emily Brown, while Mace followed with a 4-4 fall over Christina Paluzzi 2:03 into their match.
Utica also logged several direct head-to-head matchups against Ithaca wrestlers during the event. At 124 pounds, Dragotta faced Ithaca's Angelina Berry, while House competed against Samantha Meyer in the 131-pound bracket. Mace later closed her slate at 138 pounds against Ithaca's Tess Clabaugh, giving multiple Pioneers prior experience against the host program ahead of their return to the Bombers' gym.
Up Next: Utica returns to the mat on Sunday, January 28th, traveling to Elmira College for a quad-meet. Action is set to occur inside Elmira's Speidel Gymnasium. Just a few days after, on January 31st, the Pioneers will host a round robin.
