Corrie Williams of the Snow College women's wrestling team won the NJCAA National Championship in the 136-pound division over the weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  This is the first National Title for the Badgers women's wrestling program in its brief two-year history.
 
"I went into the tournament knowing I had the capability of winning it all," Williams said.  "That is what I have been aiming for throughout the entire season.  After being named an All-American last season, I didn't want to settle for that again this year.  I knew I could win the National Title, and I had a great support system that helped me reach that goal."
 
Williams, a sophomore from Enterprise, Utah, entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 136-pound division after a strong season that saw her go 12-5 throughout the 2023-24 campaign. After finishing in fourth place at the National Tournament last year as a three seed, Williams claimed the top spot in her division following her performance during the 2023-24 season.
 
"This is what I set my sights on during the year," Williams said.  "In women's wrestling, anyone can win on any given day.  I realized that if I wanted to be successful and reach my goal, I'd have to keep myself disciplined and do the things that would put me in a good position.  I always wanted to work hard and earn everything and make sure nothing was given to me."
 
As a No. 1 seed, Williams received a bye in the first round.  She made quick work of her first two opponents winning each match via fall.  She held a 2-0 lead in her semifinal matchup before her opponent was forced to bow out due to injury.  Williams entered the championship bout against No. 2 seeded Malia Kehne of Carl Albert State College.  Williams dominated and defeated Kehne 13-3 to claim the National Title.
 
"Pure joy," Williams said on being asked about her emotions immediately following the win.  "It was just a feeling of being mentally content that all your hard work has paid off.  It's a feeling that I don't think has really sunk in yet."
 
Along with her National Title, Williams was also named an All-American, along with six other Badgers including Jennifer Thomas, Rachel Jones, Ana Valentina Martinez Jimenez, Abigail Trayhorn, Angella Van Valkenburg, and Hannah Broderick.
 
Trayhorn, the No. 2 seed in the 143-pound division, also received a bye.  She cruised to a 10-0 victory in the round of 16 followed by a victory via fall in the quarter-final bout.  She earned a victory via decision to enter the championship bout against No. 4 Eve Herlyn from Southeast Community College.  In the championship round, Trayhorn suffered a loss via decision to finish in second place.

 









Thomas, Jones, Martinez and Van Valkenburg all finished in fifth place for the Badgers.  Thomas suffered a loss in her opening bout but was able to recover and win two of her next three matches to finish fifth.

 
Jones won each of her first two matches before dropping the semifinal matchup via decision.  She would eventually make her way into the fifth-place bout and earn a victory via technical fall against Nadiya Trujillo from Trinidad State Community College.

 
Martinez won three of her first four bouts before dropping into the fifth-place matchup where she earned a victory via fall against Madelyn Plotz of Iowa Western Community College.

 
Van Valkenburg won each of her first three matches, two of which via fall to enter the semi-finals.  She suffered a loss in the consolation bracket before claiming a victory in the fifth-place matchup.

 
Hannah Broderick dropped the opening matchup in the 170-pound division but rallied to win three consecutive matches before falling into the fifth-place bout.  She was defeated via fall by Jocelyn Ambriz of SCC to finish in sixth place.

 
As a team, the Badgers finished in sixth place improving on their seventh-place finish from a season ago.  Snow College more than doubled its All-American tally from the 2022-23 campaign as seven Badgers were given the honors compared to three from last year.  Williams and Van Valkenburg were also All-Americans last season.
 
"I'm extremely proud of the way this team competed," head coach Ross Taylor said. "In life and in sports, you can't always control the outcome, but you can control your effort.  The effort this team put in at Nationals and throughout the season was inspiring."
 
The Badgers finished the 2023-24 season with an 8-4 overall record after going winless during their inaugural campaign last year.  They earned six victories versus ranked teams during the 2023-24 season.
 
With her victory, Williams will forever be remembered as the first Snow College women's wrestler to win a National Championship.
 
"The National Title isn't just mine," she said. "It belongs to Coach Taylor. It belongs to the sophomores who started this program two years ago.  It belongs to the rest of my teammates who pushed me every day to be my best.  They have all helped me become a better wrestler, and I owe this title to them."