Adrian College Sophomore Zoe Nowicki didn’t need much time to become the first national champion in program history. Nowicki pinned Big Bend’s Aliyah Yates in 2:07 of the first period to claim the 136-pound title at the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association’s national championship Saturday.
“I was thinking there is no way she is getting out of this. It was just a matter of making small adjustments,” Nowicki said.
After the win, Nowicki leapt into Coach Cliff Cushard’s arms.
The closest match for Nowicki was a 9-5 win in the semifinals.
“She was on a mission,” Cushard said. “She had a goal and she did exactly what it took to get it.”
Nowicki’s title, along with Kassidy Block’s third place finish at 123 pounds powered the Bulldogs to a 10th place team finish — also another program record.
“Theses ladies put in so much effort. They work hard on the mat. They work hard in the classroom. They have jobs. And they were able to accomplish this,” Cushard said. “As a coach I can’t ask for much more than that. I’ve said it a lot this season — I’m very proud of this group. No individual can find success without those working hard around them.”
The first National Champion in @AdrianCollege women's wrestling history has been crowned. Nowicki got a fall in 2:07 of the first period at 136 pounds to win the WCWA National Championship#wrestling #godawgs #adrian @AdrianBulldogs @AC_Bulldogs pic.twitter.com/QaTfgIWgVB
— Adrian College TV (@AdrianCollegeTV) February 9, 2020
Block won three matches on Saturday to place third. She was 6-1 over the two-day event.
“Coming in to today my approach was each match is just a match. I remember getting to a really hard part and in my head I could give up and I looked over and I saw everyone and I remembered why I was doing what I was doing,” Block said. “The sport really shows you what kind of a person you can be.”
The top-10 finish was a season goal for the Bulldogs.
“It means a lot. I remember when I signed I told Cliff he was making something amazing and I told him I wanted to be a part of that,” Nowicki said. “To lead my team to a higher spot means a lot.”
This article was written using a press release and information generated by Adrian College’s sports information department. It is nearly entirely a repost of the original press release. For more college sports, follow us on Twitter @MWSNsports or like our page on Facebook.
