Crete, NB – Menlo Women's Wrestling displayed grit and resilience as they headed into Nebraska in order to participate in the Doane Open. Despite sending almost a full team of underclassmen, the Oaks showed out and were able to place 4 wrestlers in the top 8.
 
Keana Valle (4^th) – 180
The Oak's highest placer of the tournament comes from Keana Valle. Valle delivered an impressive performance securing a 4^th place finish. Valle began her campaign in commanding fashion, pinning her first opponent in 2:46 and followed up with an 11-0 tech fall in the second round. Valle would fall in the quarterfinals but bounced back with determination and earned a 7-0 victory in her first consolation bout. Valle continued her strong run with two pins in her last two matches of the day, Valle's 4^th place finish was earned by wrestling the maximum amount of matches possible in her bracket.
 
Janie Houser (Top 8) – 131
Janie Houser keeps on showcasing her tenacity this season. Houser opened up her tournament with a solid 8-2 win and followed it with a dominant 10-0 tech fall in her second match. Houser would pick a dominant first period fall in the third round but would fall to Dickinson State in the quarterfinal. Houser would rebound in the consolations by earning yet another 11-1 tech-fall. Houser's last win of the tournament would come in a thrilling 5-5 criteria victory over William Penn, but Houser would drop her final match of the day, earning herself a top 8 placement.
 
Mikayla Lancaster (Top 8) – 160
Menlo's next top 8 placer was Mikayla Lancaster. Lancaster displayed remarkable perseverance and competitive spirit and showed how much of a bonus point machine she is. After dropping her first match on the front side of the bracket, Lancaster would go on and earn three pins and two technical falls on route to take third. Unfortunately, Lancaster's run came to an end as she hit the maximum amount of matches possible in her bracket.
 
Alana Ontiveros (Top 8) – 160
Last but not least, Alana Ontiveros battled through an intense bracket. Starting off hot, Ontiveros pinned her first opponent from Baker in 1:32 and followed it up with another pin against Ottawa in 1:34. In her third match, Ontiveros continued to impress with an 11-0 tech fall, advancing to the quarters. Ontiveros would fall in the quarters but remained resilient on the backside of the bracket and rebounded with a 4-2 decision win. Ontiveros' run would come to an end after falling in round 7 of the consolations, earning her a top 8 placement.
 
Up Next…
The Oaks will head back to Haynes-Prim Pavilion in order to host a tri-dual against Big Bend and Snow college on Friday, January 17^th. Make sure to use menloathletics.com for livestream, livestat, and ticket links!