Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin
December 7, 2025
1: North Central College 233
2: Wisconsin Stevens Point 172
3: Elmhurst 129
4: Carthage College 80.5
5: Wisconsin - Oshkosh 64.5
6: Eureka 35.5
7: University of Rio Grade 30
8: Central RTC 20
9: Michigan Club Wrestling 15
10: Women's Wrestling Club of Purdue 15
11: Lakeland University 11
12: Joliet Junior College 8
13: Midway (unattached) 6
14: Milwaukee School of Engineering 4.5
15: Midway 4.5
16: Westminster University 3
Second year head coach Andrew Demos didn't realize the team score until halfway through the final round. When told his Elmhurst Bluejay women's wrestling team was in third place out of sixteen teams, all he could do was raise his eyebrows. His young team, 3-5 in duals, had been showing signs of improvement, but still had not yet turned the corner with close wins consistently. With a focus on basic skills in practice, he hoped his team, fourteen of whom freshmen, would find something to celebrate. When the tournament was concluded, he witnessed his team take 11 places out of 14 competitors, with five individuals placing in the top three. His Bluejays competed in 63 matches, winning 34. All but four of the 34 wins were by fall or technical fall.
Breakout star Valentina Fantoni, wrestling at 117 pounds, was the team's top placer. She made the finals and took 2nd place. Fantoni lost in the first match of the round-robin preliminary round against Bella Bolek of North Central College, but came all the way back to meet the same opponent in the championship match. Fantoni's road to the finals included two wins by fall and one by technical fall. She defeated Peck of North Central College in the semifinals by fall to make the finals. Fantoni improved her record to 11-8 on the season.
The Bluejays earned four individual bronze medals. Lightweight Claire Crouch, 103 pounds, was defeated in round one by Perez of North Central College, but then rattled off four consecutive pins including a first period fall over Izzy Paz of Wisconsin -Oshkosh in her place match. Crouch owns the team's best winning percentage, at 11-4, and is second on the team in falls with 8. Crouch's workout partner, sophomore Veronica Cosio also scored a third place finish with a fall in 23 seconds over Haley Williams of Rio in her place match. Cosio, 110 pounds, finished with a 3-2 record and currently holds a record of 9-6. Bluejay freshman Viola Pianetto, 138, saw the most action on the day, competing in seven matches and winning five. Pianetto lost to Taylor Miess of North Central College twice, but otherwise earned four pins and a technical fall in the tournament. Pianetto won by fall over Zuber of Wisconsin Stevens Point in her bronze medal match with the fall coming in 39 seconds. Pianetto is second on the team in wins with 12. The team leader in wins and falls is 180 pounder Juliana Lefort. Lefort improved to 13-6 on the season, winning five matches on the day. Her last match concluded the tournament for the Bluejays in style, a fall in 53 seconds over Sierra Zamorano of Purdue. Lefort has 12 pins this year.
Sophomore Clara Rice, 160, finished with a 3-2 record and a 5th place finish. Kendall Moss Smith earned a 7th place finish for the Jays at 124 pounds. Elmhurst had two ninth place finishers, Jala Singleton, 117 and Bella Curcuru, 131. Singleton tripled her season win total on the day. Curcuru finished 3-2, winning her last three matches in a row. Nyima Outlaw, 131 earned her first victory as a Bluejay, defeating Mia Orozco of Joliet Junior College by fall in the second period. Then she turned around and won her second victory of the season in the next match over Kaitlynn Valencia by fall in the first period. Outlaw took 10th place. Lily Avalos won two matches at 160 and also finished in 10th place. Grace Johnson, Katherine McElhose, and Mallory Matuga also competed for the Bluejays.
Next up the Lady Bluejays will compete at North Central College for a tournament next Sunday.
