By: Assistant Director of Athletic Communications & Marketing: Adam Kaylor
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The No. 7 Lock Haven University women's wrestling team closed day two of the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) National Championship tournament today (Saturday, March 4), and the team's trio of newly-minted All-Americans further cemented their place in the program's history at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse.
The trio of
Grace Stem (Snow Shoe, Pa./Bald Eagle),
Kaelani Shufeldt (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina), and
Lily Sherer (Shohola, Pa./Delaware Valley) all earned All-American status for the Bald Eagles.
As a team, the Bald Eagles placed 11
th overall with 38.5 points, narrowly missing the top ten by one half of a point. In another piece of history, it stands as the best finish in the program's two-year history, and the first for head coach
Matt Lackey.
In an intriguing semifinal bout at 143 pounds, the No. 2 ranked
Grace Stem (Snow Shoe, Pa./Bald Eagle) fell to the No. 3 ranked Katie Lange of Ausburg. Lange jumped out early on Stem 4-0, but the Bald Eagles' freshman fought all the way back, and secured a late takedown to cut the lead to 6-4, but Lange held on and secure one final takedown, and seal her spot in the finals.
Stem grabbed another victory and battled her way to a fourth-place finish. The highest ever for a Bald Eagle women's wrestler.
All-American and No. 5
Kaelani Shufeldt (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina) picked up another pin in the consolations, before placing sixth overall.
All-American and No. 6
Lily Sherer (Shohola, Pa./Delaware Valley) finished eighth overall as The Haven announced themselves on the national stage today in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Th youthful Bald Eagles trio featured two freshmen in Shufeldt and Stem, and a sophomore in Sherer, as The Haven foundation looks strong for years to come.
2023 was another stellar year for The Haven, who continue to grow and ended the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
