LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The nationally-ranked Lock Haven women's wrestling team is set open the 2024 portion of the schedule in a big way as the Bald Eagles compete against elite competition at the 2024 NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships.
 
The dual championships are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, Jan. 5-6 at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
 
The Bald Eagles will open the new year and head into the weekend ranked eighth in the nation and a pair of Lock Haven wrestlers were listed in the most recent NWCA/NCAA Women's Coaches' rankings, which were released on Jan. 2.
 
In all, 15 teams are scheduled to compete Friday and Saturday at the dual championships and 13 of the 15 are nationally ranked.
 
Lock Haven, the tournament's eighth-seed, will open the weekend vs. No. 22 Lindenwood on Friday at 3:30 p.m. EST.
 
The winner of the Lock Haven – Lindenwood match will take on top-seed and nationally-ranked No. 2 North Central at 5 p.m. EST Friday.
 
The Bald Eagles are 7-1 overall in dual action this season, and most recently went a perfect 4-0 at the Kalahari Duals back in December.
 
Leading the way for Lock Haven is the nationally-ranked pair of Kaelani Shufeldt and Grace Stem. Both were listed in this week's NWCA/NCAA Women's Coaches' rankings with Stem leading the way with a No. 3 ranking at the 143 pounds. Shufeldt is ranked No. 4 at 109.
 
Shufeldt is coming off an impressive performance at the prestigious Midlands Championships (Dec. 30) where she took second overall. She is 12-3 on the season.
 
Back on Dec. 16, at the Kalahari Duals, Stem went a perfect 4-0. Stem is 14-2 on the season with 11 tech falls, and she's won 12 straight matches.
 
While the NWCA/NCAA Women's Coaches' rankings list the top-10 at each weight class, The Open Mat does rank the top-15 and this week, a total of six Bald Eagles were ranked. Emma Heslin, who placed sixth at Midlands behind three wins is ranked No. 15 at 101. Shufeldt is listed at No. 3 (109) and Lily Sherer is ranked No. 8 at 130. Madison Matta is ranked No. 12 at 136, Stem checks in at No. 6 (143) and Jessica Johnson was ranked No. 15 at 170.
 
Lock Haven's Probable Lineup:
101: Fr. Emma Heslin (Marlborough, Conn./RHAM) 14-10
109: #4 So. Kaelani Shufeldt (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina) 12-3
116: Fr. Jayleah Pletz (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) 10-7
123: Jr. Carly Gross (York, Pa./West York) 8-4
130: Jr. Lily Sherer (Shohola, Pa./Delaware Valley) 12-4
// OR 130: Fr. Isabella DeVito (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area) 5-4
136: Jr. Madison Matta (Blue Ridge, Pa./Waynesboro) 8-0
143: #3 So. Grace Stem (Snow Shoe, Pa./Bald Eagle) 14-2
155: Fr. Stella Steigler (Orange County, Va./Orange County) 4-0
// OR 155: Fr. Paige Jackson (Harpers Ferry, W.Va./Spring Mills) 7-9
170: Jr. Jessica Johnson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) 12-1
// OR 170: Fr. Azariah Moore (Montross, Va./Westmoreland) 10-4
191: So. Trinity Monaghan (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) 11-5
// OR 191: Fr. Lindsay Laws (Halifax, Mass./Silver Lake) 5-5
 
*Wt. Class: Yr. Name, F-L (Hometown/High School) Record
# = National Ranking (NWCA/NCAA Coaches' Ranking, Jan. 2)
**Please Note: This lineup is tentative and subject to change.