Women's Weekly: Emma Bruntil Calls Her Shot

Emma Bruntil has a bold prediction, Iowa is off to a fast start, North Central and King are contenders, and the All-Star Classic didn't disappoint.

Nov 30, 2023 by Kyle Klingman

Women's Weekly: Emma Bruntil Calls Her Shot

Emma Bruntil returned to college wrestling with a bold prediction: McKendree will win the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships.

Here is what Bruntil said on X (formerly Twitter): “Oh and while I’m at it, we’re gonna win the team title this year. You can quote me on it.”

The former McKendree star will be a current McKendree star soon enough. She won NCWWC (NCAA) titles in 2020 and 2021 before focusing solely on her international freestyle career. Bruntil made the 2023 Senior World team at 68 kg and is a legitimate contender to make the 2024 Olympic team.

The Bearcats won the first three NCWWC titles under Sam Schmitz and Bruntil was part of the first two. McKendree fell to North Central, 34-11, at the Adrian Duals but neither team had its full line-up.

History Of The National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships

Year	Team	Coach	Location
2020	McKendree	Sam Schmitz	Adrian, Michigan
2021	McKendree	Sam Schmitz	Tiffin, Ohio
2022	McKendree	Sam Schmitz	Adrian, Michigan
2023	North Central	Joe Norton	Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Here is what McKendree’s best team might look like with the inclusion of Bruntil. Former McKendree national champion Brenda Reyna has a COVID year, so there’s no telling if she will transfer into the program at some point.

McKendree In March?
101: Olivia Shore — 2022 NCWWC champoin
109: Emily Shilson — 4x NCWWC champion
116: Payton Stroud — 3x NCWWC All-American (8-5-5)
123: Shelby Moore — freshman
130: Cam Guerin — 3x NWCCW champion
136: Viktorya Torres — 2x NCWWC All-American (5-7)
143: Emma Bruntil — 2x NCWWC champion, 2023 Senior World teamer
155: Destiny Rodriguez — freshman
170: Tristan Kelly — All-American (3)
191: Kiara Ganey — freshman

How Good Are The Hawkeyes?

The University of Iowa is off to a great start, which should surprise no one. The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in duals and 39-1 in individual dual matches. Of the 39 wins, 38 ended in a fall or technical superiority while the other was an 8-0 shutout by Ella Schmit.

These dual scores speak for themselves.

East Stroudsburg, 43-1
Presbyterian, 44-1
Lindenwood, 43-0
Sacred Heart, 40-4

Iowa also had six champions at the Princeton Open and the Missouri Valley Open. Each team can qualify up to 15 wrestlers for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCAA programs) but only one wrestler per weight can score.

Here is Iowa’s potential 15-member post-season line-up. Bella Mir hasn’t competed yet this season but was a U20 World teamer who showed promise during the off-season. Felicity Taylor moved to 123 but has typically competed at 53 kg (116 pounds).

Iowa's Starting 15?
101: Sterling Dias/Emilie Gonzalez
109: Ava Bayless
116: Brianna Gonzaelez
123: Felicity Taylor
130: Emily Frost
136: Nanea Estrella/Esther Han
143: Reese Larramendy/Ella Schmit
155: Marlynne Deede/Bella Mir
170: Kylie Welker/Haley Ward
191: Alivia White

Don’t Forget About King And North Central

North Central and King placed first and second respectively at the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships and will be in the mix for the 2024 title. The Cardinals have looked sharp this season and could have up to 20 All-Americans in their line-up if three-time national champion Yelena Makoyed returns next semester.

Below are possible end-of-season line-ups for both teams in what appears to be a four-team race between Iowa, King, McKendree, and North Central.

North Central
101: Maddie Avila — 2023 NCWWC champ
109: Jaslynn Gallegos — 4x NCWWC All-American (3-3-4-1)
116: Sydney Petzinger — 2x All-American (4-2)
123: Amani Jones — 2x All-American (5-2), 2023 U20 World bronze
130: Salmone Walker — All-American (8)
136: Yele Aycock — 2023 national finalist
143: Kendall Bostelman — All-Amerian (6)
155: London Houston — All-American (3)
170: Yelena Makoyed — 3x NCWWC champion
191: Traeh Haynes — 2023 national finalist

King
101: Jessica Corredor — All-American (6)
109: Danielle Garcia — 2x All-American (5-4)
116: Samara Chavez — 2x All-American (3-2)
123: Montana DeLawder — 2x All-American (7-4)
130: Victoria Baez-Dillone — JUCO champ/Senior World Team for Spain
136: Claire DiCugno — All-American (6)
143: Yasmine Oliveria
155: Cheyenne Bowman — 2x All-American (5-2)
170: Tiffani Baublitz — 2x All-American (7-3)
191: Alexa Garcia — JUCO champ

Rankings Galore

Keep up-to-date with the latest high school and college rankings. Below are all of the important links.

Women’s College Pound-For-Pound Rankings
Women’s NCAA rankings
Women’s NAIA rankings
Class of 2024 Big Board High School Rankings
2023-24 National Girls High School Wrestling Rankings
College Commitments

Headlines Galore

Here are links to women’s wrestling stories as they happened this season.

Iowa Wins 6 Titles At Prestigious Missouri Valley Open
King Crowns Nine Champions At Eagle Madness
World Teamer Emma Bruntil Returns To McKendree
Emma Bruntil Predicts A Team Title For McKendree
#1 North Central Takes Down #3 McKendree At Adrian Duals
Powerful McKendree Squad Notches First Dual Win Of Season
U.S. Women's Wrestling Just Entered A New Era
Wyoming Seminary Women Dominate Journeymen Fall Classic
Jordyn Fouse vs Isis France Is A Must-Watch High School Rivalry
Brazel Marquez Accepts Coaching Position At Lehigh

The Next Generation Of Interviews

High school stars Jordyn Fouse and Val Solorio conducted interviews with other high school stars. Below are interviews with Ana Malovich, Isabella Marie Gonzales, and Sofia Delgado plus an interview with high schoolers Clare Booe and Rianne Murphy who won the East Stroudsburg Open.

Jordyn Fouse Interviews Ana Malovich Below