By: Madie Brink
ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The University of Sioux Falls Women's Wrestling team closed out its 2025–26 season this weekend at the NCAA Region VI Tournament, hosted by Lindenwood University. Facing a deep regional field that featured nationally ranked programs, the Cougars were led by true freshman Kristy More, who earned a fifth-place finish at 145 pounds to highlight USF's postseason effort.
Competing across six weight classes, Sioux Falls saw multiple wrestlers battle through consolation brackets and gain valuable postseason experience. The two-day event marked the culmination of a competitive season for the Cougars, with several athletes picking up wins on the regional stage.
More delivered the strongest performance of the weekend for USF, wrestling back to a fifth-place finish in a loaded 145-pound bracket. The true freshman opened her tournament with a 12-2 technical fall over Klaira Flatt (Linfield), advancing to the quarterfinals. After falling to No. 4 Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree), More responded with three wins in the consolation rounds.
She secured a 25-second fall over Emma Coyle (Schreiner), followed by a hard-fought 10-8 decision over Madeline Haynes (Lindenwood). Though she came up short in the consolation semifinals in a tough 13-10 decision to No. 11 Nicole Moore (Fort Hays State), More finished her season emphatically with a first-period fall over Mackenzie Blue (Texas Woman's University) in the fifth-place match. Her podium finish capped an impressive 12-7 freshman campaign and provided a strong closing note to the season.
Steinlicht opened her regional tournament with a controlled 3-1 decision over Nevaeh Leonard (Chadron), advancing to the quarterfinals. After a loss to No. 15 Peyton Hellmann (Fort Hays State), she rebounded in consolation action with a 10-0 technical fall over Joy Jackson (Schreiner). Her tournament concluded in the next round against Zainab Ibrahim (William Jewell), closing a competitive regional run and a solid 26-12 season for the freshman.
207 lbs – No. 20 Zoe Adam
Adam began her weekend with a fall over Malia Martin (Lindenwood) to move into the quarterfinals. She later dropped a tightly contested match to No. 8 Jayleen Sekona (Colorado Mesa) before falling 10-8 in a narrow consolation bout against Faith Macharia (Schreiner). Adam's early win marked a strong start in a competitive heavyweight bracket.
Berger fell in her opening-round matchup against Alexis Burton (Fort Hays State) but responded with a 10-0 technical fall over Oyinkansola Adeogun (Schreiner) in consolation action. She concluded her tournament in the following round against Paige Beals (Pacific).
Villarreal faced Madilyn Schuck (Minot State) in her opening match before receiving a bye in consolation. She wrapped up her season against Tracy Linklater (Schreiner) in the next round.
Armagost opened against No. 20 Laura Alcantar Soto (Simon Fraser) before competing in consolation action against Allison Meyer (Lindenwood) to conclude her regional tournament.
"Disappointing end to a tough season. We never could quite get our feet under us due to injuries. I'm very proud of our student-athletes for showing perseverance, grit and loyalty to the program this season. I'm also extremely proud of the six regional representatives for their hard work and commitment. Especially Kristy for finishing 5th in her true freshman season. All of our student-athletes wrestled hard and represented USF well.
Thank you to assistant coach Jennesis Martinez and Athletic Trainer, Marla O'Bryan for all their support and efforts this season. We are excited and eager to get back to work in a few weeks and prepare our student-athletes for USA Wrestling's Women's Nationals in Spokane, WA in April."
The Region VI Tournament marked the end of the 2025–26 season for the Cougars, with More's fifth-place finish serving as the team's top placement. The postseason experience gained across the lineup sets the foundation as USF looks ahead to offseason development and next year's campaign.
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