WARD MAKES AVILA HISTORY AT MISSOURI VALLEY OPEN

MARSHALL, Mo. – Haley Ward took fifth place in the 207-pound class this weekend, making her the first Avila women's wrestler to place at the prestigious Missouri Valley Open.

Ward's weekend was highlighted by wins over a pair of top-10 wresters after going 5-2 in one of the country's toughest competitions.

Facing No. 8 Diara Pomares from William Penn, Ward won via a dominating 8-0 decision and followed that up with a 1:10 tech fall victory over No. 5 Naomi Duenas from Cumberlands.

Ward's three other victories came from a fall in 1:14, a tech fall in 5:49 and a 6-3 decision to secure her place in the Avila record books.

Apart from Ward, the Eagles had numerous other standout performances in mid-Missouri, including Chloe Taylor, who finished with two victories via fall – including one in just 47 seconds.

Additionally, Suzette Mendez (fall, 4:01, 110-pound), Audrina Houston (fall, 1:01, 117-pound), Jennifer Lopez-Alvarado (fall, 1:51, 124-pound), Haylie Hallman (fall, 2:24, 131-pound and Paige Strauch all picked up victories this weekend.

In her second season, head coach Sara Hilliard has made strides in building up a young program: "The majority of athletes that enter this competition leave 0-2, but more of our girls won matches this year. I'm thrilled to see the overall growth of our program. We continue to keep pushing forward."

A full list of results from the Missouri Valley Open can be found here.

Next up for Avila is the program's first home competition of the year, hosting the AU Women's Eagle Open on December 14 from Mabee Fieldhouse.

 (photo credit: Jared Lainhart)