The Central Methodist women’s wrestling team works hard.

The ten freshmen practice two hours a day on weekends and ninety minutes every school day.

On Wednesday, that work started to pay off with the first dual victory in program history, 22-12 over Saint Mary.

Madlyne Navarro

“We work really hard,” said Madlyne Navarro, who concluded the dual with a 20-second pin of Megan Dougherty at 191 pounds.

“I’m really proud of every single one of my teammates,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if they won or lost their match, they fought their ass off and that’s what counts.”

Coach Brieana Delgado felt like the team needed to see a win after a close loss to Grand View in its last dual.

“Today, I think this was what we needed to help build that confidence,” she said,

“And show them that we don’t just work hard because I’m mean. We work hard because it’s going to make a difference in their four years, and even this year.”

Navarro picked up an official win with her pin, and won an exhibition match afterwards. She said that she doesn’t change her approach based on the opponent.

“I’m going to do what I do, I’m going to wrestle how I wrestle and if I need to change the gameplan mid-match, I’m going to do it,” she said.

After Giovanna Loza  won by forfeit at 116, Cora Johnson-Woessner earned a 10-0 tech fall at 123 pounds.

“I always go into a match completely trying to dominate,” Johnson-Woessner said. “I try to go in super-aggressive and get my set-ups and my ties, and try to dominate the whole match.

“I tried to get a pin, and I teched her instead, but it’s alright, I’m glad with the win.”

Johnson-Woessner’s tech fall ended the first ever women’s match wrestled on the mat at Puckett Field House.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “This team is going to go far, but it feels really good to get the first win here.”

Jaydan Driskell weighed in at 125, but helped her team out at 136 on Wednesday, picking up a 13-2 tech fall over Allyssa Bettencourt.

“There was a weight disadvantage for me, but I still went in there with a good attitude and wrestled my best,” Driskell said after the dual.

“I think I wrestled very well,” she said. “My goal in the beginning was to either pin her right away, or tech her giving up no points. I did give her two points, but I made it up by teching her in the end. I felt great.”

Seattle Bowen won by forfeit for CMU at 155. Da’Viona Bonner lost by tech to Saint Mary’s Mattea Potter at 130. Eagle freshman Andrea Montoya fell to Charlis Vega by tech at 143 and Treasure Smith scored five points, but fell 16-5 by tech to Jassmin Blount in the 170-pound match.

Giovanna Loza was a winner in an exhibition match after the dual had concluded.