Dual of the Week: NAIA #3 Southern Oregon vs. #6 Menlo

Menlo’s 143-pound Gracie Figueroa. Photo courtesy of Hanford Sentinel.

by Derek Levendusky
Twitter: @AWWderek

ATHERTON, CA - In a matchup of two top NAIA West Coast teams—not to mention the entire NAIA—#3 Southern Oregon faced off with #6 Menlo in duals action last Friday night. In the end, Menlo showed the wrestling community they’re still a contender, pulling the upset with a 25-15 victory, avenging a loss from their opening dual of the season, where it was SOU winning it 29-11.

Menlo has been a top team over the last five years, and may have had one of the best women’s college teams ever in the 2019-2020 season, a season cut short by Covid. After cancelling the 2020-2021 season, they’re back on the mats this year, but haven’t brought their teams to national events, missing both the Missouri Valley Open and the NWCA National Duals, therefore remaining somewhat of an enigma on the national scene.

Their program has typically benefitted from the depth of California high school girls wrestling as their recruiting classes tend to have some best young women from the West Coast, often ready to make an immediate contribution on the college scene. In fact, of the 24 women on the Menlo roster, 17 of them are from California; five are from Hawaii, and only two are from anywhere else. This dual proved Menlo’s depth, as they took down an SOU program that has gained national attention in the NAIA over the past few years, earning a #3 ranking this season.

Menlo stars, #2 ranked Alleida Martinez and #6 ranked Gracie Figueroa, both 2019 national champions, took care of business for the Oaks, with Martinez gaining a tech fall in just 52 seconds over #5 Tara Othman at 116, and Figueroa earning a 6-0 decision over #6 ranked Emily Se in the 143-pound match. Se is ranked at 136 and bumped up for the matchup. With the win, Martinez improves her lifetime college record to 42-1.

In what may have been the match—and upset—of the night, Menlo’s 109-pound unranked Barbara Greenberg defeated #6 ranked Valeree Ornelas by criteria in a 4-4 match. It was 1-0 Ornelas deep into the second period, when Greenberg hit a 4-point chest wrap to take the lead. Though Ornelas put three more points up, Greenberg held on for the upset win by virtue of her 4-point move.

Menlo improved to 8-2 in duals action on the season, while SOU took their second loss to fall to 7-2. Menlo will host the Menlo Open Duals next Friday, featuring NCAA #3 program Simon Fraser, Grays Harbor College, Dixie State, and Simpson. Duals will begin at 11 AM and can be streamed at gsacsportsnetwork.com/menlo.

Available results:
101: Tianna Fernandez (Menlo) by forfeit
109: Barbara Greenberg (Menlo) over #6 Valeree Ornelas (Southern Oregon) by dec. 4-4
116: #2 Alleida Martinez (Menlo) over #5 Tara Othman (Southern Oregon) by tech fall 10-0 at :52
130: #7 Cindy Zepeda (Menlo) over #11 Julissa Taitano (Southern Oregon) by fall
136: #9 Louisa Schwab (Menlo) over Kiera Satnick (Southern Oregon) by tech fall 10-0
143: #6 Gracie Figueroa (Menlo) over #6 (at 136) Emily Se (Southern Oregon) by dec. 6-0