Coldwater alum Zoe Nowicki wins second National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship
ADRIAN, MI. — Back in the spring of 2018, Coldwater alum Zoe Nowicki officially signed her letter of intent to wrestle for one of the youngest women’s wrestling programs in the nation at Adrian College. During her letter of intent signing ceremony, then Coldwater head coach Jake Lenhardt had this to say about the tough as nails Nowicki.
“Her (Zoe) work ethic, her drive and her determination really set her apart from a lot of people. She has just seized any and all opportunities that have been presented to her and we are just so happy to see her get the opportunity to wrestle at college.”
Four years later that drive, that work ethic, that determination has led to not one, but two National Championships. This past Saturday on the biggest stage of women’s collegiate wrestling, Nowicki battled her way to the second National Championship in Adrian College Women’s Wrestling history and her second career National Championship when she secured the 136 pound championship at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship.
Nowicki entered the tournament as the second overall seed with a record of 33-1, entering the tournament with three straight All American honors under her belt. Nowicki was laser focused from the start and seemed destined to the win the title on her home floor at Adrian College.
“This one means a lot,” said Adrian College head coach Cliff Cushard in a story posted on the Adrian Bulldog Wrestling website. “This tournament featured all NCAA schools, and every year the sport is growing, so the competition becomes that much harder every season. When she won as a sophomore, that was a mix of NCAA, NAIA and some junior colleges, so we had a taste. Now, here she is winning a national championship with all NCAA schools. It’s hard to put all the feelings into words.”
Nowicki came into the tournament as the second seed, with Ana Luciano of King University drawing the top seed at 27-2. Nowicki entered the tournament at 37-1 overall, with her lone loss coming at the hands of Emmily Patneaud of McKendree University back on Feb. 12 at the Bearcat Open. Nowicki would have a chance to avenge that loss later in the tournament, but first she needed to battle her way through a tough bracket.
After an opening round bye, Nowicki won her first match of the tournament via pin fall over Sierra Brown Ton of Augsburg University in 1:49. In the quarterfinal round Nowicki faced off with Holly Beaudoin of Colorado Mesa University, a matchup Nowicki would win via a 10-0 Technical Fall, setting up a rematch with Patneaud with a chance at advancing to the national championship at stake.
Nowicki did not disappoint, overcoming an early 4-2 deficit after one period to outscore Patneaud 6-0 the rest of the match thereby avenging her only loss of the season with a 8-4 decision win over Patneaud, punching her ticket to the national championship.
In the 136 pound National Championship Nowicki faced off with one of the brightest up and coming stars of the sport in Blanche ‘Nina’ Kemu Makem of Augsburg University (30-6). Nowicki controlled the match from start to finish, going on to take the 4-0 decision and her second national championship.
“For me, I am very proud of my athletes,” said Cushard in the same article. “I am so happy for them. I think of all of them as my daughters and it’s that same feeling as if you’d watched your daughter accomplish something.”
With her national championship victory Nowicki now qualifies for the 2022 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament to be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on May 21-22.
Congratulations to Coldwater alumni Zoe Nowicki on her second National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Coldwater alum Zoe Nowicki wins second National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship
