A Morningside wrestler got a ticket to the NAIA national tournament

The Latino community is increasingly achieving greater representation in North American society, as demonstrated by the achievements of athlete Melissa De la Torre.
The young woman competed with her teammate Madeline Black as a representative of Morningside University Athletics at the KCAC Championship in Crete, Nebraska, and achieved her first NAIA qualifier. After losing her first match, De La Torre earned victories by fall (2:09) and decision and fall (2:42), reaching the third place match, where she lost against Agatha Andrews of Jamestown, but with five wrestlers from the KCAC in the 191-pound weight class at the national qualifiers, the junior earned a well-deserved spot in the NAIA national tournament

For her part, Black placed sixth in the 130-pound group. After losing her first match, Madelaine earned victories by technical fall (10-0) and fall (1:17) to reach the semifinals. A 12-8 decision sent her to the fifth-place match, where she took sixth place. Morningside added 21.5 points, placing 10th in its inaugural season.