Buena Vista, Va. – The Southern Virginia University women's wrestling team hosted their Knight Invitational on Saturday, delivering strong individual performances against a competitive field that included Marymount, Liberty, Bluefield, Greensboro, and Randolph. The Knights finished fourth overall with 62.5 team points, highlighted by standout efforts from Avari Johnson, Makenna Dolt, and others.

103: Onnika Christensen made a strong debut, battling hard in her opening match but falling to Nicole Barahona Rios (Marymount) by tech fall (13-2). Christensen rebounded in the second round, securing a second-place finish with an injury forfeit win.

117: Sadie Allred faced a challenging day against a tough bracket, ultimately finishing fifth after competing against skilled opponents.

124: The Knights showcased depth in this division with three competitors.

Makenna Dolt started with a loss by fall to Alyssa Landrum (Marymount) but dominated in the consolation bracket. She pinned Aurora Pennington (Liberty) in 2:12 and defeated teammate Andrea Castro by tech fall (10-0) to claim third place.

Andrea Castro advanced to the semifinals but fell by pin to Landrum. Castro bounced back with a gritty 4-3 decision win over Alanna Jenning (Randolph) before finishing fourth behind Dolt.

Seani Casperson faced tough matchups, falling by tech fall and then by fall to Jenning.

131: Leigh-Anne Verburg defended well throughout her matches but struggled to convert points, finishing fifth in a highly competitive weight class.

138: Gracie Blake opened her campaign with a first-round pin over Satori Swanson (Randolph). Despite falling by tech fall in her next two matches, Blake secured third place.

145: Eve Beckstead earned a fourth-place finish with two wins via injury default. Her day started with a loss to Genesis Chinchilla (Greensboro), who also defeated her in the third-place match.

160: Avari Johnson dominated her weight class, earning the Knights' top individual finish. Johnson opened with a 12-1 tech fall over Charniece McClarence (Bluefield), followed by a first-period pin over Faith Kiefer (Liberty). In the championship match, Johnson pinned Hannah Catungal (Bluefield) in just one minute to secure first place and score 19.5 team points.

180: Surraiya Mahmud was the sole competitor at her weight, finishing first as well.

The Knights' strong showing demonstrates the program's depth and competitive edge heading into the latter half of the season. Southern Virginia now prepares for their next competition at the Indiana Tech Warrior Open on Saturday, January 25th.

For updates on the Knights' progress, follow @knightwwrestling on Instagram or visit knightathletics.com