Missouri Wrestling
Marshall, Mo., (Nov. 17, 2022)- The Missouri Valley College women’s wrestling program is set to host the annual Missouri Valley Open, Friday and Saturday inside the Burns Athletic Complex, featuring teams from across all divisions of collegiate women’s wrestling.
The Missouri Valley Open is the largest collegiate women’s wrestling tournament in the country, and includes nearly 50 teams and close to 500 women’s wrestlers. Teams from across all divisions of women’s wrestling, including NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO will be competing.
The Missouri Valley women’s wrestling team is currently ranked No. 19 in the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll, with three Nationally ranked individuals. Leading the team is No. 1 Senior Kelani Corbett (Wahiawa, Hawaii). Corbett is the defending National champion at 191 pounds. Also ranked are No. 9 Senior Ashley Whetzal (Virginia Beach, Va.) at 123 pounds, and No. 6 Senior Danielle Saldivar (El Paso, Texas) at 170 pounds. The team is led by first-year Head Coach Kevin Corbett, who replaces long-time coach Carl Murphree after his retirement. Corbett spent the previous five seasons as the head coach at Lyon (Ark.).
Also, a pair of history-making former Missouri Valley women’s wrestlers will be returning to the event. 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 2008 World gold medalist, and former Viking National champion, Clarissa Chun will bring members of her University of Iowa women’s wrestling team to the Missouri Valley Open. Chun is the head coach of the first Power Five collegiate women’s wrestling program. Plus, former Viking Paulina Biega will bring her Sacred Heart (Conn.) team. Biega was the country’s first female NCAA Division I women’s wrestling head coach when she was hired in 2021.
The Missouri Valley Open takes place inside the Burns Athletic Complex, and starts Friday at 12 p.m. Saturday, wrestling begins at 9 a.m. Tickets can be purchased at the door each day of competition. Prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Live coverage information can be found at valleywillroll.com.
