Submitted by The Evergreen State College
Shannon Workinger (Jr.) from The Evergreen State College finished in second place in the 68-kilogram weight class (149.9 lbs.) at the Women’s Wrestling National Championships in the Under-23 division on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5. Workinger earned All-America status and qualified for the USA National Team. Ellabelle Taylor (So.) of Evergreen competed in the Under-20 division. The National Championships were held at The Podium.
Workinger won two matches by falls at 0:44 and 2:18. She the won in the quarterfinals with a technical fall, before defeating Tiera Jimerson in the semifinals 5-3. She was defeated by Brooklyn Hays in the championship match. Workinger completed the meet with a 4-1 record.
“Shannon is a transfer student and a Washington native. She’s passionate about helping build a strong college wrestling program here in her home state,” Evergreen Head Women’s Wrestling Coach Fan Zhang said. “She’s a hard-working, kind person, and we’re so proud of her for earning All-America honors and qualifying for the national team.”
Taylor faced a challenging bracket in the 57-kilogram weight class (125.7 lbs.). She lost to the eventual champion of the bracket and was defeated by the top-seeded wrestler. Even so, Taylor experienced success during the tournament and finished 4-2 overall.
Zhang noted that “Ellabelle had an incredibly tough draw … Sometimes you just need a bit of luck.”
The tournament included wrestlers from the NAIA, the NCAA, and the current USA National Teams. Evergreen competes in the NAIA.
“We’re a brand-new team representing Washington State, and we feel very fortunate that this year’s national tournament was held here in Spokane,” Zhang said. “Most of our wrestlers are from Washington, and I’m confident that The Evergreen State College women’s wrestling program will grow into something that makes the entire Washington wrestling community proud.”
