Lady Vikings capture three Can/Am gold medals

Valley freshman Maika Watanabe (top) went 7-0 to win both the freestyle and folkstype championships at the Can-Am Open. [Click to enlarge]

LAKE ORION, Mich.-- Senior Kiersten Hyatt and freshman Maika Watanabe each went 5-0 and sophomore Kelly Branham won all three of her bouts to claim gold medals for the Missouri Valley College women's wrestling team in the freestyle competition at the Can/Am Open at Lake Orion, Mich., on March 27-28.

Watanabe and freshman Debbi Sakai were also unbeaten in folkstyle matches. The U.S. Girls' Wrestling Association-sanctioned event offered divisions for high school, junior high, college and senior women.

Sakai won three of four matches for second place in freestyle, where freshman Alecia McCoy also garnered a silver medal by splitting her two rounds. Freshman Erika Chew won twice and freshmen Julie Duarte and Clarissa Calibuso each picked a victory.

The Lady Vikings will travel to Las Vegas this week for the U.S. Senior National Championships.