Junior Tabithia Ramsey (top) picked up one of the Lady Vikings' two wins against arch-rival Cumberland. [Click to enlarge]

THUNDER BAY, Ont. -- The Missouri Valley College women's wrestling team didn't lack for activity to close out the calendar year, getting in seven matches Dec. 3-4 during the Canadian International Duals at Thunder Bay, Ont.

The Lady Vikings were mostly split into two squads, although put together one team to face long-time nemesis Cumberland (Ky.). The battle between the two oldest college programs in the U.S. was won by the Lady Patriots, 28-10.

The only wins for Valley came pins by freshman Christina Varland (38 kilogram) and Courtney Martell (55), both newcomers to the program.

Both the MVC Orange and Purple groups lost three of four matches. The Orange's lone win came against Brock (Ont.), 26-11. Junior Tabithia Ramsey (48) and freshman Samantha Schuman (51) won in three rounds and sophomores Rachel Billerbeck (63) and Emily Rinehart (67) and freshman Collette Curtis (82) pinned their opponents.

The unit lost to Lakehead (Ont.), 19-16, Calgary (Alb.), 19-12, and 24-10 to Northern Michigan -- which boasted five former Valley wrestlers: Sadie Kaneda, Debbie Sakai, Sandy Do, Kiersten Hyatt and Donell Bradley. Ramsey, Schuman and Billerbeck each won once in those three pool matches, while freshman Lacy Novinska (72) notched a pair of pins.

The Purple squad's victory came against Memorial (Newf.). Freshmen Tanya Miyasaki (51), Karen Howe (63) and Sara Hilliard (67) pinned their opponents, with the rest of the Lady Vikings' points coming on defaults.

In the other matches, the Purple lost to Brock (Ont.), 20-14, 35-1 to Simon Fraser (B.C.) -- the top-ranked North American college women's team, according to TheMat.com -- and Saskatchewan, 35-5. Varland, Martell and Hilliard won decisions against Brock, while junior Clarissa Calibuso had the Lady Vikings' lone win against the U of S.

Even following this meet, Valley stood at the No. 5 position in the Dec. 21 poll. The Lady Vikings will return to the mat Jan. 14-15 for the National Wrestling Coaches Association Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa.