CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Bethany College women's wrestling team competed on the national stage at the 2026 National Wrestling Coaches Association National Dual Meet Championships in the Uni-Dome.

Head Coach Pete Di Pol's team continues to put Bethany on the women's wrestling map as one of 16 teams selected to compete in the Division III bracket at the National Duals. The Bison opened the tournament against No. 23 nationally ranked Aurora (Ill.) University where the Spartans quickly took the first two matches despite freshman Ashley Campbell (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) putting the Green and White on the board with four points in the 110 match.

Freshman Taelor Rae Busch (Omaha, Neb./Mercy) secured the program's first national duals victory with a 7-3 decision highlighted by five second-period points. Busch's win cut the Aurora lead in the dual to 8-4.

After being shut out in the next three matches, it looked as if the Spartans were a lock for a spot in the quarterfinals. However, the story of the 2026 Bison women's wrestling team is to never count the Bison out. Bethany went on to rattle off three straight pins by freshman Ari Tyson (Cherry Hill, N.J./Cherry Hill West) at 145, sophomore Shanielah Kirk (Milwaukee, Wis./Martin Luther) at 160, and sophomore Trinity Barrus (Hysham, Mont.) at 180 to pull the squad within two points heading into the heavyweight match. Unfortunately, Bethany's magic would come up just short as Aurora would take the final match to advance and send the Bison to the consolation bracket.

The Bison then moved on to the consolation bracket where they faced off against Augustana (Ill.) College to stay alive in the NWCA Tournament. Once again, the opposition struck first, but Campbell recorded her first victory of the tournament with a dominant first-period fall to put Bethany ahead. 

Busch took home another victory with a 12-8 decision while freshman 124-pounder Natalie Rodriguez-Romero (Perris, Calif./Citrus Hill) earned an 11-0 tech fall to give the Green and White a 12-5 advantage over the Vikings.

Both teams split the next two matches as freshman Rose Mary Dodd (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Temescal Canyon) wrestled up a class and took out Augustana's 138-pounder in a 7-6 decision.

Despite Barrus's second victory of the day - a 5-2 decision at 180 - Augustana won three of the last four matches to win the dual and to stay alive in the tournament.

The Bison are back in action on Monday, January 12 as they host the Bethany Bison Duals where they will take on the University of Mount Union (Ohio) and Hiram (Ohio) College at 6 p.m. on Joe Kurey Memorial Court inside Hummel Fieldhouse.