New England College women's wrestler Jaclyn Dehney (Pelham, N.H.) is set to represent the Pilgrims in the first-ever NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships in Coralville, Iowa starting on Friday, March 6. Women's wrestling officially became an NCAA championship sport in January 2025 after becoming an emerging sport in the summer of 2020.
Dehney went 15-0 on the season, winning 14 matches by pin. She defeated Princeton's Ava Curry, Columbia's Mia Collins, Felician's Lina Rodriguez, and Western New England's Tanya Teneva to pin her way to the top of the podium in the Princeton Open on November 2.
Dehney would take on Teneva again as the Pilgrims battled WNE on November 15 in a dual where she picked up a pin in 4:25.
After pinning Kat Hurley from Mount Union, WNE's Maia DeLaCruz, and Eastern's Paige Jackson, she took on Maura White from York and picked up a 10-2 victory by decision to win the New Standard Invitational on December 6.
On December 13, she traveled with the Pilgrims to compete in the Nassau Open in New York where she was one of three Pilgrims to take the top spot. In the round robin style tournament, she spent a combined 1:47 on the mat as she pinned her way to the top of the podium after defeating Springfield Technical Community College's Kassandra Claudia, UConn's Jasmine Whitfield, and Camila Hidalgo, who wrestled unattached.
Dehney returned to the mat for the NCAA Region I Championships on February 22. After receiving a bye in the first round, she took on Olivia Lapoint from D'Youville University where Dehney pinned her in 21 seconds. In the semifinal, Dehney pinned Wilkes' Milly Hughes in 27 seconds before taking on Teneva for the third time this season, this time for the regional championship. Dehney got a quick takedown before she eventually pinned Teneva in 1:54.
Dehney will look to become the first NCAA Women's Wrestling champion in the 138-pound weight class as she takes on a field of 17 other women vying for that spot.
For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
