YAKIMA, Wash. – Linfield ushered in a new era of NCAA Division III wrestling Saturday in Yakima, Wash., at the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association annual convention. 
 
In front of hundreds of high school wrestling coaches from across the state, gathered at the Yakima Convention and Event Center, the Wildcat women defeated Big Bend Community College 9-6 and the Linfield men's team fell to North Idaho College 45-6. 
 
WOMEN
Linfield agreed to a streamlined dual format against Big Bend, the defending NCWA national champions. The Vikings were shorthanded to start the season because of injury and illness, so the two teams wrestled only three matches rather than the usual 10. 
 
The first win of the NCAA wrestling era came from Ayana Medina, in the first women's match. Medina won by pin over Big Bend's Anna Rodriguez.
 
Linfield 9, Big Bend Community College 6
130: Ayana Medina (Lin) WBF over Anna Rodriguez (BB), 2:30
143: Alice Rickett (Lin) tech fall over Sitaly Macias (BB), 12-2
170: Samantha Meyer (BB) WBF over Kami Hart (Lin), 1:38
 
MEN
Linfield's men opened against perennial regional power North Idaho, which finished seventh at the NJCAA National Championships last season and returns two All-Americans. 
 
The first men's victory of the NCAA wrestling era came from Jacob Barnes, with a quick pin in 23 seconds over North Idaho's Bradley Whitright.
 
In matches that went to the seven-minute time limit, Ethan Miller of NIC won 7-3 over Linfield's Price Pothier at 184 pounds and Wildcats freshman Kellen Hanson was defeated 12-2 by North Idaho's Brant Porter.
 
North Idaho College 45, Linfield 6
125: Kobi Johnson (NIC) WBF over Jacob Moore (Lin), 1:44
133: Zach Lopez (NIC) tech fall over Joel Nelson (Lin), 24-4
141: Brant Porter (NIC) win by major decision over Kellen Hanson (Lin), 12-2
149: Kanaipono Tapia (NIC) WBF over Josh Cox (Lin), 0:33
157: Benjamin Mitchell (NIC) WBF over Jack Barrett (Lin), 0:15
165: Carter Miethe (NIC) WBF over Peter Fengler-Johnson (Lin), 1:14
174: Kaden Krouse (NIC) won by decision over Lance Van Hoose (Lin), 9-5
184: Ethan Miller (NIC) won by decision over Price Pothier (Lin), 7-3
197: Kyle Caldwell (NIC) WBF over Alex Tapia (Lin), 3:12
HWT: Jacob Barnes (Lin) WBF over Bradley Whitright (NIC), 0:23
 
AHEAD
The Wildcats are back in action in their home opener — the first wrestling matches held at Linfield since the 1985-86 season — on Thursday against Pacific University. The dual begins at 6 p.m. in Ted Wilson Gymnasium.