National Champions Only two NCAA schools had a national champion in both men’s and women’s wrestling. One of those schools was @northcentralcol. #FearTheBird -Tweet from Coach Joe Norton Two national champions have elevated the Cardinal wrestling program to new heights for 2021. Yelena Makoyed ’23, wrestling at 170 pounds, finished the season at a perfect 13-0. She becomes the first female wrestler to earn a national championship trophy for North Central’s program. On the men’s team, Cody Baldridge ’22 (197 pounds) entered the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Championships with more than 75 career wins as a Cardinal and as a threetime national qualifier. A native of Morris, Ill., Baldridge finished the current season with a record of 11-2 and became North Central’s first national champion for men's wrestling since Athletic Hall of Famer Ed Jackson ’69 won the NAIA 130-pound title in 1969. “Yelena and Cody did a phenomenal job at nationals,” said head coach Joe Norton ’10/M ’13. “They not only won titles, but they dominated. They were both very cool under pressure and prepared to win. Both are extremely dedicated to the sport and work as hard as any student-athletes I’ve ever coached.” Makoyed has been wrestling since her freshman year of high school in Orangevale, Calif., and says her ultimate goal in athletics is to compete in the Olympics. “My toughest challenge is not wrestling my opponents but wrestling myself … pushing myself to wake up
early, to run a little faster, to take the stairs every day, and ultimately do things I don't want to do, but probably should do to succeed,” Makoyed said. “Trying to be good at a sport, academics and maintaining a job all at once is very challenging but it will mentally prepare me for challenges up ahead. I feel like I can do anything if I set my mind to it. Hard work brings confidence.” Baldridge started his wrestling career 17 years ago and said he’s been working more on his offensive strategies in his matches. “My toughest challenge was getting more on the offensive when I needed to be,” he said. “I am so comfortable with my defense that I don't take as many attempts as I should. And in the future I have my mind set to win another title.”
2 2 NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE northcentralcollege.edu
The women's wrestling team earned sixthplace with six All-Americans at the 2021 National Cliff Keen Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships (NCWWC). The men’s team placed fifth and had seven All-Americans at the 2021 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Championships. “Both Cody and Yelena have an incredible work ethic in the practice room that their teammates aspire to emulate,” said Norton. “They both have an unrelenting desire to compete for championships, and consistently persevere through anything that stands in their way. They are as dialed in as anyone in the country when they put their foot on that line to compete.”
