INDIANOLA – Senior Olivia Cotton became the first regional placewinner in Cornell women's wrestling history Saturday at the NCAA Region V Championships at Cowles Fieldhouse.
 
Cotton picked up two big consolation wins and finished fifth in the 160-pound bracket. She was two places shy of an NCAA berth.
 
The fifth-seeded Cotton secured her spot on the podium Saturday morning with a 10-2 decision over Quincy's No. 7 seed Lillian Baynes. Cotton then lost 15-4 to Wartburg's No. 4 seed May Prado.
 
Cotton bounced back and avenged an earlier loss to Augsburg's Alaina Franco with an 11-0 technical fall in 1:56 in the fifth-place match. Franco had pinned Cotton in Friday's opening round.
 
Cotton finished 3-2 in the two-day tournament, capping a record-breaking 30-12 season and outstanding career with the Rams. Sixteen of her wins were by technical fall.
 
Coach Boston Jacobs' Rams took 10th in the 15-team field with 16.5 points. The tournament featured seven nationally-ranked programs. No. 1 Iowa won the team title with 196.5 points.
 
Freshman 180-pounder Tori Maxey was also in medal contention on Day 2. The eighth-seeded Maxey was eliminated on the consolation side with a tight 2-1 loss to Simpson's No. 4 seed Jenna Joseph.
 
Maxey finished 2-2 in her postseason debut, which included Friday's quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Kylie Welker of Iowa. Maxey posted a 12-10 record in her first season with the Rams.    
 
Cornell's Cheyenne Mulford (117 pounds) went 0-2 and Averi Burke (138) finished 1-2 in Friday's competition.
 
Cornell results
117 – Cheyenne Mulford (0-2, DNP). 138 – Averi Burke (1-2, DNP). 160 – Olivia Cotton (3-2, 5th). 180 – Tori Maxey (2-2, DNP).