FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. - The McDaniel College women's wrestling team had a trio of wrestlers post two wins on the first day of the Region III Championships hosted by Emmanuel University on Friday.

The Green Terror currently sit in eighth place out of 18 teams with a total of 34 points. No. 5 Presbyterian is in first place with 85 points while the host and 10th-ranked Lions are second with 67 points. Mount Olive is in third with 62.5 points.

McDaniel has four wrestlers still alive in the tournament with one in the championship bracket and three in the consolation brackets. The top three finishers in each weight class qualify for the first-ever NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships in Coralville, Iowa March 6-7.

First-year Morgan Linton leads the way after posting a 2-0 record with both wins coming by fall. She began the day with a fall in just 48 seconds over Nicolle Ayala Mata of Marymount (Va.) before recording her second fall over Emmanuel's Gemma Templeman with just 10 seconds remaining in the match. Templeman was ranked fourth at 207 pounds in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Region III Rankings on February 12.

A trio of first years find themselves in the consolation bracket. Juliana Oxenberg at 110 pounds, Ariana Carnahan at 117, and Kayla Carter at 207.

Oxenberg lost her opening match by decision against Randolph's Alanna Jenning before recording a fall in 2:56 versus Dusti Casperson of Southern Virginia. Casperson led the match 13-4 at the time of the fall.

Carnahan began her day with a 10-0 win by tech fall over Chloe Parets of Huntingdon in 1:59. She then faced the nation's third-ranked wrestler and top-ranked in Region III at 117 pounds, Emmanuel's Karissa Turnwall who recorded a fall in 1:16. Carnahan bounced back with an 11-0 tech fall against Lainey Hooper of Newberry to close out her first day.

Carter posted a fall in only 24 seconds against Anasette Cooper of Frostburg State before losing to Presbyterian's Maria Aiono by fall in 1:08. Aiono is ranked third in Region III. Carter closed out her first day with a fall in 37 seconds over Riley Stokes of Newberry.

Sophomore Taylor Mead and first years Madison Rich, Alize Franze, and Alex Adams also recorded wins for the Green Terror.

The second and final day of competition at the Region III Championships gets underway at 11 a.m. on Saturday.