Camp anticipates successful run for Holloway at 2024 NAIA National Women’s Wrestling Championships

LAURINBURG — St. Andrews Knights wrestling coach Marquise Camp doesn’t waste any words when describing the significance of the NAIA National Women’s Wrestling Championships.

“At the national tournament, that’s where everything matters,” Camp said. “Everything else is just a lead-up to it. Because when people come up to you and know you wrestled in college, they’re going to ask you, are you a national champion? And then, next thing they are going to ask you is if you were an All-American.”

Camp traveled to Jamestown, North Dakota, with his star female wrestler, Gabrielle Holloway, who will attempt adding those titles to her resume to cap off her successful collegiate career. The Washington, D.C., native placed sixth at the tournament last year, earning All-American honors. The top eight finishers receive the title.

This year, her top-six ranking in the 172-pound weight class earned her an automatic bid to the tournament, giving her yet another shot at showing her potential.

“We’ve been getting ready for the tournament for the last two weeks,” Camp said.

Though the training has been focused and intentional, it has been simple.

“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Camp said. “We’re just cleaning up little things here and there, so hopefully, Gabby can go wrestle to the best of her ability and make her last tournament the best of her career.”

Her competition will start against Aime Hernandez-Perez out of York College in Nebraska. Her advancement in the tournament will first depend on the match’s outcome.

Camp recognizes and stresses the need for his star athlete to be just as mentally healthy as she is physically ready for her opponents.

“In the past two years, there have only been two or three girls who have legitimately beat Gabby,” Camp said. “The other times, it’s been because Gabby has beaten Gabby. … The only thing between a national championship and her is her.”

The confidence in Holloway’s ability comes from watching her grow over the past two seasons, along with her “patience and coachability.”

Beyond wanting success for her on an individual level, Camp would love to see a successful run due to the residual effects it would have for the St. Andrews community and for women’s wrestling in general.

“She’s been the face of the program,” Camp said. “… It’s more than just St. Andrews wrestling … it’s more about (building on) the things that everyone has done before and putting the school back on the forefront and where they need to be on the athletic side. It just does so much for so many different things.”

The 2024 NAIA National Women’s Wrestling Championships started on Friday and will last into Saturday.