Knights’ women’s wrestling program anticipates successful run for Gabby Holloway at 2024 NAIA National Championships

Laurinburg, N.C. - Knights wrestling Head Coach Marquise Camp doesn’t waste any words when it describing the significance of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National 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 will be traveling to Jamestown, ND with his star female wrestler to make an attempt at adding those titles to her resume to cap off her successful collegiate career. The Washington, DC 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 170 lb. 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. Even though the training has been focused and intentional, it has been very simple. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. 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 off facing Aime Hernandez-Perez out of York College in York Nebraska. Her advancement in the tournament will first depending on the outcome of her initial match.

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 has 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…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.

Follow Gabby live as she attempts a run at a national championship: https://arena.flowrestling.org/event/a5e77281-e231-4ead-a5a8-1142233226d8