CORALVILLE, Iowa - Last year at this time, Haleigh Lematta was experiencing nationals for the first time. 

Things will be different this year as the Minot State sophomore heads to the NCWWC National Tournament as a veteran competitor ready to make a run in her 145-pound weight class. 

The Beaver sophomore begins her second trip to nationals Friday morning taking on Aine Moffit from Augustana (Ill.), who advanced to nationals after a scratch in the 145-pound bracket opened up a spot for her. A junior with a 13-11 record this season, Moffit is making her national tournament debut. 

As for Lematta (14-12), she earned an automatic berth to nationals as she went 3-2 at the Region 8 tournament two weeks ago and finished 4th. 

Last season, in her national debut, Lematta went 0-2, but looks to use her previous experience to turn that around this time, starting with her match against Moffit. 

With a first-round win, Lematta would face a tough foe, though, a potential matchup with Bella Mir from North Central who is ranked No. 3 nationally. Mir is a former All-American who finished 5th at nationals wrestling as a freshman for Iowa at the 2022-23 tournament. 

Lematta became the first Minot State women's wrestler to qualify for nationals a second time and is the Beavers' 6th qualifier all-time in the Minot State program's three-year history. She now looks to bring home the Beavers third - and potentially more - win at nationals, joining Jazmin Gorder and Nina Sandoval who each won a match by pin and technical fall, respectively, at the 2023 NCWWC National Tournament, Minot State's only national wins to date.