QUERETARO, MEXICO — Former Indian Hills women’s wrestling standout Shammilka Miranda Diaz, the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national champion, took home gold at the U23 Pan-American Championhips.
Competing in the 53-kilogram bracket, Diaz went undefeated in all three matches to take home top honors. Competing for her home country of Puerto Rico, Diaz defeated Canada’s Serena Rosa Di Benedetto in the opening round with a fall. Diaz followed up with an 8-6 victory over the United States’ Sydney Petzinger in the semifinals. Petzinger was the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) national champion for North Central College (IL).
In the finals, Diaz defeated Brazil’s Kailane Araujo De Sousa with a pin in 1:58 after leading 5-0 to claim the top spot on the podium.
Diaz was a two-time All-American for the Warriors, winning the 2023 116-pound national title before finishing as the national runner-up in 2024. Diaz was a part of two team national titles while twice being named a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American.
Following her time with the Warriors, Diaz moved on to the University of the Cumberlands where she captured NAIA All-American honors this past season.
