Graceland Women’s Flag Football Falls to Midland in Non-Conference Matchup
LAMONI, Iowa — The Graceland University women's flag football team dropped a 33-12 decision to Midland University Wednesday night at Huntsman Field. Despite a competitive start, the Yellowjackets were unable to overcome a dominant second quarter by the Warriors, who scored 20 unanswered points before halftime.
Graceland moves to 1-4 overall on the season following the loss, while Midland improves to 3-3.
The Yellowjackets opened the game with a methodical nine-play, 66-yard scoring drive capped by a four-yard touchdown run from Shyla Barrios. Quarterback Caitlin Shannon guided the offense with timely passes and added 103 rushing yards on 12 attempts to lead all ball carriers. Her dual-threat ability kept the chains moving early, but the offense was limited to just one more scoring drive the rest of the game.
Midland responded with three first-half touchdowns through the air, including a pair of scoring passes from quarterback Angel Ioane Kaio to Olivia Dominguez-Millsop, who finished with a game-high nine receptions for 97 yards and three touchdowns. Kaio threw five total touchdown passes, spreading the ball to six different receivers.
Graceland's defense was led by Shyla Barrios and Grace Jensen. Barrios totaled a team-best 7.5 flag pulls, while Jensen notched the Yellowjackets' lone interception of the game in the third quarter. Despite limiting Midland to zero points in the fourth quarter, Graceland was unable to recover from the early deficit.
Graceland's second and final score came in the closing minutes when Shannon found Delaney Mondino for a one-yard touchdown reception, capping a 63-yard drive. The Jackets attempted a two-point conversion but were unsuccessful.
Statistically, the Yellowjackets finished with 207 yards of total offense—93 passing and 114 rushing. Shannon completed 19 of 29 passes for 93 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. She added a long run of 23 yards as the lead rusher. Barrios added 11 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground, while also contributing five catches for 13 yards through the air.
On the receiving end, Mikiah Verdum led the Yellowjackets with 45 yards on five receptions, including a 30-yard catch-and-run in the first half. Grace Jensen also caught five passes for 26 yards. Defensively, Graceland totaled 31.5 flag pulls, but could not record a sack or turnover deep in Midland territory.
"Anytime you compete, getting a win is the goal, and while that didn't happen tonight, we saw areas of improvement," said Graceland head coach Aaron Richardson. "We started strong and moved the ball well early. But as the game progressed, our execution broke down. That's where we need to focus—cleaner route-running, quicker reads, sharper pursuit angles. The effort is there, but this level requires precision. We'll use this as a learning opportunity and keep building."
Graceland will look to bounce back this weekend when it returns to conference play. The Yellowjackets are set to host Kansas Wesleyan University on Saturday at Huntsman Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Lamoni.
For more information on Graceland women's flag football and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.