'Firefly' Humphries transferring to Life U
Tamara "Firefly" Humphries is transferring to Life University, joining the top program in NAIA women's wrestling after a standout freshman season at Pitt-Johnstown.
"After comparing some of my favorite schools, Life University rose to the top," Humphries wrote in her social media post. "I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete at one of the highest levels of collegiate wrestling in one of the toughest divisions in the country."
Wrestling at 117 pounds, Humphries anchored Pitt-Johnstown's inaugural varsity women's wrestling season. She opened the year at the ESU Open in November 2025, going 4-1 with her only loss coming to Lehigh's fifth-seeded Abbi Cooper in the final. Two weeks later, she won the Wilkes Open with a 5-2 victory over Camryn Gresham, becoming the first women's wrestler in program history to win a tournament title. Ranked 15th nationally by January, she reached the Ursinus Will Abele Invitational final before losing by fall. At the NCAA Super Region II Championships, the No. 2 seed opened with an 8-4 win over Cedar Crest's Andi Bieau before being eliminated in the consolation bracket, narrowly missing a nationals berth.
Before college, Humphries was a three-time PIAA state qualifier at Brashear High School in Pittsburgh, going 44-21 and placing third in 2025.
Humphries has also gained national attention outside the sport. After footage of her wrestling circulated online, Shaquille O'Neal contacted her family and gifted her a 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander after learning she had skipped a summer of training to save money for a car. The story was covered by CBS Pittsburgh, People and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and led to a reunion on NBC's Today show. A separate viral clip of her calming a nervous first-time opponent mid-match drew widespread praise for sportsmanship.
Humphries joins a Life University roster that has been significantly reinforced this offseason with the additions of NCAA All-American Janida Garcia from Emmanuel, NAIA All-American Grace Lachinsky from Lindsey Wilson and highly ranked recruit Faith Bane. The Running Eagles have won back-to-back NAIA national championships and appear poised to defend their title in 2026-27.