Fargo 2023: Highlights of the 16U Women’s Freestyle

Updated: July 17, 2023

Photo: The Pennsylvania 16U women’s freestyle team celebrated after the group won the 2023 U16 Nationals team championship July 16 in Fargo, N.D., with two individual champs and nine All-Americans. (Tony Rotundo photo)

By Mike Finn

FARGO, N.D. — Women freestyle wrestlers had already made history at the start of the 2023 U.S. Marines 16U/Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., where a record-number (740) of wrestlers had entered the 16U women’s freestyle tournament.

And on Sunday, 14 women from 10 different states claimed championships in one of six different tournaments that will take place in the Fargodome between today and Saturday. Junior women’s freestyle was held over the first two days of annual week-long event. (Look for a recap on that tournament tomorrow.) The 16U and Junior men’s freestyle tournaments will run between July 17-19 and the 16U and Junior Greco-Roman tourneys will wrap up the event on Friday and Saturday (July 20-21).

WIN Magazine will provide a more comprehensive look at the 52nd annual event, sponsored by USA Wrestling, in the next issue, which will be printed on August 2. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.

The following are highlights of the 16U women’s freestyle tournament:

Bella Williams (left) scrambled to beat No. 1-seed Kaylyn Harrill of Nebraska, 9-3, in the 16U championship match at 122 pounds. (John Johnson photo)

• Pennsylvania claimed the team title with two champions — Emma Bacon (112 pounds from Dallas, Pa.) and Sierra Chiesa (117 from West Springfield, Pa.) — and seven other All-Americans.

• Bacon was one of two wrestlers from Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, Pa., to capture championships. The other were Isis France (132, who was representing her native state of Arizona). France hails from Glendale, Ariz. Morgan Lucio (144), a native of Casa Grande and sophomore from Valiant College Prep, also won a championship for the state of Arizona.

• While there were no repeat champions from 2022, two women who finished second a year ago won titles this summer: Mary Manis (106) from Ponta Vedra Beach, Fla., and Piper Fowler (164) from Cleveland, Tenn. Manis will be a junior at Lake Highland Prep and was one of two women from Florida to claim championships. The other was Mya Bethel, who will be a junior, and who wrestles for North Miami High School. Fowler, meanwhile, became the first Tennessee 16U woman to claim a Fargo stop sign championship trophy.

Piper Fowler (left) became the first girl from Tennessee to win a 16U National championship and will soon represent Team USA at the UWW 17U World Championships in Turkey. (John Johnson photo)

• The state of Oklahoma also produced two champions, including Bella Williams, a junior from Edmond High School, who won the 122-pound title … and later claimed Outstanding Wrestler honors after she won six matches, including a 9-3 victory over Nebraska’s Kaylyn Harrill, the No. 1 seed. The other Oklahoma wrestler to claim a 16U title was Lynn Horn, a junior from Blanchard High School, who won the 127-pound championship.

• Two wrestlers, who will represent the United States in the UWW 17U World Championships (July 31-August 6), won championships. That included Illinois’ Morgan Turner (Lockport, Ill.), who won the 94–pound weight class on criteria against another 17U World Championships entry: Jaclyn Bouzakis of Shavertown, Pa. Turner will wrestle at 43 kilos (95 pounds), while Bouzakis will represent Team USA at 40 kilos (88 pounds). The other 2023 U17 World Team member who won a Fargo title was Fowler.

• This year’s number of entries smashed the previous record of 518 who competed in 2022. The 16U (formerly called Cadet) Nationals in women’s freestyle has been part of the Fargo experience since 2011 when 81 girls competed in that event. To show the growth, the 122-pound weight class in 2023 featured 80 young women.

16U Women’s Freestyle All-American Results

Championship Matches

94 – Morgan Turner (Illinois) dec. Jaclyn Bouzakis (Pennsylvania), 2-2

100 – Madison Nieuwenhuis (Michigan) dec. Caley Graber (Minnesota), 2-1

106 – Mary Manis (Florida) dec. Kayla Batres (Connecticut), 2-2

112 – Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania) dec. Libby Roberts (Washington), 11-4

117 – Sierra Chiesa (Pennsylvania) dec. Alexis Lazar (Michigan), 6-2

122 – Bella Williams (Oklahoma) dec. Kaylyn Harrill (Nebraska), 9-3

127 – Lynn Horn (Oklahoma) dec. Carley Ceshker (Wisconsin), 3-3

132 – Isis France (Arizona) pinned Jordyn Fouse (Pennsylvania), 12-3 3:10

138 – Zoe Griffith (New York) won by TF over Aleksandra Bastaic (Indiana), 11-0 1:15

144 – Morgan Lucio (Arizona) dec. Jayci Shelton (Missouri), 6-3

152 – Mya Bethel (Florida) won by TF over Maddie Hayden (Michigan), 10-0 3:52

164 – Piper Fowler (Tennessee) dec. Alexandria Alli (Ohio), 8-4

180 – Brooklyn Graham (Iowa) dec. Brooke Huffman (Wisconsin), 10-4

200 – Keilikki nau Rarick (Utah) dec. Mia Cienega (Washington), 5-4

Third-Place Matches

94 – Kendall Moe (Indiana) pinned Samantha Bertini (Massachusetts), 8-2 3:20

100 – Bianca Eide (Minnesota) dec. Addie Morse (Oklahoma), 6-0

106 – Charlie Wylie (New Jersey) dec. Reanah Utterback (Iowa), 6-3

112 – Kaura Coles (Montana) pinned Jayden Keller (Missouri), 12-1 3:07

117 – Isabella Marie Gonzales (California) pinned Kailey Benson (Missouri), 11-1 1:49

122 – Regina Stoeser (South Dakota) dec. Evelyn Holmes-smith (Alabama), 7-2

127 – Samantha Sachs (California) dec. Peyton Hellmann (South Dakota), 8-7

132 – Mia Collins (New York) dec. Cassandra Gonzales (Minnesota), 3-1

138 – Violette Lasure (West Virginia) pinned Jayda Fulp (Texas), 5-4 2:32

144 – Skylar Slade (Iowa) pinned Rihanna Venegas (Michigan), 5-2 1:49

152 – Sarah Henckel (Connecticut) dec. Brynn Shepardson (New York), 10-1

164 – Kaylie Hall (West Virginia) dec. Grace Leota (Florida), 4-0

180 – Alexandria Perez (California) pinned Autumn Elsbury (Iowa), 4-0 1:48

200 – Amie Hartman (Idaho) dec. Irelynn Laurin (Tennessee), 5-2

Fifth-Place Matches

94 – Lilly Breeden (Missouri) dec. Khyla Lipumano (Arizona), 6-4

100 – Elizabeth Valenzuela smith (Arizona) won by TF over Sandy Breeden (Missouri), 18-8 3:20

106 – Nakayla Dawson (Michigan) dec. Taylor Whiting (Wisconsin), 7-2

112 – Smith (Washington) pinned Aneishka n. Santos baez (US Territory), 7-2 1:03

117 – Noelani Lutz (Nevada) pinned Raeann Craft (New York), 11-0 3:33

122 – Isabella Cepak (Michigan) pinned Reese Prescott (Washington), 4-2 0:21

127 – Julissa Ortiz (Pennsylvania) pinned Britney Rueb (South Dakota), 7-2 2:34

132 – Madeline Haynes (Missouri) won by TF over Timberly Martinez (Colorado), 12-2 3:28

138 – Taylin Silco (Texas) dec. Olivia Davis (California), 5-0

144 – Zoey Haines (Pennsylvania) won by TF over Lucia Ledezma (California), 14-3 2:50

152 – Cali Dupree (Missouri) won by TF over Elly Janovsky (Indiana), 10-0 3:39

164 – Alexandria Ray (Oklahoma) won by forfeit over Millie Azlin (Oklahoma)

180 – August Rottmann (Illinois) won by TF over Ylyana Sandoval (Oregon), 11-0 4:00

200 – Mackenna Atkinson (Pennsylvania) dec. Caroline Hattala (Pennsylvania), 8-4

Seventh-Place Matches

94 – Libertie Nigh (Ohio) dec. Lily Enos (Illinois), 8-0

100 – Mia Galindo (Virginia) won by TF over Ava Peters (Wisconsin), 10-0 0:51

106 – Daylee Watson (Pennsylvania) won by TF over Teegan Sibble (New York), 14-1 1:19

112 – Angela Bianchi (Wisconsin) won by TF over Stevie joyce Martin (California), 12-2 1:56

117 – Alena Williams (Arkansas) dec. Rianna Bernal (California), 7-4

122 – Danica Torres (Arizona) won by TF over Justice Anthony (West Virginia), 10-0 1:23

127 – Kailani Barrientos (Florida) dec. Ava Milliner (Texas), 8-0

132 – Audrey Rogotzke (Minnesota) won by TF over Lilliana Banks (Wisconsin), 10-0 0:41

138 – Delarie Juarez (California) won by TF over Rebecca Brennan (New York), 15-4 2:58

144 – Sandilynn Tuinei (Nevada) dec. Madison Westerberg (New York), 12-3

152 – Shylee Tuzon (Colorado) won by TF over Audrey Segura (California), 10-0 4:00

164 – Elizabeth Madison (Ohio) pinned Kate Simmons (Ohio), 4-0 1:07

180 – Juliana Lefort (Texas) pinned Laney Oliver (Ohio), 2-2 1:11

200 – Jasmine Rene (Illinois) dec. Josephine Larson (Illinois), 2-1

Team Standings

Place	State	Ch/AA	Points
1.	Pennsylvania	2-9	129
2.	Michigan	1/6	95
3. tie	Missouri	0/7	78
3. tie	Oklahoma	2/5	78
5.	Arizona	2/5	71
6.	California	0/9	70
7.	Florida	2/4	67
8.	New York	1/7	65
9.	Iowa	1/4	64
10. tie	Washington	0/4	56
10. tie	Wisconsin	0/6	56
12.	Minnesota	0/4	52
13.	Illinois	1/5	43
14.	Indiana	0/3	42
15.	Tennessee	1/2	37
16.	Connecticut	0/2	35
17. tie	Ohio	0/5	34
17. tie	South Dakota	0/3	34
19.	West Virginia	0/3	32
20.	Texas	0/4	28
21.	Utah	1/1	25
22.	Nebraska	0/1	20
23. tie	Idaho	0/1	15
23. tie	Montana	0/1	15
23. tie	New Jersey	0/1	15
26.	Nevada	0/2	14
27.	Alabama	0/1	12
27.	Colorado	0/2	12
27.	Massachusetts	0/1	12
30.	Oregon	0/1	7
30.	US Territory	0/1	7
32.	Arkansas	0/1	5
32.	Virginia	0/1	5