FARGO, N.D. – One of the highlights each year at the USMC Junior/16U Nationals is the potential crowning of USA Wrestling Triple Crown winners in both age divisions. In addition to being one of the highest honors in all of youth wrestling, the quest for a Triple Crown adds considerable drama to what is already a highly exciting event.

To win a Triple Crown as a Junior or 16U boy, a wrestler must win a USA Wrestling national title in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman in the same year. This year, the folkstyle leg of the Triple Crown was held in Iowa in March. The freestyle and Greco-Roman legs of the award are contested in Fargo.

For a Junior girl or 16U girl a person must win win three USA Wrestling national titles in the same year at the following events:

• USA Wrestling Girls Junior or 16U Folkstyle Nationals

• National High School Recruiting Showcase or USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals (U15, U17 or U20).

• USA Wrestling Junior or 16U Freestyle Nationals (in Fargo)

For the girls, the Folkstyle Nationals were held in Iowa, the Recruiting Showcase in Nevada and the Women’s Nationals in Washington this year. With two legs of the Triple Crown completed, the final hurdle is winning the freestyle title in Fargo.

A quick bit of history. The 16U Triple Crown for boys was created in 2003, and it has happened 28 times. Taylor Massa of Michigan is the only person to win it two times (2008, 2009). The Junior Triple Crown for boys was created in 2007, and it has happened 11 times. Adam Coon of Michigan (2012, 2013), who is wrestling in the 2024 Olympics, plus Tony Cassioppi of Iowa (2017, 2018) are the only two time Junior Triple Crown winners.

The 16U and Junior Triple Crown for girls was created in 2022, and nobody has ever won it.

Not every athlete eligible for the Triple Crown is pre-registered for Fargo, but a majority of them will be competing on the floor of the FargoDome.

On the boys side, every 16U and Junior champion from the Folkstyle Nationals are eligible for the Triple Crown, heading into Fargo. That includes 15 Juniors and 17 16U athletes.

A previous 2022 Junior Triple Crown winner and 2021 16U Triple Crown winner, Mack Mauger of Idaho, won the 2024 Junior Folkstyle Nationals, but is not preregistered for Fargo.

A select few boys who are eligible this year are previous Triple Crown winners at other age groups. Caleb Noble of Illinois won two Kids Triple Crowns, one as a 12U and one as a 14U. Hudson Rogers of Idaho, who won 10U and 12U Triple Crowns, is eligible this year as a Junior.

Aaron Stewart of Illinois is eligible for the 16U Triple Crown, and won three Kids Triple Crowns, two at 14U and one at 10U. Jonathan Rulo of Illinois, up for a 16U Triple Crown, won a 10U Triple Crown in 2017.

This could be a historic year in Fargo, with the first crowning of either a 16U or Junior Triple Crown winner among girls.

With two legs completed, there are two Junior girls who are eligible for the Triple Crown: Valerie Hamilton of Illinois and Tilisa Matakaiongo of Utah. Both were Junior Folkstyle Naational champions in Iowa, then went on to win the National Girls High School Recruiting Showcase in Las Vegas.

On the 16U level, Kaili Manuel of Michigan, has won the first two legs of the Triple Crown. She was 16U Folkstyle Nationals champion in Iowa, and won the U17 Nationals as part of the Women’s Nationals in Washington.

The table has been set. Will there be any Junior or 16U Triple Crown winners this year, and if so, who will it be?

Junior Boys Triple Crown eligible after first leg

100 – Cason Craft (Threestyle Wrestling Of Oklahoma - OK)**

106 – Caleb Noble (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy - IL)**

113 – Alex Rozas (Predator Wrestling - LA)**

120 – Mack Mauger (Team Idaho Wrestling Club - ID)

126 – Jaxton Packer (Team Idaho Wrestling Club - ID)**

132 – Geronimo Rivera (Sanderson Wrestling Academy - UT)**

138 – Carson Exferd (Team Idaho Wrestling Club - ID)

144 – Dorian Olivarez (Texas)

150 – Chase Van Hoven (Legacy Dragons Wrestling – VA)

157 – Taye Wilson (Pratt Wrestling Club - KS)**

165 – Cory Thomas (Michigan)

175 – Hudson Rogers (Team Idaho Wrestling Club - ID)**

190 – Leimana Fager (Charger Wrestling Club - UT)**

215 – Lars Michaelson (NWWC - WA)

285 – Shilo Jones (Team Idaho Wrestling Club - ID)**

16U Boys Triple Crown eligible after first leg

88 – Wyatt Dannegger (Bonhomme Wrestling - MO) **

94 – Tyler Sweet (California)

100 – Jax Vang (Red Wave Wrestling - CA)**

106 – Tanner Telford (Sanderson Wrestling Academy - UT)**

113 – Gavin Landers (Immortal Athletics WC - IA) **

120 – Abraham Coronado (McQueen High School Wrestling - NV)**

126 – Mason Carlson (Sanderson Wrestling Academy - UT)**

132 – Dawson Youngblut (Immortal Athletics WC - IA)**

138 – Ethan Christoffer (Immortal Athletics WC - IA)

144 – Noah Bull (Sanderson Wrestling Academy - UT)**

150 – Steel Meyers (Best Trained Wrestling - TX)

157 – Brody Sendele (Hononegah Wrestling Club - IL)**

165 – Aaron Stewart (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy - IL)**

175 – Michael White (Lawrence North Wrestling Club - IN)**

190 – Deacon Moran (Combative Sports Athletic Center - MO)**

215 – Noah Mathis (Bobcat Wrestling Club - KS)**

285– Jonathan Rulo (Black Ops WC -IL)**

Junior Girls Triple Crown eligible after second leg

145 – Valerie Hamilton (SOT-C - IL)**

235– Tilisa Matakaiongo (Iron County Wrestling Academy- UT)**

16U Girls Triple Crown eligible after second leg

155- Kaili Manuel (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club - MI)**

**- Pre-registered for Fargo

32 boys and three girls eligible for either Junior and 16U Triple Crowns in Fargo this year

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