Four returning champions power into semifinals at USMC Junior Nationals in women’s freestyle

FARGO, N.D. –The four returning Junior champions powered into the semifinals of the 2024 USMC Junior Nationals in women’s freestyle: Heather Crull of Indiana (105), Kaidance Gerg of Idaho (125), Eduarda Rodrigues of California (155) and Sabrina Nauss of Michigan (235)

Crull scored a 47-second pin in her quarterfinal over Jazmine Turner of California, and will draw Ashley Naranjo of Washington in the semifinals. Crull was a U17 World bronze medalist last year.

Gerg got past Kailey Benson of Missouri in the quarterfinals, 5-3. She will compete against 2023 U17 World Team member Karlee Brooks of Arizona in one of the most anticipated semifinals in the Junior division. Gerg won her 2023 Junior Nationals title at 138, but has dropped in weight this season.

Rodrigues was dominant in her quarterfinal, with a 10-0 technical fall over Montana’s Gretchen Donally. Her semifinals opponent is rising star Sage Rosario of Kansas.

Nauss is seeking a fifth career title in Fargo as a graduated senior. She pinned Lorelei Hartman of California in the quarterfinals and faces another Californian in the semifinals, Angel Hill. Nauss won her Junior Nationals title last year down at 180 pounds.

Since the creation of the Junior Girls Triple Crown back in 2022, there has not been any Triple Crown winners. Valerie Hamilton of Illinois, the top seed at 145 pounds,

Hamilton pinned Desza Munson of Colorado in 3:29 in the quarterfinals, and draws California’s Olivia Davis in the semifinals. She has three pins and a technical fall so far in the tournament.

Another wrestler came into today’s Junior Nationals with a chance at a Junior Triple Crown, after winning the first two legs earlier this season, Tilisa Matakaiongo of Utah (235). However, Matakaiongo was pinned in the round of 16 by No. 14 seed Phoenix Lindseth of North Dakota in 45 seconds. Lindseth was beaten in the quarterfinals by Kinslee Collier of Oklahoma.

Six returning Junior runners-up reached the semifinals: Valarie Solorio of Pennsylvania (100), Harlee Hiller of Illinois (115), Zao Estrada of South Carolina (115), Calli Gilchrist of Connecticut (120), Sydney Perry of Illinois (145) and Tirza Twoteeth of Montana (235).

Although there was some volatility in some of the more competitive weight classes, all but three of the No. 1 seeded wrestlers have reached Sunday morning’s semifinals.

The team race has also started to begin to come into focus. California, which has the most semifinalists with eight, leads the team standings with 24 points. Missouri and Pennsylvania are tied in second with 15 points and five semifinalists each. Three teams are tied in fourth place, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

Saturday morning’s semifinals begin at 9:00 a.m., with the championship finals set for 6:00 p.m. See it live on FloWrestling.

USMC JUNIOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE NATIONALS

At Fargo, N.D., July 23

Semifinal pairings

95 pounds

Mya Hairston (MO) vs. Kinlee Brandley (UT)

Samantha Bertini (MA) vs. Annalise Maralit (SC)

100 pounds

Katey Valdez (CO) vs. Makennah Craft (OH)

Zoey Haney (MO) vs. Valarie Solorio (PA)

105 pounds

Heather Crull (IN) vs. Ashley Naranjo (WA)

Addie Morse (OK) vs. Aroma Marrufo (MO)

110 pounds

Chloe Dearwester (OH) vs. Abbi Cooper (CA)

Taylor Whiting (WI) vs. Mariah Dillard (TX)

115 pounds

Zao Estrada (SC) vs. Harlee Hiller (IL)

Leiannah Landreth (KS) vs. Cassidy Benwell (MO)

120 pounds

Shayna Ward (CA) vs. Aspen Blasko (MN)

Calli Gilchrist (CT) vs. Savannah Witt (PA)

125 pounds

Rose Kaplan (IN) vs. Alejandra Valdiviezo (CA)

Kaidance Gerg (ID) vs. Karlee Brooks (AZ)

130 pounds

Lynn Horn (OK) vs. Janie Houser (CA)

Samantha Sachs (CA) vs. Carley Ceshker (WI)

135 pounds

Isis France (AZ) vs. Margaret Buurma (MI)

Celeste Detoles (UT) vs. Isabella Cepak (MI)

140 pounds

Haylie Jaffe (PA) vs. Lexi Ritchie (IL)

Louise Juitt (MO) vs. Aleksandra Bastaic (IN)

145 pounds

Valerie Hamilton (IL) vs. Olivia Davis (CA)

Sarah Henckel (CT) vs. Sydney Perry (IL)

155 pounds

Eduarda Rodrigues (CA) vs. Sage Rosario (KS)

Adriana Palumbo (NY) vs. Ugochi Anunobi (MD)

170 pounds

Alexandria Alli (OH) vs. Kaylie Hall (WV)

Kali Hayden (OK) vs. Jael Miller (PA)

190 pounds

Genevieve An (GA) vs. Isabella Phillips (WA)

Alyssa Favara (PA) vs. Ella Murphey (TN)

235 pounds

Sabrina Nauss (MI) vs. Angel Hill (CA)

Kinslee Collier (OK) vs. Tirza Twoteeth (MT)

Quarterfinal results

95 pounds

Mya Hairston (MO) tech fall Alexa Rodriguez Lopez (TX), 15-2 1:48

Kinlee Brandley (UT) pin Sophie Booe (FL), 0:28

Samantha Bertini (MA) tech fall Mia Vazquez (IL), 10-0 2:06

Annalise Maralit (SC) pin Mackenzie Graves (AR), 3:24

100 pounds

Katey Valdez (CO) tech fall Brianne Graves (OH), 11-0 2:24

Makennah Craft (OH) dec. Kendall Moe (IN), 7-4

Zoey Haney (MO) dec. Destiny Jones (OK), 8-0

Valarie Solorio (PA) tech fall Brooke Corrigan (WI), 11-1 2:46

105 pounds

Heather Crull (IN) pin Jazmine Turner (CA), 0:47

Ashley Naranjo (WA) tech fall Joely Slyter (ID), 11-0 2:39

Addie Morse (OK) dec. Layla Phillips (IA), 10-2

Aroma Marrufo (MO) tech fall Camdyn Elliott (FL), 14-4 5:19

110 pounds

Chloe Dearwester (OH) pin Avy Perez (CA), 1:53

Abbi Cooper (CA) pin Libby Roberts (WA), 2:42

Taylor Whiting (WI) dec. Jayden Keller (MO), 6-6

Mariah Dillard (TX) pin Caley Graber (MN), 4:10

115 pounds

Zao Estrada (SC) pin Alena Williams (AR), 2:13

Harlee Hiller (IL) pin Lindsey Lopez (CO), 5:44

Leiannah Landreth (KS) pin Angelina Vargas (MO), 1:47

Cassidy Benwell (MO) dec. Gabriella Gomez (IL), 5-3

120 pounds

Shayna Ward (CA) dec. Milana Borrelli (FL), 15-11

Aspen Blasko (MN) pin Raegan Briggs (OH), 1:09

Calli Gilchrist (CT) dec. Noelani Lutz (NV), 19-17

Savannah Witt (PA) tech fall Mikayla Garcia (CA), 10-0 1:45

125 pounds

Rose Kaplan (IN) pin Sierra Chiesa (PA), 3:55

Alejandra Valdiviezo (CA) dec. Mary Manis (FL), 12-10

Kaidance Gerg (ID) dec. Kailey Benson (MO), 5-3

Karlee Brooks (AZ) tech fall Ragan Retell (NY), 10-0 2:18

130 pounds

Lynn Horn (OK) pin Christina Borgmann (FL), 4:03

Janie Houser (CA) dec. Anna Vogt (TX), 8-0

Samantha Sachs (CA) dec. Emma Chacon (AZ), 3-0

Carley Ceshker (WI) tech fall Jordyn Anderson (VA), 10-0 1:30

135 pounds

Isis France (AZ) pin Christina Osorio (CA), 0-0 0:09

Margaret Buurma (MI) dec. Kailani Barrientos (FL), 13-6

Celeste Detoles (UT) dec. Kayla Edwards (CA), 6-6

Isabella Cepak (MI) pin Zoe Fries (ID), 0:21

140 pounds

Haylie Jaffe (PA) tech fall Alexandra Ford (MD), 10-0 2:20

Lexi Ritchie (IL) dec. Morgan Lucio (AZ), 10-6

Louise Juitt (MO) dec. Amelia Fawcett (AK), 7-6

Aleksandra Bastaic (IN) tech fall Morgan Edwards (PA), 10-0 3:49

145 pounds

Valerie Hamilton (IL) pin Desza Munson (CO), 3:29

Olivia Davis (CA) pin Hadyn Stine (TX), 4:47

Sarah Henckel (CT) dec. Audrey Rogotzke (MN), 7-2

Sydney Perry (IL) dec. Avari Johnson (KS), 8-2

155 pounds

Eduarda Rodrigues (CA) tech fall Gretchen Donally (MT), 10-0 0:43

Sage Rosario (KS) tech fall Zoey Barber (NE), 16-4 4:33

Adriana Palumbo (NY) pin Mya Bethel (FL), 0:36

Ugochi Anunobi (MD) tech fall Maggie Ortmann (MO), 10-0 2:07

170 pounds

Alexandria Alli (OH) tech fall Autumn Elsbury (IA), 10-0 1:24

Kaylie Hall (WV) pin Sophia Bassino (WI), 1:17

Kali Hayden (OK) pin Billie Bonwell (NV), 1:09

Jael Miller (PA) tech fall Kiley Dillow (KS), 16-5 4:57

190 pounds

Genevieve An (GA) tech fall Martha Hinneh (NE), 10-0 3:42

Isabella Phillips (WA) dec. Maria Aiono (NV), 6-1

Alyssa Favara (PA) pin Grace Leota (FL), 4:24

Ella Murphey (TN) pin Isabella Renfro (MO), 0:34

235 pounds

Sabrina Nauss (MI) pin Lorelei Hartman (CA), 2:38

Angel Hill (CA) dec. Chloe Hoselton (IL), 7-6

Kinslee Collier (OK) dec. Phoenix Lindseth (ND), 5-4

Tirza Twoteeth (MT) dec. Keilikki nau Rarick (UT), 9-8

Team Standings after day one

1 California, 24   

2 (tie) Missouri and Pennsylvania, 15

4 (tie) Illinois and Oklahoma, 12

6 (tie) Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, 9

Seven teams tied in 9th place with six points