Illinois’ Hamilton makes history, Nauss wins third title; California claims team title as USMC Junior Women wrap up

Fargo, North Dakota – After dominating her first five matches of the tournament, Illinois’ Valerie Hamilton had to overcome some in-match adversity in her semifinal match on Sunday morning against California’s Olivia Davis. Trailing 8-3 at the break, Hamilton bounced back in resounding fashion to pin Davis and reach the 145-pound final at the 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

Several hours later, Hamilton’s ferocity turned tactical as she used a first-period takedown and solid position in a 3-0 win over Connecticut’s Sarah Henckel. The victory gave Hamilton her first Junior women’s title, and in the process, she become USA Wrestling’s first Junior women’s Triple Crown winner. Hamilton won her third leg after previously winning the Girls High School showcase in Las Vegas in April and the Junior Folkstyle Nationals in March.

Hamilton was also named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, the first time a wrestler from Illinois has won the award in the Junior women’s division.

Michigan’s Sabrina Nauss had a scare late in her 16-5 finals victory over Montana’s Tirza Twoteeth. With time winding down in the first period, Twoteeth hit a four-point move, putting Nauss to her back, but the Michigander survived the period and then scored eight second-period points to put distance between her and Twoteeth and give Nauss her third Junior women’s freestyle championship and fifth Fargo championship.

Nauss joins six-time champions Teshya Alo of Hawaii, Emily Shilson of Minnesota and five-time champion Gracie Figueroa of California in an exclusive club of women who have claimed at least five championships in Fargo.

California, with two champions and 15 All-Americans, won the team championship for the 17^th time and third time in the last four years. The Golden State was led by 130-pound champion Samantha Sachs and 155-pound champion Eduarda Rodrigues.

Sachs topped Oklahoma’s Lynn Horn 3-1, avenging two previous freestyle losses to Horn. Sachs fell 8-8 on criteria last month at Junior Duals and in last year’s 16U quarterfinals. Rodrigues pinned Maryland’s Ugochi Anunobi in the second period to win her second Junior women’s title. Rodrigues has also finished third in 2022.

Indiana’s Heather Crull also repeated as a Junior women’s champion. The 105-pounder blistered the field with three falls and three tech falls, including an 11-0 shutout over Missouri’s Aroma Marrufo in the final.

Arizona’s individual performances also stood out as the state claimed its first two Junior women’s championships in state history – Karlee Brooks at 125 pounds and Isis France at 135 pounds. France was last year’s 16U 132-pound champion.

Brooks, who was third in 2022, didn’t wrestle in Fargo last year, representing Team USA at the U17 World Championships. Brooks shutout five opponents, including Rose Kaplan of Indiana in the finals 10-0. Brooks upended returning champion Kaidance Gerg of Idaho 5-3 in the semifinals.

France cruised to the finals and found herself in a shootout with Michigan’s Isabella Cepak in the early going before coming out strong in the second period to pick up the fall 26 seconds into the period.

South Carolina’s Zao Estrada claimed the 115-pound championship by defeating Missouri’s Cassidy Benwell 10-0 in the finals. Estrada, twice a runner-up in Fargo before, became the Palmetto State’s first Junior women’s champion since Briena Delgado in 2010. She’s also the first Junior women’s champion from South Carolina not named Delgado. Briena and sister Brittany combined to win four titles from 2006-1010.

At 95 pounds, Samantha Bertini of Massachusetts gave the Bay State a champion for the third straight year after she started off the evening with a quick fall, pinning Utah’s Kinlee Brandley in 41 seconds. Bertini follows champions Skylar Hattendorf in 2022 and Jaclyn Dehney.

Colorado’s Katey Valdez ended up taking home the gold at 100 pounds after winning by injury default over Pennsylvania’s Valarie Solorio. With the match tied a minute into the second period, Valdez hit a big throw to tie the bout at 4-4, but Solorio hit her head hard on the mat and fought off her back to get a fresh start. Quickly after the restart, Solorio signaled to the official she needed injury time and after a lengthy delay, the tournament medical staff ruled it was best for the match to be terminated.

Wisconsin’s Taylor Whiting won the 110-pound title, beating Ohio’s Chloe Dearwester 11-0. Minnesota’s Ashton Blasko pinned Pennsylvania’s Savannah Witt to win the 120-pound title. Blasko only gave up two points in the entire tournament, pinning three opponents and tech falling the other three. Pennsylvania did get a champion at 140 pounds as Haylie Jaffe teched Aleksandra Bastaic in the first period. Jaffe pinned her first two opponents and then teched the remaining five to end her tournament on top of the podium. She also didn’t surrender a point.  

Oklahoma’s Kali Hayden won the title at 170 pounds, beating West Virginia’s Kaylie Hall 12-0. Hayden pinned her first five opponents before besting Hall, West Virginia’s first ever women’s finalist in either age division. Washington’s Isabella Phillips, sixth a year ago, topped Tennessee’s Ella Murphey 9-0 to claim the gold at 190 pounds.

2024 U.S. MARINE CORPS JUNIOR & 16U NATIONALS

JUNIOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE

MEDAL MATCH RESULTS

95 pounds

Finals: Samantha Bertini (MA) pin Kinlee Brandley (UT) :41

3rd: Mya Hairston (MO) tech fall Alexa Rodriguez lopez (TX) 15-4 2:21

5th: Annalise Maralit (SC) med. for. Mia Vazquez (IL)

7th: Kaylie Zeller (HI) pin Navjot Waraich (CA) 2:39

100 pounds

Finals: Katey Valdez (CO) inj. def. Valarie Solorio (PA) 4:57

3rd: Kristina Kent (UT) tech fall Kendall Moe (IN) 10-0 1:24

5th: Makennah Craft (OH) pin Zoey Haney (MO) 2:27

7th: Mia Navarro (CA) pin Brianne Graves (OH) 4:10

105 pounds

Finals: Heather Crull (IN) tech fall Aroma Marrufo (MO) 11-0, 1:55

3rd: Jennifer Favela (CA) dec. Addie Morse (OK) 9-6

5th: Joely Slyter (ID) tech fall Ashley Naranjo (WA) 12-2 1:27

7th: Jazmine Turner (CA) tech fall Lily Runez (MA) 10-0 2:13

110 pounds

Finals: Taylor Whiting (WI) tech fall Chloe Dearwester (OH) 11-0, 1:55

3rd: Abbi Cooper (CA) tech fall Libby Roberts (WA) 10-0 1:28

5th: Caley Graber (MN) tech fall Mariah Dillard (TX) 12-2 4:41

7th: Joy Cantu (IN) pin Teegan Sibble (NY) 1:17

115 pounds

Finals: Zao Estrada (SC) tech fall Cassidy Benwell (MO) 1:50

3rd: Harlee Hiller (IL) pin Lorianna Piestewa (NM) 1:11

5th: Leiannah Landreth (KS) pin Marjorie Mcdaniel (WA) 1:18

7th: Angelina Vargas (MO) tech fall Akeelah Moore (VT) 10-0 0:27

120 pounds

Finals: Aspen Blasko (MN) pin Savannah Witt (PA) 1:48

3rd: Calli Gilchrist (CT) pin Shayna Ward (CA) 1:24

5th: Milana Borrelli (FL) tech fall Noelani Lutz (NV) 11-0 0:39

7th: Angelina Cassioppi (IL) pin Raegan Briggs (OH) 5:21

125 pounds

Finals: Karlee Brooks (AZ) tech fall Rose Kaplan (IN) 10-0

3rd: Kaidance Gerg (ID) tech fall Ragan Retell (NY) 19-8 5:38

5th: Sierra Chiesa (PA) dec. Alejandra Valdiviezo (CA) 5-3

7th: Kailey Benson (MO) tech fall Emily Murphy (PA) 10-0 3:13

130 pounds

Finals: Samantha Sachs (CA) dec. Lynn Horn (OK) 3-1.

3rd: Carley Ceshker (WI) pin Janie Houser (CA) 2:24

5th: Emma Chacon (AZ) dec. Christina Borgmann (FL) 7-4

7th: Anna Vogt (TX) pin Jordyn Anderson (VA) 4:13

135 pounds

Finals: Isis France (AZ) pin Isabella Cepak (MI) 3:26

3rd: Celeste Detoles (UT) dec. Kayla Edwards (CA) 8-5

5th: Margaret Buurma (MI) dec. Kaylan Hitchcock (KS) 14-7

7th: Paige Gershmel (MT) dec. Jacinda Espinosa (MO) 4-4

140 pounds

Finals: Haylie Jaffe (PA) tech fall Aleksandra Bastaic (IN) 10-0, 1:51

3rd: Amelia Fawcett (AK) tech fall Annelise Obermark (MO) 11-1 3:53

5th: Lexi Ritchie (IL) pin Louise Juitt (MO) 1:19

7th: Morgan Lucio (AZ) dec. Morgan Edwards (PA) 15-6

145 pounds

Finals: Valerie Hamilton (IL) dec. Sarah Henckel (CT) 3-0.

3rd: Olivia Davis (CA) pin Sydney Perry (IL) 1:59

5th: Audrey Rogotzke (MN) pin Selina Moore (NY) 2:25

7th: Avari Johnson (KS) pin Desza Munson (CO) 1:12

155 pounds

Finals: Eduarda Rodrigues (CA) pin Ugochi Anunobi (MD) 3:54

3rd: Mya Bethel (FL) pin Adriana Palumbo (NY) 4:23

5th: Sage Rosario (KS) dec. Gretchen Donally (MT) 7-0

7th: Jahlia Miguel (HI) tech fall Maggie Ortmann (MO) 11-0 0:59

170 pounds

Finals: Kali Hayden (OK) tech fall Kaylie Hall (WV) 12-0, 1:14

3rd: Jael Miller (PA) pin Billie Bonwell (NV) 1:31

5th: Alexandria Alli (OH) tech fall Sophia Bassino (WI) 10-0 1:27

7th: Kiley Dillow (KS) pin Brynn Shepardson (NY) 1:50

190 pounds

Finals: Isabella Phillips (WA) dec. Ella Murphey (TN) 9-0

3rd: Genevieve An (GA) dec. Maria Aiono (NV) 8-4

5th: Isabella Renfro (MO) dec. Alyssa Favara (PA) 6-6

7th: Kathryn Hingano (CA) pin Josephine Larson (IL) 0:26

235 pounds

Finals: Sabrina Nauss (MI) tech fall Tirza Twoteeth (MT) 16-5, 4:31

3rd: Kinslee Collier (OK) dec. Angel Hill (CA) 3-0

5th: Lorelei Hartman (CA) dec. Keilikki nau Rarick (UT) 6-3

7th: Chloe Hoselton (IL) pin Kinea Moore (FL) 2:04

Team Scores

1. California 176

2. Missouri 104

3. Pennsylvania 100

4. Indiana 82

5. Illinois 80

6. Oklahoma 72

7. Arizona 64

8. Utah 57

9. Michigan 54

10. Washington 51

11. Wisconsin 47

12. Minnesota 43

13. Ohio 42

14. Connecticut 35

14. Kansas 35

14. New York 35

17. South Carolina 34

18. Florida 33

19. Montana 32

20. Nevada 31

21. Colorado 27

21. Massachusetts 27

23. Idaho 24

23. Texas 24

25. Maryland 20

25. Tennessee 20

25. West Virginia 20

28. Alaska 15

28. Georgia 15

30. New Mexico 12

31. Hawaii 10

32. Virginia 2

32. Vermont 2