The Who’s Number One wrestling card on Sunday in Johnstown, Pa. is loaded, with great matches among both the boys and the girls. Wrestling fans will enjoy each and every one of these showdowns, all which should be exciting and will have a big-time impact the national rankings.
USA Wrestling Communications staff sat down and identified six matches from Who’s #1 that should be exciting and impactful. Gary Abbott has written up the three girls matches and Savannah Asmann put together the boys match-up summaries.
In each of these summaries, we used their Pound-4-Pound rankings. The girls summaries use the most recent National Girls High School Ranking P-4-P, while the boys note the FloWrestling P-4-P.
The girls matches on Sunday begin at 2:00 p.m. ET, followed by the boys matches at 5:00 p.m. ET. See it live on FloWrestling
110 pounds Girls: P-4-P No. 7 Heather Crull of Indiana vs. P-4-P No. 17 Taylor Whiting of Wisconsin
This match pits a pair of 2024 Junior National champions, Heather Crull, the champion at 105 pounds and Taylor Whiting, the champion at 110 pounds. These two champions have not met in a major competition to this point. Crull moves up to 110 pounds for this battle, although she wrestled up at 110 pounds in two major events last year, the U23 Nationals, which she won, and the U20 Nationals, where she lost to eventual champion Anaya Falcon then scratched with an injury. Crull is proven on the international level, with a 2023 U17 World bronze medal. Crull also has won the Junior Nationals for two straight years. Whiting is one of those athletes who seems to be getting better with every major event she enters. After winning the Wisconsin states last year at 107 pounds, Whiting was second at the National High School Recruiting Showcase and third at the U17 Nationals. Whiting’s run to her champion Stop Sign at the Junior Nationals in Fargo included a victory over then No. 1 Chloe Dearwester of Ohio, who has moved on to college. Crull is a senior and Whiting a junior, so if they could very well run into each other during the 2024-25 season, or even in the future in college. Crull has a physical style that allows her to battle well against all kinds of opponents. Whiting also displays some quality technique and will not back down from Crull at all. Any time two Junior National champions battle each other, it is a highly-anticipated showdown.
132 pounds Boys: P-4-P No. 2 Jax Forrest of Pennsylvania vs. Seth Mendoza of Illinois
Jax Forrest of Pennsylvania, a 2022 U17 World silver medalist and a top performer at Senior events in the U.S., is set to face Seth Mendoza of Illinois in what promises to be another exciting battle in their competitive rivalry. Forrest recently secured a spot on the 2024 Senior National Team after a strong finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, adding to his list of achievements. Mendoza is no stranger to elite competition, having previously squared off against Bo Bassett in 2021 at Who’s Number One, and consistently proving himself nationally. Both wrestlers are making their return to this event, with Forrest having earned victories over Nate Jesuroga in 2022 and Jordyn Raney in 2023, while Mendoza comes off a hard-fought battle with Bassett in 2021. The two have faced off several times before, with Forrest dominating their last meeting in the finals of the 2024 Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, winning 10-0. Earlier in the year, Mendoza turned the tables with a decisive 12-1 victory over Forrest in the U20 Freestyle quarterfinals at the U.S. Open. This upcoming match marks their fourth encounter in less than a year, and both wrestlers will be looking to tip the scales in their favor once again. Mendoza is committed to wrestle for Missouri in 2025, while Forrest, still uncommitted, remains one of the most sought-after prospects in the country. Both athletes have been consistently ranked near the top of their weight classes throughout their high school careers, and their next showdown will deliver another electrifying battle between two of wrestling’s young stars.
105 pounds Girls: P-4-P No. 2 Morgan Turner of Illinois vs. P-4-P No. 24 Julia Horger of Pennsylvania
Whenever Morgan Turner wrestles, she puts on a clinic from the feet and shows tremendous skills in all positions. A U17 World champion in 2023 and a U17 World bronze medalist this past summer, Turner has dominated her U.S. opponents and beaten many international stars. Turner’s U17 weight class was at 101 pounds, but in Illinois last year, she wrestled at 106 pounds against boys and 110 pounds against girls. Turner should be very strong at 105 pounds. Horger is a rapidly improving talent, displayed for all to see as the 16U Nationals champion in Fargo at 105 pounds. Since winning the Pennsylvania state meet at 106 pounds, Horger was also excellent at the 16U National Duals with nine victories. Her run through the field in Fargo included three ranked victories. The Girls Preseason National Rankings did not include any September events, and Horger should make a big move up after pinning Pound-4-Pound No. 9 and past U17 World medalist Jaclyn Bouzakis at the Ultimate Club Duals a few weeks ago. Both are juniors, but Turner has a deeper resume, including a third-place against boys in the Illinois state meet and a victory in Who’s Number One back in 2022. While everybody knows what to expect from Turner, it could be Horger that we learn more about after Sunday’s match. If Horger can figure out how to stop Turner’s offense and open up her own, we could have an excellent match. Turner will try to end the match quickly, and that would also be entertaining. Turner has already developed a strong following based upon her past successes.
113 pounds Boys: Domenic Munaretto of Illinois vs. Ignacio Villasenor of Oklahoma
The second matchup of the night is primed to be one of the top matches to watch. At 113 pounds, Domenic Munaretto of Illinois takes on Ignacio Villasenor of Oklahoma. Munaretto is coming off of another gold medal finish in freestyle at the 2024 U17 World Championships. He was also a member of the U17 Greco-Roman World Team, and has a U17 Pan American Championships gold in both styles. The two-time World Champion brings an impressive resume to the mat, and his skill should not be overlooked. Villasenor is also well-versed internationally, and is no stranger to success and has earned a U17 World bronze medal in 2023 and a 2021 U17 Pan American Champion title in both styles. The pair have met several times before, with Munaretto leading with one win in Greco-Roman and one in folkstyle. Villasenor has the edge in freestyle, with a 7-6 victory in 2021. Villasenor was a 2023 Colorado state champion, having secured a top finish at 113 pounds, and will compete in Oklahoma this coming season.
135 pounds Girls: P-4-P No. 1 Taina Fernandez of Maryland vs. P-4-P No. 14 Jordyn Fouse of Pennsylvania
Unlike some of the other Who’s Number One matches, these two stars competed against each other with a berth on the 2024 U.S. U17 World Team up for grabs. This will be a rematch of the 2024 U17 World Team Trials, won in two straight matches by Fernandez. Her wins were both by technical fall, 12-2 and 10-0. After beating Fouse for the team, Fernandez went on to win U17 World gold, and has climbed to No. 1 in the Pound-4-Pound rankings. Since Fernandez was a bit dominant in their last meeting, why would this match be compelling? First of all, it seems Fernandez wins everything she enters. People forget that she is just a sophomore and is still being tested by older athletes at every competition. Fouse is an experienced senior who has shown she can beat some big-time opponents. In the Pennsylvania state high school finals, she defeated U17 World bronze medalist Hayley Jaffe, then No. 1 nationally at the weight class. At the Junior Duals, she stopped Carley Ceshker, then ranked No. 5 in her weight and somebody who has a great resume of her own. There is no doubt that Fouse wants to be the one to drop a loss on Fernandez. It’s fair to say that Fernandez has the potential to be a generational talent, but with all of her success, she has a big target on her at every event. What did Fouse learn from last year’s losses to Fernandez, and can she find a way to flip the script?
144 pounds Boys: P-4-P No. 4 Bo Bassett of Pennsylvania vs. P-4-P No. 16 Daniel Zepeda of California
The finale of this event features Pennsylvania’s Bo Bassett, a three-time age-group World Team member and 2021 U17 World Champion, taking on California’s Daniel Zepeda. Bassett has had a great 2024 season, highlighted by a bronze medal at the U20 World Championships and titles at Super 32, Ironman, Powerade, PIAAs, the U.S. Open, the U20 World Team Trials, and the U20 Pan American Championships. Known for his technical skill and elite conditioning, Bassett has been dominant, with no losses to high school competition since last September when Zepeda pinned him at Who’s Number One. Zepeda, a five-time Fargo All-American and 2024 Fargo champion, has established himself as one of the top wrestlers in the country. Zepeda’s journey to this rematch included navigating a tough Fargo bracket. Bassett will be eager to avenge his only recent high school loss, while Zepeda seeks to repeat his earlier victory. With both athletes in top form, this bout is set to be a thrilling conclusion to the event.
FloWrestling Who’s Number One coverage page
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