USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals: Romero (8U) and Sweat (10U) named girls Outstanding Wrestlers

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The final day of the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals featured girls competition in the 8U and 10U age divisions. Girls from across the nation came to compete, learn and improve against other talented opponents.

The Outstanding Wrestler in 8U was Nayelli Romero of the Salem Elite Mat Club. Romero won all three matches by pin, all in less than a minute. Her three victories came in a combined 1:56, including a pin over runner-up Zoey Willis of TJ Trained in 44 seconds.

The Outstanding Wrestler in Girls 10U was Sadie Sweat of the Kalispell WC, the champion at 62 pounds. Sweat earned a 9-1 major decision in the finals over Amina Perez of Greg Gomez Trained Wrestling. Sweat pinned her first three opponents, with one pin in 26 seconds and the other two in less than two minutes.

This event is part of the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown in all of the age groups. For girls at these age groups, the Triple Crown includes the Brian Keck Preseason Nationals, the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals and the USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals in freestyle.

10U Notes

There were two 2024 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champions who were able to repeat this year, Tyanna Evans of the Orchard South Wrestling Club (57 lbs.) and Luci Tiankee of New Jersey (90 lbs.)

Evans won a tight 6-5 victory in the finals and knotched a 28-second pin in the semifinals.

Tiankee went 3-0 in a four-athlete round robin, with three dominant wins. She scored two pins and a technical fall, including a 34-second pin of eventual silver medalist Collena Sabol.

The two-athlete round robin at 113 pounds went to the rubber match in their best of three series. Ella Hornbaker of Warrior RTC pinned 2024 Folkstyle Nationals champion Cecilia Michael of Ohio in 1:30 in bout one. Michael rebounded with a 1:00 pin of Horbaker in bout two. In the deciding third match, Hornbaker hit a headlock to pin Michael in 22 seconds.

In addition to Sweat’s major decision in the finals, three other athletes had bonus point wins in the championship round on the raised mat. Harper Wimmers of Ohio had a 21-5 technical fall in the finals at 67 kg, putting on a takedown clinic from her feet. Oakley Waitkus of Team Tulsa WC (53) and Brinley Leyba of Oklahoma (73) added major decisions.

8U Notes

All of the weight classes contested Sunday in 8U Girls were round robins. All five champions were undefeated in their bracket.

Caliyah Cruz of Arizona won her best-of-three series at 43 pounds, with a pin in 1:52 and a 13-1 major decision over Naya Rosman of Oak Hill WC.

Quinn Cannici of New Jersey went 3-0 in her 55-pound bracket, with all victories by bonus points. Cannici had a major decision, a technical fall and a pin.

Also winning titles were Finley Uhlenhake of Immortal Athletics WC at 62 pounds and Rayla Mongosa of Warrior WC at 68 pounds, both with 2-0 records. Mongosa won both matches by technical fall. Uhlenhake had a pin and a decision.

10U Girls

45-49

1st - Trinh Tse (Greater Heights Wrestling)

2nd - Roxy Robles (Brighton Wrestling Club)

Tse maj. dec. Robles, 10-0

Tse dec. Robles, 6-0

53

1st Place Match - Oakley Waitkus, TTWC over Penelope Hall, TWC (MD 13-0 )

3rd Place Match - Kiah Dukes, BAMT over Reese Szymanski, TTWC (Dec 6-3 )

5th Place Match - Briar Parrett, MXW over Peyton Heckathorn, BKWC (F 2:40 )

7th Place Match - Ataliah McCue, TFHW over Lillee Yun, PJWC (F 2:00 )

57

1st Place Match - Tyanna Evans, TOSW over Madison Vigil, PWCC (Dec 6-5 )

3rd Place Match - Ellie Perow, MPW over Brielle Shannon, FLOR (F 2:38 )

5th Place Match - Etta Burke, NIWC over Lillian Crangle, RWC (F 1:26 )

62

1st Place Match - Sadie Sweat, KWC over Amina Perez, GGTW (MD 9-1 )

3rd Place Match - Kenley Kierstead-Hahn, MINN over Cora Weir, SWC (Dec 11-6 )

5th Place Match - Aubrey DAlie, BAMT over Kasey Kilcoin, NWA (Dec 9-3 )

7th Place Match - Keaghlan Ryznar, MMWC over Brynn Lincoln, CONN (F 0:29 )

67

1st Place Match - Harper Wimmers, OHIO over McKyla Fink, HDA (TF 21-5 (1:49) )

3rd Place Match - Dusty Wilson, SEMC over Ava Barber, BBWC (MD 13-0 )

5th Place Match - Jaelene Murillo, DDWC over Elise LeCuyer, SWC (TF 15-0 (1:33) )

7th Place Match - Dixie Beasley, TENN over Mia Knox, FWNW (F 0:23 )

73

1st Place Match - Brinley Leyba, OKLA over Vitaliana Pitzarella, SHWA (MD 14-0 )

3rd Place Match - Jentry Lyden, SCPW over Kinslee McVey, TWOO (MD 11-3 )

5th Place Match - Wreagan McNiel, TDWC over Brooklyn Stauffer, MXW (F 2:17 )

80

1st - Aryana Resendez (RWC)

2nd - Isolde Morgan (Contenders Wrestling Academy)

Resendez pin Morgan, 0:29

Resendez pin Morgan, 0:52

90

1st - Luci Tiankee (New Jersey)

2nd - Collena Sabol (Pennsylvania)

3rd - Ariana Tovar (Victory Wrestling-Central WA)

4th - Natalia Brown (Contenders Wrestling Academy)

Tiankee pin Sabol, 0:34

Tovar pin Brown, 1:53

Tiankee tech fall Tovar, 18-0, 2:46

Sabol dec. Brown, 9-6

Tiankee pin Brown, 0:40

Sabol med. fft. Tovar

100-113

1st - Ella Hornbaker (Warrior Regional Training Center)

2nd - Cecilia Michael (Ohio)

Hornbacker pin Michael, 1:30

Michael pin Hornbacker, 1:00

Hornbacker pin Michael, 0:22

8U Girls

 43

1st - Caliyah Cruz (Arizona)

2nd - Naya Rosman (Oak Hill Wrestling Club)

Cruz maj. dec. Rosman, 13-1

Cruz pin Rosman, 1:52

50

1st - Nayelli Romero (Salem Elite Mat Club)

2nd - Zoey Willis (TJ Trained Wrestling)

3rd - Brylee Wallace (Midwest Xtreme Wrestling)

4th - Paisley Michael (Immortal Athletics WC)

Willis maj. dec. Wallace, 12-1

Romero pin Michael, 0:15

Wallace pin Michael, 0:59

Romero pin Willis, 0:44

Romero pin Wallace, 0:57

Willis pin Michael, 0:35

55

1st - Quinn Cannici (New Jersey)

2nd - Myra Shannon (Florida)

3rd - Tilly Kunze (Salem Elite Mat Club)

4th - Scarlet Smoke (Revolution Elite Wrestling Club)

Cannici maj. dec. Kunze, 9-1

Shannon pin Smith, 0:32

Shannon dec. Kunze, 8-3

Cannici pin Smoke, 0:33

Smoke pin Kunze, 1:50

Cannici tech fall Shannon, 15-0, 2:23

62

1st - Finley Uhlenhake (Immortal Athletics WC)

2nd - Allie Zieminick (Bad Karma Wrestling Club)

3rd - Adeline LeCuyer (Sandwich Wrestling Club)

Zieminick pin LeCuyer, 0:53

Uhlenhake pin LeCuyer, 0:46

Uhlenhake dec. Zieminick, 7-0

68

1st - Rayla Mongosa (Warrior Wrestling Club)

2nd - Camdyn Terrell (Springdale Youth Wrestling Club)

3rd - Clara Rosemeyer (Tri West Wrestling Club)

Mongosa tech fall Rosemeyer, 16-1, 2:23

Terrell pin Rosemeyer, 1:17

Mongosa tech fall Terrell, 18-3, 2:28