2024 USA Wrestling Air Force Special Warfare 16U Folkstyle Nationals champions Cheyenne Frank (left) and Wyatt Dannegger (right).
USA Wrestling’s Air Force Special Warfare 16U and Junior Folkstyle Nationals heads to a new venue, the MidAmerican Energy Complex RecPlex in West Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend as the chase for the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown Award gets underway for the 2025 season.
Serving as the capstone event to USA Wrestling’s folkstyle season, which includes the Folkstyle Tour of America Series and various tournaments at the state and local levels, the Air Force Special Warfare 16U and Junior Folkstyle Nationals will offer competition in the 16U Boys and Girls, Junior Boys and Girls, and Masters Men divisions.
The champions of the 16U and Junior divisions pass stage one on the road to the USA Wrestling Triple Crown. The Triple Crown Award is presented annually to boys who earn USA Wrestling national titles in folkstyle, Greco-Roman and freestyle at their age-level in the same season. Similarly, girls must take top prize at the Folkstyle Nationals, Freestyle Nationals, and either the Women’s Nationals or National High School Recruiting Showcase to become Triple Crown Award winners.
Two athletes brought home the USA Wrestling Triple Crown in 2024—Kaili Manuel of Michigan (16U Girls, 148) and Valerie Hamilton of Illinois (Junior Girls, 145). There were no Triple Crown winners in either Boys division.
There are six returning champions looking for repeat titles in the Junior Boys division—Cason Craft at 113 pounds, Caleb Noble at 113 pounds, Geronimo Rivera at 138 pounds, Dorian Olivarez at 150 pounds, Taye Wilson at 165 pounds and Leimana Fager at 215 pounds.
Six 16U Boys champions from last year—Tanner Telford at 120 pounds, Gavin Landers at 126 pounds, Steel Meyers at 165 pounds, Aaron Stewart at 175 pounds, Deacon Moran at 190 pounds and Jonathan Rulo at 285 pounds—are bumped up to the Junior age-level this time around.
Wyatt Dannegger is the lone 16U Boys champion from 2024 that returns to the division. He is registered at 100 pounds.
Looking at the Junior Girls division, there are seven returning champions set to compete—Mya Hairston at 95 pounds, Heather Crull at 105 pounds, Kendall Moe at 110 pounds, Caley Graber at 120 pounds, Margaret Buurma at 145 pounds, Brooke Huffman at 190 pounds and Tilisa Matakaiongo at 190 pounds.
Eight 16U Girls champions from last year are entered in this weekend’s field. Seven will bump up and compete in the Junior Girls division—Katie Biscoglia at 110 pounds, Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith at 110 pounds, Cheyenne Frank at 120 pounds, Keanna Conrad at 130 pounds, Riley Hanrahan at 145 pounds, Millie Azlin at 170 pounds and Jayden Moehle at 235 pounds. Returning to the 16U Girls field for 2025 is Kaili Manuel at 155 pounds.
In the Masters Men’s division five of last year’s champions are back for more—Casper Petty, Christopher Myers, Arturo Basulto, James Medeiros and James Miller.
Custom awards will be presented to the top eight place winners in each weight class for the 16U and Junior divisions, with an Outstanding Wrestler and team award given per division. Champions will be awarded a 12-inch USA Wrestling stop sign award. The top three place winners in the Masters brackets will take home a USA Wrestling plaque.
Registration is still open for those seeking to participate in one of the toughest national events on the folkstyle calendar. Visit usawrestlingevents.com and sign up by Thursday, March 13 to secure your spot. There are over 1,400 athletes entered in the field to date.
All the action from West Des Moines will be available to watch live or on-demand on FloWrestling.com. FloWrestling offers a monthly subscription priced at $29.99 or an annual subscription for $150 to access its platform.
Brackets and updated match-by-match results will be available through USA Bracketing.
2025 USA Wrestling Air Force Special Warfare 16U and Junior Folkstyle Nationals
March 14-16, MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex, West Des Moines, Iowa
Event Schedule
Friday, March 14 #
9 a.m. – Junior Boys (preliminaries, consolations), Junior Girls (preliminaries, consolations)
3 p.m. – Junior Boys (preliminaries, quarterfinals, consolations), Junior Girls (quarterfinals, semifinals, consolations)
Saturday, March 15 #
9 a.m. – Junior Boys (semifinals, consolations), Junior Girls (medal matches), 16U Boys (preliminaries, consolations), Masters (preliminaries, consolations)
11 a.m. – Junior Boys (medal matches)
3 p.m. – 16U Boys (preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals, consolations), 16U Girls (preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals, consolations), Masters (if necessary)
Sunday, March 16 #
9 a.m. – 16U Boys (medal matches, consolations), 16U Girls (medal matches, consolations)
*All times listed are U.S. Central Time. Schedule subject to change.
2024 USA Wrestling Triple Crown Winners
Kaili Manuel of Michigan (16U Girls, 148)
Valerie Hamilton of Illinois (Junior Girls, 145)
2024 USA Wrestling Air Force Special Warfare Folkstyle Nationals Champions
Junior Boys
100 lbs. – Cason Craft (Threestyle Wrestling of Oklahoma)
106 lbs. – Caleb Noble (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)
113 lbs. – Alex Rozas (Predator Wrestling)
120 lbs. – Mack Mauger (Team Idaho WC)
126 lbs. – Jaxton Packer (Team Idaho WC)
132 lbs. – Geronimo Rivera (Sanderson Wrestling Academy)
138 lbs. – Carson Exferd (Team Idaho WC)
144 lbs. – Dorian Olivarez (Texas)
150 lbs. – Chase Van Hoven (Legacy Dragons Wrestling)
157 lbs. – Taye Wilson (Pratt WC)
165 lbs. – Cory Thomas (Michigan)
175 lbs. – Hudson Rogers (Team Idaho WC)
190 lbs. – Leimana Fager (Charger WC)
215 lbs. – Lars Michaelson (NWWC)
285 lbs. – Shilo Jones (Team Idaho WC)
Junior Girls
95 lbs. – Mya Hairston (Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy)
100 lbs. – Kendall Moe (Contenders Wrestling Academy)
105 lbs. – Heather Crull (Northeastern WC)
110 lbs. – Caley Graber (Summit Wrestling Academy)
115 lbs. – Julia Kay (Canyon View Falcons)
120 lbs. – Alexis Schneider (North Dakota)
125 lbs. – Brooklyn Pace (Champions WC)
130 lbs. – Angelina Pena (Michigan)
135 lbs. – Margaret Buurma (Michigan Revolution WC)
140 lbs. – Aleksandra Bastaic (Highland WC)
145 lbs. – Valerie Hamilton (SOT-C)
155 lbs. – Skylar Slade (Moen Wrestling Academy)
170 lbs. – Naomi Simon (Northeast Iowa WC)
190 lbs. – Brooke Huffman (Team Nazar Training Center)
235 lbs. – Tilisa Matakaiongo (Iron County Wrestling Academy)
16U Boys
88 lbs. – Wyatt Dannegger (Bonhomme Wrestling)
94 lbs. – Tyler Sweet (California)
100 lbs. – Jax Vang (Red Wave Wrestling)
106 lbs. – Tanner Telford (Sanderson Wrestling Academy)
113 lbs. – Gavin Landers (Immortal Athletics WC)
120 lbs. – Abraham Coronado (McQueen High School Wrestling)
126 lbs. – Mason Carlson (Sanderson Wrestling Academy)
132 lbs. – Dawson Youngblut (Immortal Athletics WC)
138 lbs. – Ethan Christoffer (Immortal Athletics WC)
144 lbs. – Noah Bull (Sanderson Wrestling Academy)
150 lbs. – Steel Meyers (Best Trained Wrestling)
157 lbs. – Brody Sendele (Hononegah WC)
165 lbs. – Aaron Stewart (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)
175 lbs. – Michael White (Lawrence North WC)
190 lbs. – Deacon Moran (Combative Sports Athletic Center)
215 lbs. – Noah Mathis (Bobcat WC)
285 lbs. – Jonathan Rulo (Black Ops WC)
16U Girls
94 lbs. – Easton Dadiomoff (Mayhem WC)
100 lbs. – Katie Biscoglia (Ubasa Wrestling Academy)
106 lbs. – Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (Arizona Girls Wrestling)
112 lbs. – Cheyenne Frank (Michigan Revolution WC)
118 lbs. – Marisa Iturrino (Carrollton Thunder WC)
124 lbs. – Keanna Conrad (Team Idaho WC)
130 lbs. – Riley Hanrahan (Team Nazar Training Center)
136 lbs. – Julia Araujo (MATPAC WC)
142 lbs. – Lilliana Banks (Aviators Wrestling)
148 lbs. – Gia Coons (California)
155 lbs. – Kaili Manuel (Michigan Revolution WC)
170 lbs. – Millie Azlin (Oklahoma)
190 lbs. – Brooke Huffman (Team Nazar Training Center)
235 lbs. – Jayden Moehle (MO West Championship WC)
Masters A Division
70 kg – Casper Petty (Fayetteville Wild Hog Wrestling)
78 kg – Cedric Gibson (Sarbacker Wrestling Academy)
88 kg – Tom Higgins (Natural Athlete WC)
100 kg – Christopher Couty (Panther WC)
130 kg – Joel Wyman (Maryland)
Masters B Division
58-62 kg – Nick Cleary (Askren Wrestling Academy)
70-78 kg – Joshua Lamano (Empire WC)
88-100 kg – Christopher Myers (Carroll WC)
130 kg – Arturo Basulto (California)
Masters C Division
62-70 kg – Nick Rodriguez (Chatfield WC)
78-88 kg – Nick Macellaio (Team El1te Wrestling)
100-130 kg – James Medeiros (Birmingham Community Charter HS Wrestling)
Masters D Division
58-62 kg – Greg McLaughlin (Avon WC)
70-88 – Robert Porter (Naperville WC)
Masters E Division
88-92 kg – James Miller (Vici WC)
Masters F Division
62-69 kg – Rick Mahonski (Pennsylvania)
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