Morgan Turner in action at the 2025 Air Force Special Warfare 16U and Junior Nationals.
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Junior Girls division wrapped at the 2025 Air Force Special Warfare 16U and Junior Folkstyle Nationals with a dynamic set of semifinals held Friday evening at MidAmerican Energy Complex RecPlex, the new host venue of USA Wrestling’s premier folkstyle event.
Two-time U17 World medalist and 2023 U17 World champion Morgan Turner of Illinois was the standout performer of day one with two technical falls, plus a one-minute pin, on her route to the 110-pound finals. She topped Aubree Gutierrez of California, 19-4, in the semifinals to set up a highly anticipated championship showdown against last year’s 16U champion Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith of Arizona.
2023 U17 World bronze medalist Heather Crull of Indiana is one of six returning champions in the division who qualified for tomorrow morning’s finals, which are set for Saturday morning. Crull picked up two pins in two matches to qualify for the 105-pound finals, where she will face Missouri’s Isabelle Apple.
Also in the hunt for a repeat are Mya Hairston of Missouri, Caley Graber of Minnesota, Margaret Buurma of Michigan, Brooke Huffman of Wisconsin and Tilisa Matakaiongo of Utah—all of whom put on impressive showings on their respective paths to the finals.
2024 USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner and U17 World Team member Kaili Manuel impressed at 170 pounds. She scored a signature win over last year’s 16U champion Millie Azlin in the semifinals, 7-6.
Minnesota put the most wrestlers into the finals with four—Graber, Nora Akpan, Cassandra Gonzales and Emily Novak. Missouri and Indiana each had three finalists, tied for the second most of any state.
Kendall Moe and Aleksandra Bastaic, returning champions from Indiana, were upset in the semis. Moe dropped a 6-4 decision to Beyonce' Espinosa of Florida at 115 pounds. Bastaic was majored by Elise Twait of Idaho at 145 pounds.
North Dakota’s Cambree Anderson ended the day with four pins in 4:54 to lead the race for most falls in the least amount of time in the Junior Girls division. Greta Brus of Iowa logged the fastest pin of the day at 13 seconds.
The Junior Girls tournament continues at 9 a.m. (CT) on Saturday with the championship finals and medal matches. Visit usawrestlingevents.com for a complete schedule of events for every division.
All the action from West Des Moines is 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 #
Junior Girls Results #
Finals Matchups #
100 pounds – Juliana Tice (MO) vs. Mya Hairston (MO)
105 pounds – Heather Crull (IN) vs. Isabelle Apple (MO)
110 pounds – Morgan Turner (IL) vs. Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (AZ)
115 pounds – Beyonce' Espinosa (FL) vs. Joely Slyter (ID)
120 pounds – Caley Graber (MN) vs. Vera Spencer (GA)
125 pounds – Ava Strayer (IN) vs. Zahra Stewart (CA)
130 pounds – Zorina Johnson (OR) vs. Dealya Collins (WI)
135 pounds – Vanessa Aguirre (AZ) vs. Nora Akpan (MN)
140 pounds – Maddie Marsh (IN) vs. Ailee Briggs (FL)
145 pounds – Elise Twait (ID) vs. Margaret Buurma (MI)
155 pounds – Cassandra Gonzales (MN) vs. Amelia Fawcett (AK)
170 pounds – Emily Novak (MN) vs. Kaili Manuel (MI)
190 pounds – Brooke Huffman (WI) vs. Rylee Ferranti (TX)
207 pounds – Tilisa Matakaiongo (UT) vs. Isabella Lorenzana (CA)
Semifinal Results #
100 pounds #
Juliana Tice (MO) fall Evangeline Monge (TN), 3:12
Mya Hairston (MO) dec. Tayler Brown (ID), 5-4
105 pounds #
Heather Crull (IN) fall Siera Becker (IA), 0:43
Isabelle Apple (MO) maj. dec. Madisyn Mikels (IN), 17-3
110 pounds #
Morgan Turner (IL) tech. fall Aubree Gutierrez (CA), 19-4
Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (AZ) tech. fall Kayla McNatt (AZ), 18-3
115 pounds #
Beyonce' Espinosa (FL) dec. Kendall Moe (IN), 6-4
Joely Slyter (ID) fall Kinzie Williams (ID), 5:59
120 pounds #
Caley Graber (MN) fall Cheyenne Frank (MI), 1:28
Vera Spencer (GA) tech. fall Abigail Meyrer (IA), 21-4
125 pounds #
Ava Strayer (IN) fall Kooper Griggs (CO), 5:26
Zahra Stewart (CA) dec. Kandice Spry (OH), 7-2
130 pounds #
Zorina Johnson (OR) maj. dec. Keanna Conrad (ID), 15-7
Dealya Collins (WI) fall Kalynn Lyons (NE), 0:54
135 pounds #
Vanessa Aguirre (AZ) dec. Naima Ghaffar (IN), 10-5
Nora Akpan (MN) fall Abigail Mozden (OH), 4:42
140 pounds #
Maddie Marsh (IN) fall Taydem Bylin (WA), 5:02
Ailee Briggs (FL) dec. Kaylan Hitchcock (KS), 10-5
145 pounds #
Elise Twait (ID) maj. dec. Aleksandra Bastaic (IN), 9-1
Margaret Buurma (MI) tech. fall Hayden Bratland (IA), 23-4
155 pounds #
Cassandra Gonzales (MN) dec. Esperanza Calvillo (MN), 1-0
Amelia Fawcett (AK) fall Hadyn Stine (TX), 1:46
170 pounds #
Emily Novak (MN) dec. Kiley Dillow (KS), 11-10
Kaili Manuel (MI) dec. Millie Azlin (OK), 7-6
190 pounds #
Brooke Huffman (WI) fall Leah Stewart (IA), 1:20
Rylee Ferranti (TX) fall Bricsia Garcia Vasquez (IA), 5:28
207 pounds #
Tilisa Matakaiongo (UT) fall Sydney Coyne (WI), 0:36
Isabella Lorenzana (CA) fall Taryn Boehmer (IA), 1:13
Quarterfinal Results #
100 pounds #
Juliana Tice (MO) dec. Khyla Lipumano (AZ), 9-6 SV
Evangeline Monge (TN) over Lemuna Gurisho (IA), 19-16 SV
Mya Hairston (MO) fall Madalyn Riedinger (KS), 3:37
Tayler Brown (ID) dec. Cassidy O'Connell (WI), 6-1
105 pounds #
Heather Crull (IN) fall Alissa Chanda (MO), 1:28
Siera Becker (IA) dec. Lainie Galvan (KS), 9-3
Madisyn Mikels (IN) maj. dec. Cayden Taylor (MI), 11-3
Isabelle Apple (MO) maj. dec. Ivy Brandenburg (MN), 12-3
110 pounds #
Morgan Turner (IL) fall Kayleigh Milam (MO), 1:05
Aubree Gutierrez (CA) dec. Athea Valenzuela (AZ), 13-7
Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (AZ) tech. fall Payton Gines (UT), 19-3
Kayla McNatt (AZ) dec. Olivia Crull (IN), 7-5
115 pounds #
Kendall Moe (IN) fall Jordyn Isla (AZ), 2:38
Beyonce' Espinosa (FL) tech. fall Anh Ngo (MO), 18-0
Joely Slyter (ID) fall Leah Willen (OH), 0:37
Kinzie Williams (ID) tech. fall Sevanna Aguirre (AZ), 17-0
120 pounds #
Caley Graber (MN) tech. fall Ally Jelinek (IA), 17-1
Cheyenne Frank (MI) tech. fall Tegan Robertson (IA), 17-1
Abigail Meyrer (IA) maj. dec. Mary Prescott (WI), 12-1
Vera Spencer (GA) fall Anna Buurma (MI), 4:15
125 pounds #
Ava Strayer (IN) fall Elyse Engebretson (IA), 2:33
Kooper Griggs (CO) fall Harley LaBuda (MT), 2:27
Zahra Stewart (CA) fall Kaitlyn Raue (IA), 1:30
Kandice Spry (OH) fall Stacy Ash (MO), 0:53
130 pounds #
Keanna Conrad (ID) maj. dec. Jorgie Johnston (MO), 14-0
Zorina Johnson (OR) fall Kyler Scott (ID), 3:41
Kalynn Lyons (NE) dec. Lyniann Gusick (IA), 12-11
Dealya Collins (WI) fall Aiyana Perkins (OK), 3:53
135 pounds #
Naima Ghaffar (IN) fall Millie Jensen (NE), 5:08
Vanessa Aguirre (AZ) dec. Brooklyn Whited (OH), 14-12
Abigail Mozden (OH) fall Anna Dux (AR), 1:27
Nora Akpan (MN) tech. fall Peityn Codding (AZ), 18-3
140 pounds #
Maddie Marsh (IN) fall Amelia Roennebeck (UT), 0:42
Taydem Bylin (WA) tech. fall Alexis Means (KS), 21-3
Kaylan Hitchcock (KS) fall Kaitlyn Thorn (MT), 3:46
Ailee Briggs (FL) dec. Chloe Sanders (IA), 5-4
145 pounds #
Aleksandra Bastaic (IN) fall Greta Brus (IA), 5:11
Elise Twait (ID) fall Maia Dolinar (KS), 2:29
Margaret Buurma (MI) tech. fall Kamahni Jackson (MO), 18-3
Hayden Bratland (IA) maj. dec. Meleana Fager (UT), 12-3
155 pounds #
Cassandra Gonzales (MN) dec. Madison Ward (MI), 6-0
Esperanza Calvillo (MN) maj. dec. Hattie Morrow (MT), 18-5
Hadyn Stine (TX) fall Adalia Del Real (MO), 0:29
Amelia Fawcett (AK) fall Lauren Luzum (IA), 1:22
170 pounds #
Emily Novak (MN) fall Jzunie Jones (CO), 1:12
Kiley Dillow (KS) fall Clarion Fager (UT), 1:35
Kaili Manuel (MI) dec. Elizabeth Madison (OH), 7-2
Millie Azlin (OK) fall Makayla Vasser (NE), 3:40
190 pounds #
Brooke Huffman (WI) fall Makayla Walden (UT), 0:48
Leah Stewart (IA) dec. Alexis Storsved (ND), 7-0
Rylee Ferranti (TX) fall Cambree Anderson (ND), 5:23
Bricsia Garcia Vasquez (IA) fall Payton Temple (IL), 1:42
207 pounds #
Sydney Coyne (WI) fall Elizabeth Henkins (MT), 1:28
Isabella Lorenzana (CA) fall Ciara Williams (MO), 3:08
Round Robin Bracket Results #
235 pounds (5-person bracket) #
R1 – Chloe Hoselton (IL) fall Jayden Moehle (MO), 5:03
R1 – Alexis Stinson (MO) dec. Sandra Takara (NE), 13-12
R2 – Aubrey Bartkowiak (IN) fall Sandra Takara (NE), 2:21
R2 – Alexis Stinson (MO) fall Jayden Moehle (MO), 1:24
R3 – Chloe Hoselton (IL) fall Sandra Takara (NE), 3:07
R3 – Aubrey Bartkowiak (IN) fall Alexis Stinson (MO), 0:58
R4 – Aubrey Bartkowiak (IN) fall Chloe Hoselton (IL), 2:35
R4 – Sandra Takara (NE) fall Jayden Moehle (MO), 3:04
Read More#
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