Robinson, Turner, Murphy among stars competing for U.S U17 Women’s Freestyle World Team in Istanbul

Jasmine Robinson (USA) competing at the 2022 U17 World Championships. Photo by Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling

The United States has established itself as a world power on the age-group levels in women’s freestyle, and the 2023 U.S. U17 World Team is talented and ready to build upon that legacy in Istanbul, Turkey next week.

The women’s freestyle competition at the 2023 U17 World Championships is set for August 2-4 at the Başakşehir Gençlik ve Spor İlçe Müdürlüğü Tesisleri in Istanbul.

The USA team has won numerous USA Wrestling age-group national titles, with a number of athletes who have impressive international achievements. These athletes earned their spot on Team USA with victories at the U17 Nationals in Spokane, Wash. in early April.

Leading the USA team is Jasmine Robinson of Texas at 69 kg, who is competing in her second straight U17 World Championships after placing ninth in the 2022 U17 World Championships in Rome, Italy. Robinson has won USA Wrestling national titles at the Junior, U17 and 16U levels and is a three-time Texas state high school champion.

Four members of the U.S. U17 World Team have won gold medals at age-group Pan American Championships in the past.

Morgan Turner of Illinois, who is competing at 43 kg, has been a 2022 U15 Pan American champion and a 2021 U17 Pan American champion. She won a U16 Nationals title in Fargo, N.D. last week. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation at the high school level.

Rianne Murphy of Indiana has won a 2022 Pan American U17 gold medal and a 2021 Pan American U15 gold medal. She made big news in December by winning the Midlands Championships, a major Open competition featuring top college wrestlers.

The other two World Team members with Pan American titles are Jaclyn Bouzakis of Pennsylvania at 40 kg, a 2022 U15 Pan American champion and Haylie Jaffe of Pennsylvania, a 2021 U17 Pan American champion. Bouzakis has won the U15 Nationals titles for two straight years. Jaffe is a two-time Pennsylvania state high school champion.

The other five U.S. World Team members are competing on their first U.S. age-group World Team, but all have collected impressive resumes at the national level in the United States.

Heather Crull of Indiana, the 49 kg team member, is coming off a Junior Nationals title in Fargo, N.D. last week. Crull has been a national medalist at the U15, 16U, U17 and Junior levels within USA Wrestling.

Karlee Brooks of Arizona, the USA entry at 53 kg, is coming off a strong season, having won the National High School Recruiting Showcase as well as the U17 Nationals title. Brooks has a No. 1 national ranking in her weight class in the USA. 

Competing at 57 kg is Everest Leydecker of Arizona, a 2022 16U Nationals champion. Leydecker holds a No. 1 national ranking on the girls high school level.

May Prado, a two-time Georgia state high school champion, will compete at 65 kg. Prado won a loaded weight class to earn her spot on the U.S. World Team.

Piper Fowler of Tennessee tops off the roster at 73 kg. Fowler, a two-time Tennessee state champion, won the 2023 16U Nationals in Fargo this summer. She is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in her weight class.

U17 Women’s Freestyle World Team biographies

The USA U17 women’s freestyle team placed fourth at the 2022 U17 World Championships in Rome, led by three individual silver medalists Erica Pastoriza (43 kg) Gabriella Gomez (46 kg) and Valerie Hamilton (61 kg).

The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.

Istanbul is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

2023 U17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Istanbul, Turkey

U.S. Women’s Freestyle roster
40 kg: Jaclyn Bouzakis, Shaverstown, Pennsylvania (Team Pennsylvania)
43 kg: Morgan Turner, Lockport, Illinois (Sunkist Kids)
46 kg: Rianne Murphy, Crown Point, Indiana (Region Wrestling Academy)
49 kg: Heather Crull, Richmond, Indiana (Northeastern WC)
53 kg: Karlee Brooks, Phoenix, Arizona (Arizona Girls Wrestling)
57 kg: Everest Leydecker, Phoenix, Arizona (Thorobred WC)
61 kg: Haylie Jaffe, Avondale, Pennsylvania (Team Pennsylvania)
65 kg: May Prado , Marietta, Georgia (Level Up Wrestling Center)
69 kg: Jasmine Robinson, Allen, Texas (Allen High School Wrestling)
73 kg: Piper Fowler, Cleveland, Tenn. (Higher Calling WC)

National Women’s Developmental Coach - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: Nicole Tyson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Coach: Brazel Marquez, Reading, Pennsylvania

Personal Coach: Troy Bouzakis, Shavertown, Pennsylvania
Personal Coach: Kim Thompson, Lockport, Illinois
Personal Coach: Jose Escobedo, Chesterton, Indiana
Personal Coach: Tod Crull, Richmond, Indiana
Personal Coach: Angel Cejudo, Phoenix, Arizona
Personal Coach: Randy Leydecker, Phoenix, Arizona
Personal Coach: Donovan Panone, Marietta, Georgia
Personal Coach: Jerry Best, Allen, Texas
Personal Coach: Josh Bosken, Cleveland, Tennessee

Athletic Trainer - Jon Duplessis, Wilmington, North Carolina
Doctor - Ryan Hadden, Warren, Rhode Island

Officials
Danny Blackshear, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Cody Hesser, Gonzales, Louisiana
William Harper, Drexel, Missouri

USA Wrestling Executive Director - Richard Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Team Leader - Kelli Shuffler, Stillwater, Oklahoma

NF Delegate - Darryl Colbert, Bowie, Maryland
NF Delegate - Tim Manning, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
NF Media - Gary Abbott, Colorado Springs, Colo.

U17 World Championships Schedule
(local time in Istanbul, 7 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone)

Monday, July 31

11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:15 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
6:00 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Tuesday, August 1
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg), Repechage (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:00 p.m. - Semifinals (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (GR 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Wednesday, August 2
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg), Repechage (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (GR 45-51-60-71-92 kg)

Thursday, August 3
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg), Repechage (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (WFS 43-49-57-65-73 kg)

Friday, August 4
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg), Repechage (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (WFS 40-46-53-61-69 kg)

Saturday, August 5
11:00 a.m. – Qualification Rounds (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg), Repechage (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)
5:00 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (MFS 48-55-65-80-110 kg)

Sunday, August 6
4:30 p.m. – Repechage (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)
6:00 p.m. – Championship Finals (MFS 45-51-60-71-92 kg)