Dias, Mortimer, Blades and Brown dominate as they repeat as USMC 16U Women’s National champions
Share:
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Sage Mortimer of Utah puts Shea Reisel of Illinois in danger in their 100-pound 16U finals bout. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com
FARGO, N.D. – Four returning champions entered the gold-medal finals at the 16U Women’s Nationals seeking to win their second national title at this age group. All four won their finals match handily. So how do you pick the Outstanding Wrestler from this impressive group of champions?
When the ballots came in, the OW award went to 164-pound champion Kennedy Blades of Illinois, who won her finals match with a pin in just 29 seconds cover Dasia Yearby of South Carolina. Blades scored quickly, then locked up her deadly cradle to secure the fall.
None of Blades matches lasted a full period, with three technical falls on Saturday. She stopped Abbie Aney of Washington, 10-0 in 28 seconds in the preliminaries, Shayna Kamaka of Hawaii, 10-0 in 26 seconds in the quarterfinals and Alivia White of Washington, 10-0 in 1:03 in the semifinals.
The other three talented champions who won a second straight U16 National title were Sterling Dias of Utah (94), Sage Mortimer of Utah (100) and Olivia Brown of Oklahoma (200).
Dias, a 2018 Cadet World bronze medalist, opened the finals session by winning her second straight 16U National title with a solid 8-0 victory over Isabella Morales of Washington at 94 pounds. Dias jumped out quickly with a takedown and two high gut wrench turns for a 6-0 lead. She closed it out with another takedown in the second period.
Mortimer had a strong offensive display in her 13-3 technical fall victory over Shea Reisel of Illinois. Mortimer controlled the early action. In the second period, she hit a nice hip toss followed by a takedown and turn to close it out in the second period.
Brown hit a pair of four point throws to lead 8-0, then took down and pinned Raina Herzog of Oregon in the finals in 3:45.
The Blades family of Illinois celebrated a pair of national champions, as Kennedy’s younger sister Korina won her 16U Nationals finals match at 127 pounds, in a 2-2 criteria decision over Haley Ward of Missouri. Korina Blades scored a double leg takedown to tie the match and win by scoring the last point.
It was also a good night for the girls team at Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania, which had three individual champions: the Blades sisters, plus Reece Larramendy of Nevada at 138 pounds. Larramendy defeated 2018 16U National runner-up Sara Sulejmani of Illinois, 10-5 in the finals.
Team Nevada celebrated after the wins by Dias and Larramendy. It was the first time in history that Nevada had a pair of Fargo champions in the same style and age-group in history. It was also only the second time the state had ever had two champions in a year overall.
There were four pins in the finals. Along with Blades and Brown, champions by fall were Amani Jones of Georgia at 112 pounds and Destiny Rodriguez of Oregon at 144 pounds. Both scored first-period pins, as Jones pinned Arieana Arias of California in 1:10 and Rodriguez decked Kayley Rada of Michigan in 50 seconds. Jones hit a double overhook, inside-trip throw to put Arias on her back and secure the first-period fall.
Korina Blades and Destiny Rodriguez were champions in the first U15 World Championships earlier this year.
The team title went to California with 91 points, a full 44 points ahead of runner-up Illinois with 41 points. Missouri, Washington and Oregon rounded out the top five teams.
California’s individual champions were Jennifer Soto at 117 pounds and Hannah Ricioli at 152 pounds. Both won close battles in the finals. Soto edged California teammate Katie Gomez, 2-0 in the finals. Ricioli won a see-saw battle with Dakota-Marie Dinielli of Connecticut, 8-7.
Other individual champions were Faith Cole of Missouri at 106, Sofia Macaluso of New York at 122, Nonnie Justice of Missouri at 132 and Brianna Staebler of Wisconsin at 180.
Cole stopped Alexix Janiak of Illinois, 8-2 in her finals. Justice won an all-Missouri finals, as she defeated teammate Maddie Kubicki of Missouri in a 4-4 criteria decision.
Macalusa was dominant in her finals match, dispatching Kelly Escamilla of California in a 10-0 technical fall. Staebler scored a late takedown to win a tight 3-2 victory over Brittyn Corbishley of Texas.
A number of the 16U wrestlers were also in high school this past year, and many are expected to enter the Junior Nationals women’s competition, which begins on Tuesday.
The entire U.S. Marine Corps Junior/16U Nationals is being broadcast live by Flowrestling.
USMC 16U NATIONALS
At Fargo, N.D.
Women’s freestyle results
94 pounds
1st - Sterling Dias (Nevada) dec. Isabella Morales (Washington), 8-0
3rd - Heaven Fitch (North Carolina) dec. Eva Diaz (Florida), 12-4
5th - Alexandra Szkotnicki (Maryland) pin Avery Kibelbek (Tennessee), 1:38
7th - Makayla Young (Ohio) dec. Madison Avila (California), 12-5
100 pounds
1st - Sage Mortimer (Utah) tech. fall Shea Reisel (Illinois), 13-3, 2:56
3rd - Karina Vang (California) dec. Ella Schmit (Iowa), 8-5
5th - Riley Banyas (Ohio) dec. Logan Farnsworth (Rhode Island), 6-5
7th - Janessa George (Colorado) pin Marisol Rodriguez (California), 2:25
106 pounds
1st - Faith Cole (Missouri) dec. Alexis Janiak (Illinois), 8-2
3rd - Julianne Moccia (Maryland) pin Greta Gustafson (California), 2:33
5th - Genesis Cejudo (Arizona) pin Ava Bayless (Pennsylvania), 4:00
7th - Abbygale Duke (Pennsylvania) dec. Chloe Ayres (New Jersey), 7-0
112 pounds
1st - Amani Jones (Georgia) pin Arieana Arias (California), 1:10
3rd - Salyna Shotwell (Washington) pin Lexy Beadles (California), 3:10
5th - Lily Grismer (Montana) pin Torieonna Buchanan (Indiana), 2:58
7th - Elizabeth Duvall (Texas) dec. Hannah Hall (Florida), 11-5
117 pounds
1st - Jennifer Soto (California) dec. Katie Gomez (California), 2-0
3rd - Adriana Dorado-Marin (Colorado) pin Claire Dicugno (Washington), 3:09
5th - Ally Fitzgerald (New York) pin Kaila Del toro (Illinois), 0:44
7th - Anya Knappenberger (Maryland) tech. fall Jenna Beddow (Washington), 10-0, 3:07
122 pounds
1st - Sofia Macaluso (New York) tech. fall Kelly Escamilla (California), 10-0, 1:04
3rd - Emily Paulino (Hawaii) dec. Savannah Cosme (Colorado), 6-5
5th - Jaclyn Dehney (New Hampshire) pin Cayden Condit (Colorado), 1:15
7th - Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (California) dec. Nadine Quijada (California), 6-0
127 pounds
1st - Korina Blades (Illinois) dec. Haley Ward (Missouri), 2-2
3rd - London Houston (Washington) dec. Sofia Brynman-Metcalf (Wisconsin), 6-2
5th - Isabella Amaro (Oregon) dec. Devin Patton (Texas), 5-2
7th - Sarah Savidge (Colorado) tech. fall Piper Staniford (Oregon), 10-0, 0:49
132 pounds
1st - Nonnie Justice (Missouri) dec. Maddie Kubicki (Missouri), 4-4
3rd - Lily Sherer (Pennsylvania) dec. Elleni Johnson (Utah), 12-9
5th - Athena Willden (California) pin Anna Krause (New Hampshire), 0:54
7th - Piper Cadden (Arizona) dec. Alicia Pieper (Michigan), 5-2
138 pounds
1st - Reese Larramendy (Nevada) dec. Sara Sulejmani (Illinois), 10-5
3rd - Esther Han (Missouri) dec. Abby Mcintyre (Iowa), 12-8
5th - Annie n. Hua (California) pin Marissa Jimenez (Idaho), 1:02
7th - Veronica Whitacre (New Jersey) dec. Mariah Wahl (Montana), 2-0
144 pounds
1st - Destiny Rodriguez (Oregon) pin Kayley Rada (Michigan), 0:50
3rd - Ella Nichols (Connecticut) dec. Sydney Manos (Illinois), 8-0
5th - Ayala Wolak (Ohio) pin Alexandria Hernandez (Washington), 0:43
7th - Rose Cassioppi (Illinois) pin Samantha Archer (Missouri), 1:18
152 pounds
1st - Hannah Ricioli (California) dec. Dakota-Marie Dinielli (Connecticut), 8-7
3rd - Mariyah Casados (California) dec. Annabel Garcia (California), 10-2
5th - Jillian Wold (Texas) inj. dft. Abigail Bolling (Missouri)
7th - Shannon Workinger (Washington) tech. fall Amanda Pace New Jersey (New Jersey), 12-1 1:32
164 pounds
1st - Kennedy Blades (Illinois) pin Dasia Yearby (South Carolina), 0:29
3rd - Alivia White (Washington) pin Alyssa Arana (California), 3:50
5th - Alycia Pidgeon (Washington) pin Kiersten O'neill (Indiana), 3:09
7th - Leilani Hernandez (Texas) dec.Mckenzie Samuels (New York), 6-0
180 pounds
1st - Brianna Staebler (Wisconsin) dec. Brittyn Corbishley (Texas), 3-2
3rd - Sam Calkins (California) pin Fiona Mcconnell (Oregon), 1:21
5th - Kailyn Garrett (Michigan) pin Riley Dempewolf (Indiana), 2:50
7th - Cheyenne Meade (Ohio) pin Brooke Leedahl (North Dakota), 1:12
200 pounds
1st - Olivia Brown (Oklahoma) pin Raina Herzog (Oregon), 3:45
3rd - Millie Peach (Iowa) pin Sujeydy Matos (New York), 1:27
5th - Debranna Bealer (Alaska) dec. Cassidy Curtiss (California), 2-2
7th - Brooke Bennett (Missouri) pin Andrea Smith (Florida), 0:51
Outstanding Wrestler – Kennedy Blades (Illinois), 164 pounds
Most Falls – Greta Gustafson (California), 5 falls in 5:27 at 106
Team Standings
1. California, 91
2. Illinois, 47
3. Missouri, 42
4. Washington, 40
5. Oregon, 25
6. (tie) Colorado, New York and Texas, 18
9. (tie) Iowa and Nevada, 16
11. (tie) Connecticut, Utah and Wisconsin, 13
14 (tie) Maryland, Michigan and Ohio, 12
17. Pennsylvania, 11
18. Indiana, 9
19. (tie) Georgia and Oklahoma, 8
21. (tie) Florida and South Carolina, 7
24.(tie) Arizona, Hawaii, North Carolina, 6
27. Montana, 5
28. (tie) Alaska and New Jersey, 4
30. (tie) Idaho, Rhode Island and Tennessee, 3 -
33. North Dakota, 1
FARGO, N.D. – Four returning champions entered the gold-medal finals at the 16U Women’s Nationals seeking to win their second national title at this age group. All four won their finals match handily. So how do you pick the Outstanding Wrestler from this impressive group of champions?
When the ballots came in, the OW award went to 164-pound champion Kennedy Blades of Illinois, who won her finals match with a pin in just 29 seconds cover Dasia Yearby of South Carolina. Blades scored quickly, then locked up her deadly cradle to secure the fall.
None of Blades matches lasted a full period, with three technical falls on Saturday. She stopped Abbie Aney of Washington, 10-0 in 28 seconds in the preliminaries, Shayna Kamaka of Hawaii, 10-0 in 26 seconds in the quarterfinals and Alivia White of Washington, 10-0 in 1:03 in the semifinals.
The other three talented champions who won a second straight U16 National title were Sterling Dias of Utah (94), Sage Mortimer of Utah (100) and Olivia Brown of Oklahoma (200).
Dias, a 2018 Cadet World bronze medalist, opened the finals session by winning her second straight 16U National title with a solid 8-0 victory over Isabella Morales of Washington at 94 pounds. Dias jumped out quickly with a takedown and two high gut wrench turns for a 6-0 lead. She closed it out with another takedown in the second period.
Mortimer had a strong offensive display in her 13-3 technical fall victory over Shea Reisel of Illinois. Mortimer controlled the early action. In the second period, she hit a nice hip toss followed by a takedown and turn to close it out in the second period.
Brown hit a pair of four point throws to lead 8-0, then took down and pinned Raina Herzog of Oregon in the finals in 3:45.
The Blades family of Illinois celebrated a pair of national champions, as Kennedy’s younger sister Korina won her 16U Nationals finals match at 127 pounds, in a 2-2 criteria decision over Haley Ward of Missouri. Korina Blades scored a double leg takedown to tie the match and win by scoring the last point.
It was also a good night for the girls team at Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania, which had three individual champions: the Blades sisters, plus Reece Larramendy of Nevada at 138 pounds. Larramendy defeated 2018 16U National runner-up Sara Sulejmani of Illinois, 10-5 in the finals.
Team Nevada celebrated after the wins by Dias and Larramendy. It was the first time in history that Nevada had a pair of Fargo champions in the same style and age-group in history. It was also only the second time the state had ever had two champions in a year overall.
There were four pins in the finals. Along with Blades and Brown, champions by fall were Amani Jones of Georgia at 112 pounds and Destiny Rodriguez of Oregon at 144 pounds. Both scored first-period pins, as Jones pinned Arieana Arias of California in 1:10 and Rodriguez decked Kayley Rada of Michigan in 50 seconds. Jones hit a double overhook, inside-trip throw to put Arias on her back and secure the first-period fall.
Korina Blades and Destiny Rodriguez were champions in the first U15 World Championships earlier this year.
The team title went to California with 91 points, a full 44 points ahead of runner-up Illinois with 41 points. Missouri, Washington and Oregon rounded out the top five teams.
California’s individual champions were Jennifer Soto at 117 pounds and Hannah Ricioli at 152 pounds. Both won close battles in the finals. Soto edged California teammate Katie Gomez, 2-0 in the finals. Ricioli won a see-saw battle with Dakota-Marie Dinielli of Connecticut, 8-7.
Other individual champions were Faith Cole of Missouri at 106, Sofia Macaluso of New York at 122, Nonnie Justice of Missouri at 132 and Brianna Staebler of Wisconsin at 180.
Cole stopped Alexix Janiak of Illinois, 8-2 in her finals. Justice won an all-Missouri finals, as she defeated teammate Maddie Kubicki of Missouri in a 4-4 criteria decision.
Macalusa was dominant in her finals match, dispatching Kelly Escamilla of California in a 10-0 technical fall. Staebler scored a late takedown to win a tight 3-2 victory over Brittyn Corbishley of Texas.
A number of the 16U wrestlers were also in high school this past year, and many are expected to enter the Junior Nationals women’s competition, which begins on Tuesday.
The entire U.S. Marine Corps Junior/16U Nationals is being broadcast live by Flowrestling.
USMC 16U NATIONALS
At Fargo, N.D.
Women’s freestyle results
94 pounds
1st - Sterling Dias (Nevada) dec. Isabella Morales (Washington), 8-0
3rd - Heaven Fitch (North Carolina) dec. Eva Diaz (Florida), 12-4
5th - Alexandra Szkotnicki (Maryland) pin Avery Kibelbek (Tennessee), 1:38
7th - Makayla Young (Ohio) dec. Madison Avila (California), 12-5
100 pounds
1st - Sage Mortimer (Utah) tech. fall Shea Reisel (Illinois), 13-3, 2:56
3rd - Karina Vang (California) dec. Ella Schmit (Iowa), 8-5
5th - Riley Banyas (Ohio) dec. Logan Farnsworth (Rhode Island), 6-5
7th - Janessa George (Colorado) pin Marisol Rodriguez (California), 2:25
106 pounds
1st - Faith Cole (Missouri) dec. Alexis Janiak (Illinois), 8-2
3rd - Julianne Moccia (Maryland) pin Greta Gustafson (California), 2:33
5th - Genesis Cejudo (Arizona) pin Ava Bayless (Pennsylvania), 4:00
7th - Abbygale Duke (Pennsylvania) dec. Chloe Ayres (New Jersey), 7-0
112 pounds
1st - Amani Jones (Georgia) pin Arieana Arias (California), 1:10
3rd - Salyna Shotwell (Washington) pin Lexy Beadles (California), 3:10
5th - Lily Grismer (Montana) pin Torieonna Buchanan (Indiana), 2:58
7th - Elizabeth Duvall (Texas) dec. Hannah Hall (Florida), 11-5
117 pounds
1st - Jennifer Soto (California) dec. Katie Gomez (California), 2-0
3rd - Adriana Dorado-Marin (Colorado) pin Claire Dicugno (Washington), 3:09
5th - Ally Fitzgerald (New York) pin Kaila Del toro (Illinois), 0:44
7th - Anya Knappenberger (Maryland) tech. fall Jenna Beddow (Washington), 10-0, 3:07
122 pounds
1st - Sofia Macaluso (New York) tech. fall Kelly Escamilla (California), 10-0, 1:04
3rd - Emily Paulino (Hawaii) dec. Savannah Cosme (Colorado), 6-5
5th - Jaclyn Dehney (New Hampshire) pin Cayden Condit (Colorado), 1:15
7th - Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (California) dec. Nadine Quijada (California), 6-0
127 pounds
1st - Korina Blades (Illinois) dec. Haley Ward (Missouri), 2-2
3rd - London Houston (Washington) dec. Sofia Brynman-Metcalf (Wisconsin), 6-2
5th - Isabella Amaro (Oregon) dec. Devin Patton (Texas), 5-2
7th - Sarah Savidge (Colorado) tech. fall Piper Staniford (Oregon), 10-0, 0:49
132 pounds
1st - Nonnie Justice (Missouri) dec. Maddie Kubicki (Missouri), 4-4
3rd - Lily Sherer (Pennsylvania) dec. Elleni Johnson (Utah), 12-9
5th - Athena Willden (California) pin Anna Krause (New Hampshire), 0:54
7th - Piper Cadden (Arizona) dec. Alicia Pieper (Michigan), 5-2
138 pounds
1st - Reese Larramendy (Nevada) dec. Sara Sulejmani (Illinois), 10-5
3rd - Esther Han (Missouri) dec. Abby Mcintyre (Iowa), 12-8
5th - Annie n. Hua (California) pin Marissa Jimenez (Idaho), 1:02
7th - Veronica Whitacre (New Jersey) dec. Mariah Wahl (Montana), 2-0
144 pounds
1st - Destiny Rodriguez (Oregon) pin Kayley Rada (Michigan), 0:50
3rd - Ella Nichols (Connecticut) dec. Sydney Manos (Illinois), 8-0
5th - Ayala Wolak (Ohio) pin Alexandria Hernandez (Washington), 0:43
7th - Rose Cassioppi (Illinois) pin Samantha Archer (Missouri), 1:18
152 pounds
1st - Hannah Ricioli (California) dec. Dakota-Marie Dinielli (Connecticut), 8-7
3rd - Mariyah Casados (California) dec. Annabel Garcia (California), 10-2
5th - Jillian Wold (Texas) inj. dft. Abigail Bolling (Missouri)
7th - Shannon Workinger (Washington) tech. fall Amanda Pace New Jersey (New Jersey), 12-1 1:32
164 pounds
1st - Kennedy Blades (Illinois) pin Dasia Yearby (South Carolina), 0:29
3rd - Alivia White (Washington) pin Alyssa Arana (California), 3:50
5th - Alycia Pidgeon (Washington) pin Kiersten O'neill (Indiana), 3:09
7th - Leilani Hernandez (Texas) dec.Mckenzie Samuels (New York), 6-0
180 pounds
1st - Brianna Staebler (Wisconsin) dec. Brittyn Corbishley (Texas), 3-2
3rd - Sam Calkins (California) pin Fiona Mcconnell (Oregon), 1:21
5th - Kailyn Garrett (Michigan) pin Riley Dempewolf (Indiana), 2:50
7th - Cheyenne Meade (Ohio) pin Brooke Leedahl (North Dakota), 1:12
200 pounds
1st - Olivia Brown (Oklahoma) pin Raina Herzog (Oregon), 3:45
3rd - Millie Peach (Iowa) pin Sujeydy Matos (New York), 1:27
5th - Debranna Bealer (Alaska) dec. Cassidy Curtiss (California), 2-2
7th - Brooke Bennett (Missouri) pin Andrea Smith (Florida), 0:51
Outstanding Wrestler – Kennedy Blades (Illinois), 164 pounds
Most Falls – Greta Gustafson (California), 5 falls in 5:27 at 106
Team Standings
1. California, 91
2. Illinois, 47
3. Missouri, 42
4. Washington, 40
5. Oregon, 25
6. (tie) Colorado, New York and Texas, 18
9. (tie) Iowa and Nevada, 16
11. (tie) Connecticut, Utah and Wisconsin, 13
14 (tie) Maryland, Michigan and Ohio, 12
17. Pennsylvania, 11
18. Indiana, 9
19. (tie) Georgia and Oklahoma, 8
21. (tie) Florida and South Carolina, 7
24.(tie) Arizona, Hawaii, North Carolina, 6
27. Montana, 5
28. (tie) Alaska and New Jersey, 4
30. (tie) Idaho, Rhode Island and Tennessee, 3 -
33. North Dakota, 1
