#WomensWednesday: Nine high school girls who made huge gains during the pandemic
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Photos of Savannah Cosme of Colorado and Janida Garcia of California courtesy of Twitter.
Roll back to March 2020. One of the most exciting and impressive regular high school seasons for girls had just completed, with expanded participation in official and unofficial state championships. By the time that the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut down our nation, every state which held a girls championship had been held, except for Illinois which ultimately got cancelled.
However, the pandemic basically killed the spring and summer season, with all four of the major USA Wrestling national events that provide opportunities for girls to shine were ultimately cancelled. Gone were the Girls Folkstyle Nationals in Colorado Springs, the Women’s Nationals in Irving, the Women’s National Duals in Tulsa and the combined Junior/16U Nationals in Fargo.
Since this summer, many talented high school girls have been quite active, entering a variety of competitions in a number of locations where wrestling was allowed to happen. Now that some of the major fall competitions have been held, including the major events such as USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, Super 32 and others, we identify nine high school girls who have made some big jumps in performance (listed in no particular order). You can expect to see these wrestlers getting much higher rankings when the National Girls High School Rankings are released later this week for November.
Savannah Cosme, junior, Denver, Colo., Chatfield High School, 132 pounds
Cosme placed second in the 2020 Colorado state championships at 127 pounds, losing to tough Cayden Condit in the finals. Cosme was not included in the March 2020 national rankings. Since then, Cosme has wrestled often and well, beating a ton of ranked wrestlers. At the Grand River Rumble, Cosme went unbeaten in both the freestyle and folkstyle duals, and made the finals in the individual tournament in both styles. Of note were two wins over then No. 1 ranked Amor Tuttle of Minnesota. Add in a title at the Reno Worlds in the 19U division. Her big step up came at Super 32, where she won the 130-pound title, with wins over four ranked opponents, including No. 3 Devin Patton and No. 4 Alexis Janiak. It’s possible nobody had the kind of spring and summer that Cosme has had.
Janida Garcia, sophomore, Modesto, Calif., Central Catholic High School, 138 pounds
Go back to the 2020 California state tournament, and Janida Garcia placed fourth in the state at 121 pounds. She was also not in the national rankings. One of the first things she did was move up in weight in the off-season, with great results. She competed at 141 pounds at the Western States Championships, winning in folkstyle and Greco-Roman and placing second in freestyle. At the Rocky Mountain Nationals at 136 pounds, Garcia won folkstyle and was third in freestyle. Her biggest victories came this fall at 138 pounds, claiming the Freakshow by beating three ranked wrestlers, then claiming the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals with wins over two ranked opponents.
Rose Cassioppi, senior, Hononegah, Ill., Hononegah High School, 152 pounds
As an Illinois wrestler, Cassioppi did not get to enter her unofficial state tournament which was cancelled for COVID. Her post-season was immediately successful, with a second place at the USA Nationals in the spring. She made her mark in dual meet events, going 5-0 at the Outlaw Duals (with a win over No. 5 Leilani Hernandez), and 4-0 at the National Club Duals, beating No. 6 Jade Herzer. She secured a big title last weekend by winning the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals title. We know the Cassioppi name on the boys side because of current Iowa heavyweight Tony. Rose is adding to the family legacy on the girls side.
Jaclyn Dehney, sophomore, Pelham, N.H., Central Catholic High School, 117 pounds
Dehney made a name for herself in Eastern wrestling circles, and first got some publicity in 2019 USA Wrestling events and with a runner-up finish at the 2019 Super 32. She was ranked No. 9 nationally in March. This summer, she went unbeaten in freestyle at the Olympic Club Duals. She made a huge step at the 2020 Super 32 with her title at 115 pounds, beating four wrestlers who were ranked in the top 10: No. 7 Shea Reisel, No. 8 Olivia Messerly, No. 9 Taylin Long and No. 10 Amiyah Hart.
Yele Aycock, senior, Gallup, N.M., Miyamura High School, 132 pounds
Aycock won New Mexico state titles in 2019 and 2020, but her only national placement of note prior to this year was a second place in the 2018 USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle Nationals. Her national ranking in March 2020 was No. 20 in her weight. She is coming off a great effort at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals with a victory at 132 pounds, with wins over No. 3 Devin Patton and No. 7 Hanna Errthum.
Shelby Moore, sophomore, Buckley, Wash., White River High School, 122 pounds
Moore placed third at the 2020 Washington State championships at 115 pounds and was not nationally ranked in March 2020. She started her summer at the Western State Championships, winning in folkstyle and Greco-Roman and placing third in freestyle, with some ranked wins. She added a fourth place at the Freakshow, with a win over No. 3 Charlotte Kouyoumtjian. She added three more ranked wins while claiming the 122-pound title at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals this past weekend.
Sabrina Nauss, freshman, Brighton, Mich., Brighton High School, 180 pounds
Athletes don’t get ranked until they become freshmen, so Sabrina Nauss was not in the rankings in March 2020 as an eighth grader. She quickly won a bunch of big spring and summer matches that make her one of the best freshmen on the scene right now. She went 4-1 at the Iron Duals in Freestyle, with a win over then No. 2 Jaycee Foeller. Her 5-0 record at the National Club Duals was also impressive, and she also won the individual tournament at 169 pounds. She just added a title at 180 at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, with a win over then No. 2 Brittyn Corbishley.
Katie Gomez, junior, Van Nuys, Calif., Birmingham High School, 122 pounds
Gomez is a tough wrestler from California, and has been wrestling on the USA Wrestling national circuit since early 2019. When she placed third in the 2020 California state meet at 121, she was ranked No. 8 in the nation. Her summer has been awesome. She started with a 5-0 record at 132 at the Iron Duals. Staying up at 132, she was second in the Rocky Mountain Nationals in both freestyle and folkstyle. At the Freakshow, she dropped back to 123 pounds and won the title, getting two ranked wins. Her Super 32 victory at 123 pounds included four ranked wins, including beating No. 2 Montana Delawder and No. 3 Amani Jones.
Jaylan Hyman, senior, Windsor Mill, Md., Randallstown High School , 180 pounds
Hyman got her first national placement with an eighth at the 2018 Junior Folkstyle Nationals, and reached the bloodround of the 2019 Junior Nationals in Fargo. After she won the 2020 Maryland state title at 164 pounds, her national ranking was at No. 19. She won a match at the Southeast Duals over a tough post-graduate opponent. At the Super 32, she captured the 172-pound title, with a win over past 16U Nationals runner-up and No. 4 ranked Dasia Yearby.
Check out the newest Girls High School National Rankings, which will be published by USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and FloWrestling at the end of this week.
Roll back to March 2020. One of the most exciting and impressive regular high school seasons for girls had just completed, with expanded participation in official and unofficial state championships. By the time that the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut down our nation, every state which held a girls championship had been held, except for Illinois which ultimately got cancelled.
However, the pandemic basically killed the spring and summer season, with all four of the major USA Wrestling national events that provide opportunities for girls to shine were ultimately cancelled. Gone were the Girls Folkstyle Nationals in Colorado Springs, the Women’s Nationals in Irving, the Women’s National Duals in Tulsa and the combined Junior/16U Nationals in Fargo.
Since this summer, many talented high school girls have been quite active, entering a variety of competitions in a number of locations where wrestling was allowed to happen. Now that some of the major fall competitions have been held, including the major events such as USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, Super 32 and others, we identify nine high school girls who have made some big jumps in performance (listed in no particular order). You can expect to see these wrestlers getting much higher rankings when the National Girls High School Rankings are released later this week for November.
Savannah Cosme, junior, Denver, Colo., Chatfield High School, 132 pounds
Cosme placed second in the 2020 Colorado state championships at 127 pounds, losing to tough Cayden Condit in the finals. Cosme was not included in the March 2020 national rankings. Since then, Cosme has wrestled often and well, beating a ton of ranked wrestlers. At the Grand River Rumble, Cosme went unbeaten in both the freestyle and folkstyle duals, and made the finals in the individual tournament in both styles. Of note were two wins over then No. 1 ranked Amor Tuttle of Minnesota. Add in a title at the Reno Worlds in the 19U division. Her big step up came at Super 32, where she won the 130-pound title, with wins over four ranked opponents, including No. 3 Devin Patton and No. 4 Alexis Janiak. It’s possible nobody had the kind of spring and summer that Cosme has had.
Janida Garcia, sophomore, Modesto, Calif., Central Catholic High School, 138 pounds
Go back to the 2020 California state tournament, and Janida Garcia placed fourth in the state at 121 pounds. She was also not in the national rankings. One of the first things she did was move up in weight in the off-season, with great results. She competed at 141 pounds at the Western States Championships, winning in folkstyle and Greco-Roman and placing second in freestyle. At the Rocky Mountain Nationals at 136 pounds, Garcia won folkstyle and was third in freestyle. Her biggest victories came this fall at 138 pounds, claiming the Freakshow by beating three ranked wrestlers, then claiming the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals with wins over two ranked opponents.
Rose Cassioppi, senior, Hononegah, Ill., Hononegah High School, 152 pounds
As an Illinois wrestler, Cassioppi did not get to enter her unofficial state tournament which was cancelled for COVID. Her post-season was immediately successful, with a second place at the USA Nationals in the spring. She made her mark in dual meet events, going 5-0 at the Outlaw Duals (with a win over No. 5 Leilani Hernandez), and 4-0 at the National Club Duals, beating No. 6 Jade Herzer. She secured a big title last weekend by winning the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals title. We know the Cassioppi name on the boys side because of current Iowa heavyweight Tony. Rose is adding to the family legacy on the girls side.
Jaclyn Dehney, sophomore, Pelham, N.H., Central Catholic High School, 117 pounds
Dehney made a name for herself in Eastern wrestling circles, and first got some publicity in 2019 USA Wrestling events and with a runner-up finish at the 2019 Super 32. She was ranked No. 9 nationally in March. This summer, she went unbeaten in freestyle at the Olympic Club Duals. She made a huge step at the 2020 Super 32 with her title at 115 pounds, beating four wrestlers who were ranked in the top 10: No. 7 Shea Reisel, No. 8 Olivia Messerly, No. 9 Taylin Long and No. 10 Amiyah Hart.
Yele Aycock, senior, Gallup, N.M., Miyamura High School, 132 pounds
Aycock won New Mexico state titles in 2019 and 2020, but her only national placement of note prior to this year was a second place in the 2018 USA Wrestling Cadet Folkstyle Nationals. Her national ranking in March 2020 was No. 20 in her weight. She is coming off a great effort at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals with a victory at 132 pounds, with wins over No. 3 Devin Patton and No. 7 Hanna Errthum.
Shelby Moore, sophomore, Buckley, Wash., White River High School, 122 pounds
Moore placed third at the 2020 Washington State championships at 115 pounds and was not nationally ranked in March 2020. She started her summer at the Western State Championships, winning in folkstyle and Greco-Roman and placing third in freestyle, with some ranked wins. She added a fourth place at the Freakshow, with a win over No. 3 Charlotte Kouyoumtjian. She added three more ranked wins while claiming the 122-pound title at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals this past weekend.
Sabrina Nauss, freshman, Brighton, Mich., Brighton High School, 180 pounds
Athletes don’t get ranked until they become freshmen, so Sabrina Nauss was not in the rankings in March 2020 as an eighth grader. She quickly won a bunch of big spring and summer matches that make her one of the best freshmen on the scene right now. She went 4-1 at the Iron Duals in Freestyle, with a win over then No. 2 Jaycee Foeller. Her 5-0 record at the National Club Duals was also impressive, and she also won the individual tournament at 169 pounds. She just added a title at 180 at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, with a win over then No. 2 Brittyn Corbishley.
Katie Gomez, junior, Van Nuys, Calif., Birmingham High School, 122 pounds
Gomez is a tough wrestler from California, and has been wrestling on the USA Wrestling national circuit since early 2019. When she placed third in the 2020 California state meet at 121, she was ranked No. 8 in the nation. Her summer has been awesome. She started with a 5-0 record at 132 at the Iron Duals. Staying up at 132, she was second in the Rocky Mountain Nationals in both freestyle and folkstyle. At the Freakshow, she dropped back to 123 pounds and won the title, getting two ranked wins. Her Super 32 victory at 123 pounds included four ranked wins, including beating No. 2 Montana Delawder and No. 3 Amani Jones.
Jaylan Hyman, senior, Windsor Mill, Md., Randallstown High School , 180 pounds
Hyman got her first national placement with an eighth at the 2018 Junior Folkstyle Nationals, and reached the bloodround of the 2019 Junior Nationals in Fargo. After she won the 2020 Maryland state title at 164 pounds, her national ranking was at No. 19. She won a match at the Southeast Duals over a tough post-graduate opponent. At the Super 32, she captured the 172-pound title, with a win over past 16U Nationals runner-up and No. 4 ranked Dasia Yearby.
Check out the newest Girls High School National Rankings, which will be published by USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and FloWrestling at the end of this week.
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