#Fargo2025 Girls divisions state highlights, with firsts, records and notable achievements

There were 2,244 individual wrestlers that took to the 30 mats on the floor of the Fargodome for the two girls divisions of the 2025 U.S. Marines Corps Junior Nationals. The official entry number for the combined divisions was one higher – 2,245 due to a single wrestler opting to compete in both age groups simultaneously. Not only did Maryland’s Taina Fernandez wrestle in both, she won both.

Fernandez’s age-group double title isn’t unprecedented in a statistical sense, since there were 24 prior instances where athletes won both the 16U and Junior women’s divisions in the same year. The nuance here is Fernandez is the first to do it since the schedule changed in 2023 and put both tournaments on the same two days.

The final official tally was 1,216 entries in Junior Girls and 1,029 in 16U Girls, which both were new records. By comparison, the first 16U Girls division was held in 2011 with 81 total athletes. In 2025, four 16U Girls WEIGHT CLASSES had 81 entries or more.

In what’s become an annual Fargo tradition, here’s a breakdown of notable firsts, records and achievements from the women’s freestyle divisions.

NOTE: This is not a state-by-state exhaustive recap, rather it highlights notable facts, stats and figures from the 2025 women’s divisions. Some states may not be listed even if they may had placewinners.

Alabama: Khloe Henshaw finished fourth at 235 pounds in the 16U Girls division, making it the third consecutive year a women’s wrestler from Alabama has placed fourth. She won the state’s ninth medal.

Alaska: Amelia Fawcett finished fourth in the Junior division at 155 pounds, making her a two-time Junior placewinner. She finished third a year ago. The state’s only other All-American was Sobrina Clendaniel, who was third in 16U at 125 pounds.

Arizona: Reagan Mathers won the state’s fifth 16U Girls championship with the gold at 115 pounds. The victory gave Arizona a women’s freestyle champion for the fourth straight year. Last year, Karlee Brooks and Isis France won titles.

Arkansas: Alena Williams and Ashley Thompson both placed in the Junior division, making it the first time the state earned multiple Junior Girls All-Americans in the same year. Williams finished sixth at 120 pounds, while Thompson was eighth at 145.

California: Historically dominant in the women’s divisions, California produced 20 All-Americans in 2025, second-most behind Pennsylvania’s 22. Unfortauntely for the Golden Staters, they went without a champion for the first time since 2004. Three wrestlers finished with silver medals – Aubree Gutierrez and Symone Jewell in the 16U division and Olivia Davis in the Junior division. Chandri Banks took fifth at Junior 155 but brought home the most falls award, pinning eight opponents in a combined 13:54. Banks fell in the second round to Michigan’s Margaret Buurma, then reeled off six straight falls, including pinning Buurma in the consolation bracket. All 10 of Banks’ bouts ended in falls.

Colorado: The state had 10 total medals with eight of them coming in the 16U division, the second-most in its history. The 78 points is the state’s second-highest point total in 16U and it was good enough for a sixth-place finish. It’s the eighth Top 10 finish in the division all-time. Justice Gutierrez won her second 16U title, becoming the state’s second two-time 16U champion, joining Ashlynn Ortega, who won 16U titles in 2014 and 2015.

Connecticut: With three wrestlers placing in the top three, Connecticut carved out a 10^th-place finish in the Junior Division. Kayla Batres won the state’s first Junior title since Erin Clodgo in 2008. Interestingly enough, Clodgo was from Vermont, but wrestled for Connecticut in Fargo since Vermont didn’t send a team at the time. Batres was also named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler, a first for the state in the age group. Calli Gilchrist earned her fifth medal in Fargo, while Sarah Henckel added her fourth.

Delaware: Last year, Natalie Radecki became the state’s first All-American in women’s freestyle, placing second in the 16U Girls division. She one-upped herself in 2025, becoming the first Junior All-American and the state’s first women’s champion in either age group with a title at 95 pounds.

Florida: With three placers in 16U and five in the Junior Division, Florida earned eight All-Americans for the fourth time in the last five years. Kiera Partello fell in the opening round, but reeled off seven straight wins to earn a place on the podium. She had five falls and finished in seventh place at Junior 105.

Georgia: Kirra Mitchell was the state’s lone All-American. She finished fourth at 105 pounds in the 16U division.

Hawaii: Serah Yogi’s sixth-place finish at 95 pounds was Hawaii’s only placewinner, but it kept alive the streak of at least one Junior All-American every single year since the inception of the tournament in 2002 – that’s 23 straight years. When you factor in all ages and styles in Fargo, 98 of the state’s 162 medals have come in the Junior Girls division.

Idaho: The state set new marks for medalists per age group and total medals in the women’s divisions in 2025. The six total medals was split three in each style. It was only the fourth time the state earned multiple medals in the 16U division and the fifth straight year the Juniors have earned multiple medals. Amie Hartman won the Junior title at 207, bringing home the state’s fourth Junior title. Joely Slyter finished fourth at Junior 115, giving her four all-time Fargo medals.

Illinois: Iowa-bound Harlee Hiller wrapped up her high school career as a four-time Fargo placewinner and was Illinois’ lone champion on the women’s side. An accomplished judoka before she started wrestling, Hiller’s wrestling improved considerably since she first placed eighth at 16U in 2022.

Indiana: Heather Crull became the state’s first three-time women’s champion with her third Junior title. She closes her Fargo career with three titles, four finals appearances and five all-time medals. Kendall Moe finished fourth at Junior 110, giving her a fourth career medal.

Iowa: With 11 All-Americans, the state tied its best combined medal haul. The six medals in 16U is the second best all-time in the age group, while the five Junior medals ties the state record set back in 2011. Reenah Utterback finished sixth at Junior 110, while Skylar Slade was sixth at Junior 145, the third Fargo medals won by each in their respective careers. Eve Skrocki won the 16U Triple Crown. Skrocki and 235-pounder Aniyah Smith won titles, making it the first time the state has won multiple titles in the same women’s age group tournament.

Kansas: The six medals won in the 16U division sets a new state record, as does the seven combined medals. It’s the third time Kansas has earned six medals in a single year – the other two occurrences came in 2008 and 2024. Gray Joyce and Lulu Kirk were both runners-up in the 16U division, which was also the first time the state had two finalists in the same year in the age group.

Maryland: So you know about Fernandez, who won half the state’s medals in 2025. The other two All-Americans were Kesi Tsarni, third at 140 pounds in 16U, and Chaniah Bernier, who was eighth at Junior 170.

Massachusetts: With a third-place finish at Junior 130, Corynne McNulty earned her second Fargo medal and became the state’s fifth multi-time medalist. McNulty was second at 136 pounds in 16U last year.

Michigan: The Mitten has returned to national prominence on the women’s mats. After a stretch of double-digit All-Americans from 2011-2013, the state was shut out in 2016. Post-pandemic has seen a resurgence with the state earning double-digit medals every year since 2021, including a record-tying 14 this year. The nine Junior medals ties the record set in 2003. Kaili Manuel repeated as 16U champion at 170 pounds, while Cecilia Williams runner-up finish gave her a fourth career medal. Madison Nieuwenhuis, Nakayla Dawson and Alexis Lazar also picked up their third Fargo medals.

Minnesota: Caley Graber and Nora Akpan won Junior championships, giving the state multiple Junior champions in the same year for the first time since 2004, when Rachel Holthaus and eventual two-time Olympian Ali (Bernard) Sprenger won titles. The state has produced at least six All-Americans on the women’s side each of the last five years. The four Junior medals is the second-most all-time in the division – a feat the state has done six previous times.

Missouri: While it wasn’t the highest team finish in state history, Missouri’s fourth-place finish in the Junior division was highlighted by a new record for All-Americans with 12. The state combined for 14 women’s medals, tying the third-highest output all-time. Kailey Benson’s fourth-place finish at Junior 125 gave her a third Fargo medal. 

Montana: Returning runner-up Tirza Twoteeth capped her Fargo career with a fifth-place finish at 207 pounds. With those five all-time medals, Twoteeth is the most credentialed women’s wrestler in state history. She was a two-time runner-up, the state’s only four-time Junior women’s All-American.  She was also a 16U placewinner in 2022.

Nebraska: JayaShree Bray’s runner-up finish at 16U at 190 pounds was the state’s third-ever finals appearance.

Makayla Vasser won her second career medal with a fourth-place finish at 170 pounds. 

Nevada: When Nevada places at the 16U division, it’s always in multiples. The state has earned All-Americans in six different years and each of those tournaments it’s been at least two wrestlers hitting the podium. This year, it was 16U wrestlers Maya Fiodorova and Charley Timms. Fiodorova was fifth at 120 and Timms was seventh at 207.

New Jersey: The Garden State set a new state record with five Junior All-Americans and the first top-five finish in the age group. The state also doubled its all-time champion total with a pair of titles in each age group. Gabriella Conte and Victoria Carbonaro won 16U titles, while Taina McGowan and Olivia Georges took home gold in the Junior division.

New Mexico: The state earned three All-Americans, doubling its all-time total. Vivienne Popadiuc and Caylee Miller placed in the 16U division, while Eloise Woolsey hit the podium in Juniors. Popadiuc’s third-place at 100 pounds in the 16U division is the highest finish in state history.

New York: Victoria Alvarado and Peyton Mullin placed for the second straight year in the 16U division. Gail Sullivan was the runner-up at 105 pounds, while the only other placer on the women’s side this year was 125-pounder Caitlin Maragioglio.

North Carolina: North Carolina had two different individuals place in women’s freestyle for the first time. Savada Kitchen finished eighth at 207 in 16U, while Faith Bane was fifth at 145 in the Junior division. The only other time the state has produced multiple women’s medals in the same year was in 2019 when Heaven Fitch placed in both age groups.

North Dakota: Julia Arujao got the most bang for her buck in Fargo. The third-place finisher at 155 pounds in the 16U division was the state’s lone placer, but she took home the award for most falls in the least time with six falls in 9:03.

Ohio: The state scored double-digit medalists for the second straight year and the second time ever, while putting multiple wrestlers into the Junior finals for the fourth time. It was also the fourth time the state had multiple champions on the women’s side in the same year – Carolyn Geckler took top honors at 120 pounds in the 16U division, while Deionna Borders won the 235-pound Junior title.

Oklahoma: The seven All-Americans at 16U set a new state record, while the third-place finish ties the highest team placement in state history in the division. The 10 total medals is the best single year on the women’s side. Addie Morse was eighth at 110 pounds, giving her three medals all-time in Fargo.

Pennsylvania: The Keystone State keeps raising the bar when it comes to the state’s women’s program. In taking home both women’s team titles for the first time, Pennsylvania set new records in total medals, 16U medals and Junior medals. The 13 16U medals eclipses the previous record of 11 set last year, while the nine on the Junior side beats the previous record of eight, which came in 2010 and 2024. Four of the nine Junior All-Americans won titles – Jaclyn Bouzakis (100), Emma Bacon (125), Violette Lasure (145), and Jael Miller (170).

South Carolina: Tiyanna Mack finished sixth at Junior 130, giving the state an All-American on the women’s side for the seventh straight tournament.

South Dakota: Winry Yaggie finished eighth at 145 pounds and Eden Hach was the runner-up at 235 pounds in the 16U division. The pair of medalists gave South Dakota multiple placers for the second year in a row.

Tennessee: Janiya Johnson won the 16U Triple Crown and Ryleigh Sturgill won gold at 100 pounds giving Tennessee multiple champs in the same year for the first time in state history.

Texas: Hailey Delgado and Landri VanGonten won titles in the 16U division, giving the Lone Star State two champions in the division for the first time since 2014.

Utah: Tevia Nau Rarick won Utah’s fourth all-time 16U title while Tilisa Matakaiongo earned her third all-time medal after finishing fifth at 235 pounds.

Virginia: Mahaila Adams claimed gold at 190 pounds in the Junior Division, becoming the state’s fourth all-time champion in the age group. Adams title was the first since Jesse Kirby won the title in 2018. Virginia’s only other champs came in 2008 when Schuyler Brown and Mars Lambert both won.

Washington: Mia Cienega and Libby Roberts became three-time All-Americans with medals in the Junior division. Cienega was the runner-up at 207 pounds, while Roberts was sixth at 115 pounds.

West Virginia: Kaylie Hall finished third at Junior 155, giving her a third-straight top three finish. A runner-up a year ago, Hall is the state’s first three-time women’s All-American. Her runner-up finish a year ago is the highest in the state’s history.

Wisconsin: Taylor Whiting and Brooke Huffman each took third place in the Junior division, while Lilliana Banks finished seventh to account for three of the state’s six medals in the age group. All three are now three-time All-Americans. Harlow Skenandore’s 16U title at 140 pounds was Wisconsin’s eighth all-time in the age group. Skenandore was fourth a year ago.