Junior Girls semifinals set, All-Americans decided at 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Kailin Sebert of Texas finishes a takedown with emphasis at the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
FARGO, N.D. – 128 athletes remain—All Americans only—as day two of the Junior Girls freestyle tournament concluded at the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals with an intense quarterfinal round on Friday evening at the FARGODOME.
Of the six returning Junior champions, five made it through to the semifinals, which are set for 10 a.m. (CT) on Saturday—Jaclyn Bouzakis of Pennsylvania (105), Emma Bacon of Pennsylvania (135), Nora Akpan of Minnesota (145), Violette Lasure of Pennsylvania (145) and Deionna Borders of Ohio (207).
Bouzakis, Bacon and Akpan have bonused the opposition in every match. The two Pennsylvania products and U17 World Team stars have not surrendered a point. Akpan and Lasure will meet in a much-anticipated semifinal tomorrow morning.
Olivia Georges of New Jersey is the first and only returning champ in the division to drop a match so far. She was upended by Kiley Dillow of Kansas in an 8-4 quarterfinal at 170 pounds. Dillow is backing up her eighth-place finish in the Senior division of the U.S. Open with a great run in Fargo.
2025 U17 World bronze medalists Maisie Elliott of Washington (100) and Ella Poalillo of New Jersey (155) are on to the semifinal round, as are fellow U17 World Team members Francesca Gusfa of New Jersey (95), Marlee Solomon of Pennsylvania (120), and Kaili Manuel of Michigan (170).
One of the 10 U17 World Teamers in the field suffered a loss on Friday. Cassandra Gonzales of Minnesota dropped an 11-9 contest to No. 1 seed Emily Beckley of Oklahoma in the quarterfinals at 145 pounds.
The Triple Crown watch has ended for the Junior Girls. Colorado’s Peggy Susan Dean suffered back-to-back losses after making the round-of-16 and was eliminated. She was the only Triple Crown eligible wrestler in the field.
A pair of No. 1 seeds were ousted before the semifinals. After going four-for-four on pins to start the event, Matilda Hruby of Colorado lost by nine points to Eloise Woolsey of New Mexico at 155 pounds. Also, Brenda Banks of Pennsylvania was pinned by Aubrey Bartkowiak of Indiana in 1:47 at 235 pounds.
Pennsylvania holds a slight edge for the number of wrestlers left in the tournament with 11. Michigan, which is next on the list with 10 wrestlers remaining, has the most semifinalists at 8. Expect a nip-and-tuck team race through the finish with several states in the running for the Battles Won Award.
The U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals concludes on Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT) with the girls division semifinals, remaining consolations and placement matches. The championship finals are set for 2 p.m. (CT).
All matches from the event will be broadcast live on FloWrestling. Brackets and live results will be hosted on USA Bracketing.
Visit the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals Event Hub and USA Wrestling’s social media platforms for complete coverage of the action in Fargo.
1. Pennsylvania, 11 (6 championship, 5 consolation)
2. Michigan, 10 (8 championship, 2 consolation)
T3. California, 9 (2 championship, 7 consolation)
T3. Iowa, 9 (2 championship, 7 consolation)
5. Texas, 7 (4 championship, 3 consolation)
T6. Arizona, 6 (4 championship, 2 consolation)
T6. Indiana, 6 (6 championship, 0 consolation)
T8. Colorado, 5 (2 championship, 3 consolation)
T8. Missouri, 5 (1 championship, 4 consolation)
T8. Ohio, 5 (2 championship, 3 consolation)
T8. Wisconsin, 5 (3 championship, 2 consolation)
Francesca Gusfa (New Jersey) vs. Aaliyah Brown (Indiana)
Alliya Walker (Virginia) vs. Katelyn Rowles (Indiana)
Abigail Peterson (Iowa) vs. Lillee Denson (Michigan)
Maisie Elliott (Washington) vs. Justice Gutierrez (Colorado)
Jaclyn Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) vs. Kyrstan Perez (Oklahoma)
Emma Faczak (Colorado) vs. Ryleigh Sturgill (Tennessee)
Sarissa Tucker (Virginia) vs. Jayden Keller (Missouri)
Isabel Kaplan (Indiana) vs. Julia Horger (Pennsylvania)
Abigail Gonzalez (Florida) vs. Malia Ottow (Washington)
Kinzie Williams (Idaho) vs. Daynah Gomez (Arizona)
Hailey Delgado (Texas) vs. Cheyenne Frank (Michigan)
Aubree Gutierrez (California) vs. Marlee Solomon (Pennsylvania)
Mackenzie Carder (Ohio) vs. Me'kala James (California)
Martynique Davis (Arizona) vs. Kylee Kurszewski (Wisconsin)
Kailin Sebert (Texas) vs. Olivia Bezdicek (Idaho)
Emma Chacon (Arizona) vs. Madilyn Peach (Wisconsin)
Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania) vs. Chloe Wehry (Minnesota)
Camila Torres (Arizona) vs. Naima Ghaffar (Indiana)
Alexis Lazar (Michigan) vs. Jordyn Parker (Texas)
Ema Durst (Illinois) vs. Maddie Marsh (Indiana)
Emily Beckley (Oklahoma) vs. Belicia Manuel (Michigan)
Nora Akpan (Minnesota) vs. Violette Lasure (Pennsylvania)
Eloise Woolsey (New Mexico) vs. Sarah Henckel (Connecticut)
Julia Araujo (North Dakota) vs. Ella Poalillo (New Jersey)
Kaili Manuel (Michigan) vs. Kiley Dillow (Kansas)
Ciyanna Okocha (Pennsylvania) vs. Sarah Pulk (Minnesota)
Brooke Huffman (Wisconsin) vs. Kanata Richardson (Michigan)
Tevia Nau Rarick (Utah) vs. Autumn Elsbury (Iowa)
Maddie Hayden (Michigan) vs. Lulu Kirk (Kansas)
Phoenix Molina (Illinois) vs. Deionna Borders (Ohio)
Aubrey Bartkowiak (Indiana) vs. Peyton Mullin (New York)
Mya Brandenburg (Michigan) vs. Alyciana Rogers (Texas)
Francesca Gusfa (New Jersey) tech. fall Ella Paris (Maine), 12-2 (1:39)
Katelyn Rowles (Indiana) fall Lindsey Lau (Hawaii), 2:23
Alliya Walker (Virginia) fall Aamina Ajaz (Michigan), 2:36
Aaliyah Brown (Indiana) dec. Lily Enos (Illinois), 10-7
Lillee Denson (Michigan) tech. fall Kyrian Perez (Oklahoma), 11-0 (1:36)
Abigail Peterson (Iowa) fall Noah Kovach (Texas), 0:29
Maisie Elliott (Washington) tech. fall Lilly Breeden (Missouri), 10-0 (3:43)
Justice Gutierrez (Colorado) tech. fall Vina Nguyen (Washington), 16-6 (3:00)
Jaclyn Bouzakis (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Kiana Lien (California), 10-0 (1:04)
Emma Faczak (Colorado) fall Katie Biscoglia (Iowa), 1:40
Kyrstan Perez (Oklahoma) tech. fall Cordelia Martinez (Texas), 21-10 (5:02)
Ryleigh Sturgill (Tennessee) tech. fall Grace Jawulski (Florida), 10-0 (0:25)
Sarissa Tucker (Virginia) tech. fall Summer Mutschler (Maryland), 12-0 (1:01)
Jayden Keller (Missouri) fall Kayleigh Milam (Missouri), 1:06
Isabel Kaplan (Indiana) fall Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (Arizona), 1:20
Julia Horger (Pennsylvania) dec. Eva Zimmerman (Utah), 18-10
Abigail Gonzalez (Florida) dec. Hepua Salter (Hawaii), 5-1
Kinzie Williams (Idaho) dec. Jaydin Cuevas (Colorado), 16-10
Malia Ottow (Washington) tech. fall Ali Svancara (Idaho), 17-5 (5:19)
Daynah Gomez (Arizona) tech. fall Morgan Hyland (Pennsylvania), 10-0 (1:35)
Marlee Solomon (Pennsylvania) fall Reagan Mathers (Arizona), 0:56
Hailey Delgado (Texas) fall Angelina Gochis (Illinois), 2:10
Cheyenne Frank (Michigan) tech. fall Kaylyn Harrill (Nebraska), 12-0 (1:40)
Aubree Gutierrez (California) tech. fall Violet Diaz (Iowa), 12-0 (4:13)
Martynique Davis (Arizona) fall Neve O'Byrne (Pennsylvania), 0:23
Me'kala James (California) dec. Cameron Leng (Ohio), 10-2
Kylee Kurszewski (Wisconsin) fall Malila Miller (Alaska), 1:31
Mackenzie Carder (Ohio) dec. Raenah Smith (Pennsylvania), 8-7
Emma Chacon (Arizona) dec. Regina Stoeser (South Dakota), 7-5
Kailin Sebert (Texas) fall Rianna Bernal (California), 2:09
Olivia Bezdicek (Idaho) tech. fall Claire Lancaster (Oklahoma), 16-5 (3:00)
Madilyn Peach (Wisconsin) fall Ariella Dobin (Illinois), 1:43
Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania) fall Mariana Bowen (Tennessee), 0:54
Chloe Wehry (Minnesota) tech. fall Auston Brown (Ohio), 10-0 (1:20)
Camila Torres (Arizona) tech. fall Kate Doughty (Colorado), 10-0 (1:25)
Naima Ghaffar (Indiana) dec. Kimber Alford (Alabama), 9-0
Alexis Lazar (Michigan) tech. fall Dulcy Martinez (California), 12-1 (5:11)
Maddie Marsh (Indiana) fall Keanna Conrad (Idaho), 1:06
Jordyn Parker (Texas) tech. fall Vivienne Gitke (Colorado), 10-0 (2:18)
Ema Durst (Illinois) dec. Sarah Pearson (Pennsylvania), 12-7
Violette Lasure (Pennsylvania) dec. Greta Brus (Iowa), 4-2
Nora Akpan (Minnesota) fall Chloe Sanders (Iowa), 4:12
Belicia Manuel (Michigan) dec. Aleksandra Bastaic (Indiana), 5-4
Emily Beckley (Oklahoma) dec. Cassandra Gonzales (Minnesota), 11-9
Julia Araujo (North Dakota) fall Jayci Shelton (Missouri), 1:57
Eloise Woolsey (New Mexico) dec. Matilda Hruby (Colorado), 15-6
Sarah Henckel (Connecticut) dec. Symone Jewell (California), 8-4
Ella Poalillo (New Jersey) med. for. KyLee Tibbs (Ohio)
Kaili Manuel (Michigan) tech. fall Clarion Fager (Utah), 12-0 (1:05)
Ciyanna Okocha (Pennsylvania) tech. fall Juliet Alt (Pennsylvania), 11-0 (1:44)
Kiley Dillow (Kansas) dec. Olivia Georges (New Jersey), 8-4
Sarah Pulk (Minnesota) tech. fall Elizabeth Madison (Ohio), 12-2 (4:41)
Brooke Huffman (Wisconsin) tech. fall Allison Konrad (South Dakota), 10-0 (1:56)
Tevia Nau Rarick (Utah) tech. fall Laurissa Monroy (Washington), 12-2 (3:12)
Kanata Richardson (Michigan) dec. Irelynn Laurin (Tennessee), 7-6
Autumn Elsbury (Iowa) dec. JayaShree Bray (Nebraska), 6-0
Phoenix Molina (Illinois) fall Courtney Walls (Illinois), 4:59
Maddie Hayden (Michigan) tech. fall Vivianna Scott (Oregon), 12-1 (2:32)
Lulu Kirk (Kansas) dec. Sophiea Quinn (Missouri), 5-2
Deionna Borders (Ohio) dec. Parice Jones (Colorado), 7-1
Aubrey Bartkowiak (Indiana) fall Brenda Banks (Pennsylvania), 1:47
Peyton Mullin (New York) fall Halle Spears (Michigan), 0:54
Mya Brandenburg (Michigan) fall Jasmine Enriquez (Illinois), 0:46
Alyciana Rogers (Texas) dec. Katherine Luna (California), 7-2
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