Ten Women Qualify for 2026 U17 Pan American Championships

Photo Gallery: U17 Pan American Team Trials Women's Freestyle

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa – Team USA’s women’s freestyle squad is set for the 2026 U17 Pan American Championships next month. Ten women won their respective weight classes on Saturday evening at the 2026 U17 Pan American Team Trials at The Palestra to qualify for the continental championship.

Representing the U.S. in Panama City, Panama is Sophia Valdez, Abigail Peterson, Olivia Hernandez, Hailey Delgado, Aubree Gutierrez, Aleia Apostol, Landri VanGonten, Eve Skrocki, Matilda Hruby and Alexis Penley.

Peterson, Hernandez and Delgado are slated to return to Pan American action after winning titles at the U15 championships. Peterson and Hernandez were champions in 2024, and Delgado won gold in 2023. Hernandez also won gold at last year’s U15 Pan American Championships.

At 46 kg, Hernandez earned a 9-0 decision in the finals to put a bow on her unblemished day, where she did not allow a point.

Delgado was one of two champions to win by technical fall in the finals, where she won a 13-2 affair with one second left in the match. Hruby won 12-2 in the championship match at 69 kg and outscored her opponents 25-2 on the day.

In the winner-take-all round robin match at 43 kg, 2023 Triple Crown winner Peterson edged out a 9-5 decision to finish 2-0 to take first place.

The middle weights featured back-to-back-to-back pins during the finals session. Apostol started the run at 57 kg, followed by VonGonten at 61 kg and Skrocki at 65 kg. Apostol racked up first-period pins in each of her four matches in the tournament. VonGonten only gave two points in her four contests, and Skrocki only had three points scored against her.

Facing her Wyoming Seminary teammate at 73 kg, Penley earned a hard-fought 3-2 decision. Gutierrez rounded out the champions in the evening session, where she battled to a 5-2 win at 53 kg.

Valdez secured her champion status and spot on Team USA in the morning session after picking up two wins in the round robin bracket at 40 kg.

The 2026 U17 Pan American Championships begin on Thursday, April 2. Women’s freestyle is scheduled to take place on Friday, April 3.

Archived matches from the 2026 U17 Pan American Championships are available on FloWrestling. Final matches and match-by-match results are available on USA Bracketing.

1st - Sophia Valdez (Betterman Elite Wrestling)

2nd - Lanaia Selig (Mat Demon Wrestling Club)

R1 - Sophia Valdez (Betterman Elite Wrestling) Dec. Lanaia Selig (Mat Demon Wrestling Club), 8-2

R2 - Sophia Valdez (Betterman Elite Wrestling) Dec. Lanaia Selig (Mat Demon Wrestling Club), 5-2

R3 - Sophia Valdez (Betterman Elite Wrestling) Rule Lanaia Selig (Mat Demon Wrestling Club)

1st - Abigail Peterson (Big Game Wrestling Club)

2nd - Justice Gutierrez (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado)

3rd - Mia Pardo (ALL-American Wrestling Club)

R1 - Justice Gutierrez (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado) T.F. Mia Pardo (ALL-American Wrestling Club), 12-2 (3:09)

R2 - Abigail Peterson (Big Game Wrestling Club) F. Mia Pardo (ALL-American Wrestling Club), 1:46

R3 - Abigail Peterson (Big Game Wrestling Club) Dec. Justice Gutierrez (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado), 9-5

1st - Olivia Hernandez (Beaver Dam Wrestling Club)

2nd - Ryleigh Sturgill (Buckwild Wrestling)

3rd - Maisie Elliott (Mat Demon Wrestling Club)

4th - Olivia Munson (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC))

6th - Brooklyn Henry (Orchard Wrestling Club)

6th - Dilynn Albrecht (Avila Combat Laboratories)

1st - Olivia Hernandez (Beaver Dam Wrestling Club) Dec. Ryleigh Sturgill (Buckwild Wrestling), 9-0

3rd - Maisie Elliott (Mat Demon Wrestling Club) Dec. Olivia Munson (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC)), 9-6

1st - Hailey Delgado (NXT Level Wrestling Academy)

2nd - Sophia Marie Gonzales (SilvaBack Training Center)

3rd - Bella Manno (Valiant Wrestling Club)

4th - Riley Karwowski (Wyoming Seminary)

6th - Penelope Ayala (Team Nazar Training Center)

6th - Alexa Thomas (Avila Combat Laboratories)

1st - Hailey Delgado (NXT Level Wrestling Academy) T.F. Sophia Marie Gonzales (SilvaBack Training Center), 13-2 (3:59)

3rd - Bella Manno (Valiant Wrestling Club) F. Riley Karwowski (Wyoming Seminary), 3:23

1st - Aubree Gutierrez (Surfside X Wrestling)

2nd - Lyric Hetzer (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)

3rd - Reagan Mathers (Valiant College Preparatory)

4th - Timmery Condit (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado)

6th - Kate Krause (Sebolt Wrestling Academy)

6th - Remington Zimmerer (Ascent Wrestling Academy)

1st - Aubree Gutierrez (Surfside X Wrestling) Dec. Lyric Hetzer (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy), 5-2

3rd - Reagan Mathers (Valiant College Preparatory) T.F. Timmery Condit (Pomona Wrestling Club Colorado), 10-0 (3:00)

1st - Aleia Apostol (Poway RTC / Titan Mercury)

2nd - Winter West (Mat Demon Wrestling Club)

3rd - Rachel Garcia (Oklahoma)

4th - Corabella Wesley (Hobart Wrestling Club)

6th - Ariella Dobin (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy)

6th - Ella Henning (Minnesota)

1st - Aleia Apostol (Poway RTC / Titan Mercury) F. Winter West (Mat Demon Wrestling Club), 1:09

3rd - Rachel Garcia (Oklahoma) T.F. Corabella Wesley (Hobart Wrestling Club), 10-0 (3:43)

1st - Landri VonGonten (Boneyard Wrestling Academy)

2nd - Sobina Clendaniel (Marathon Wrestling Club)

3rd - Marie Sharp (Blair Academy)

4th - Isabella Miller (Big Game Wrestling Club)

6th - Sophia Fodera (Poway Wrestling)

6th - Noli Paddock (New York)

1st - Landri VonGonten (Boneyard Wrestling Academy) F. Sobina Clendaniel (Marathon Wrestling Club), 3:09

3rd - Marie Sharp (Blair Academy) Dec. Isabella Miller (Big Game Wrestling Club), 8-2

1st - Eve Skrocki (Valiant Wrestling Club)

2nd - Harlow Skenandore (Wisconsin)

3rd - Emma Antoni (Pinnacle Wrestling Club)

4th - Clover Williams (Husky Wrestling Club)

6th - Katie Davidson (Team Nazar Training Center)

6th - Ava Johnson (Mayhem WC)

1st - Eve Skrocki (Valiant Wrestling Club) F. Harlow Skenandore (Wisconsin), 0:36

3rd - Emma Antoni (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) F. Clover Williams (Husky Wrestling Club), 2:34

1st - Matilda Hruby (Brighton Wrestling)

2nd - Gray Joyce (Wichita Training Center)

3rd - Janiya Johnson (Wyoming Seminary)

4th - Mya Dobrinski (Stillwater High School Wrestling)

6th - Eva Garcia (Surfside X Wrestling)

6th - Madilyn Gitke (Colorado)

1st - Matilda Hruby (Brighton Wrestling) T.F. Gray Joyce (Wichita Training Center), 12-2 (3:35)

3rd - Janiya Johnson (Wyoming Seminary) Dec. Mya Dobrinski (Stillwater High School Wrestling), 9-6

1st - Alexis Penley (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling)

2nd - Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary)

3rd - Anastasia Simon (Northeast Iowa Wrestling Club)

4th - Remington LaFlamme (Wyoming Seminary)

6th - Sarah Pulk (Minnesota Storm)

6th - Ava Guilmette (Curby 3 Style Wrestling Club)

1st - Alexis Penley (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling) Dec. Ciyanna Okocha (Wyoming Seminary), 3-2

3rd - Anastasia Simon (Northeast Iowa Wrestling Club) F. Remington LaFlamme (Wyoming Seminary), 0:59