Army women go unbeaten at 2026 Armed Forces Championships

Photo Gallery: 2026 Armed Forces Championships

FORT BLISS, Texas – In the lone women’s freestyle dual meet at the 2026 Armed Forces Championships, Air Force earned the 25-24 win, but it was Army who flexed its muscle by winning the only five contested matches by either pin or technical fall.  

With only five athletes competing this weekend at Fort Bliss, the Army crew went into its dual meet against Air Force knowing it needed pins from every athlete to force a tie—a task that was nearly achieved. Army netted pins in four-of-five contested matches from SSG Areana Villaescusa at 57 kg, SPC Abigail Nette at 59 kg, SPC Adaugo Nwachukwu at 65 kg and SGT Tristan Kelly at 76 kg. At 62 kg, A1C Rodriguez Socorro of Air Force was able to fend off SPC Brenda Reyna’s pinning attempts and hold the match to a 12-0 technical fall.

Villaescusa, Nette and Nwachukwu are past World Team members; Nwachukwu the most recent, in 2025. Both Reyna and Kelly made a couple of age-group World Teams. Kelly was a Military World silver medalist in 2024 and recently won a title at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships for McKendree.

Taking victories by forfeit for Air Force were SSgt Mariah Anderson at 50 kg, SrA Ava Davis at 53 kg, A1C Audrey Lanzit at 55 kg, SSgt Lindsay Bodak at 68 kg and SrA Lauren Persico at 72 kg.

Complete brackets and match-by-match results are available on usabracketing.com.

An archived live stream from the Saturday action can be viewed on the U.S. Armed Forces YouTube Channel.

1. Air Force, 1-0

2. Army, 0-1

50 kg – Mariah Anderson (Air Force) forfeit (Army)

53 kg – Ava Davis (Air Force) forfeit (Army)

55 kg – Audrey Lanzit (Air Force) forfeit (Army)

57 kg – Areana Villaescusa (Army) fall Yaneli Hermosillo-Carrasco (Air Force), 0:19

59 kg – Abigail Nette (Army) fall Kathleen Claire Cruz (Air Force), 1:35

62 kg – Brenda Reyna (Army) tech. fall Rodriguez Socorro (Air Force), 12-0

65 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army) fall Stephanie Solano (Air Force), 1:04

68 kg – Lindsay Bodak (Air Force) forfeit (Army)

72 kg – Lauren Persico (Air Force) forfeit (Army)

76 kg – Tristan Kelly (Army) fall Alyssa Wildes (Air Force), 0:20

Gold – Mariah Anderson (Air Force)

Gold – Ava Davis (Air Force

Gold – Audrey Lanzit (Air Force)

Gold – Areana Villaescusa (Army)

Silver – Yaneli Hermosillo-Carrasco (Air Force)

Gold – Abigail Nette (Army)

Silver – Kathleen Claire Cruz (Air Force)

Gold – Brenda Reyna (Army)

Silver – Rodriguez Socorro (Air Force)

Gold – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army)

Silver – Stephanie Solano (Air Force)

Gold – Lindsay Bodak (Air Force)

Gold – Lauren Persico (Air Force)

Gold – Tristan Kelly (Army)

Silver – Alyssa Wildes (Air Force)