Phillips, Yeager and Perkins Repeat as 16U Girls National Champions at Folkstyle Nationals

Mar 15, 2026, 1:10 PM EDT

by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling

Piper Phillps after winning the national title at 95 pounds during the 2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals

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WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – To conclude the 2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals, Piper Phillips, Mikayla Perkins and Scarlett Yeager all repeated as 16U Girls champions at The MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex.

At 95 pounds, Phillips edged Lanaia Selig in a narrow 8-6 decision. Selig just missed winning two titles the weekend after capturing gold in the Junior Girls division. Selig finished the tournament with three wins, two coming via pin.

Perkins bonused her way to the title at 120 pounds. She won her three matches on Saturday by fall. In the championship on Sunday, Perkins earned a 15-7 decision.

After first period pins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Yeager was pushed to the limit in the final at 140 pounds against Payton Helmin. Yeager secured her second-straight title in a 1-0 contest.

Abigail Peterson (100 pounds), Penelope Ayala (105 pounds), Leolyn Karnowski (155 pounds) and Kaylee Thompson (190 pounds) all pinned in their final bouts to secure national championships. Each of the four girls won all their matches in the tournament via fall.

Karnowski finished the weekend with a tournament-best seven pins after she also appeared in the championships finals of the Junior Girls division.

Rounding out the 16U Girls champions crowned on Sunday are Mabel Rogers at 110 pounds, Brielynn Jackson at 115 pounds, Corabella Wesley at 125 pounds, Zaylyn Woods at 130 pounds, Annabella Nelson at 135 pounds, Emma Antoni at 145 pounds and Siobhan Flanner at 170 pounds.

Mercedes Kruse and Caylee Miller both won their national titles on Saturday after going unbeaten in round robin draws at 207 pounds and 235 pounds, respectively.

Medal match scores and round robin bracket results in the 16U Girls division can be found below. Brackets and updated match-by-match results are available through USA Bracketing.

All matches from West Des Moines are available to watch on-demand on FloWrestling.com.

2026 USA Wrestling 16U & Junior Folkstyle Nationals

At West Des Moines, Iowa, March 15

16U Girls Results

Final Results

95 pounds

1st - Piper Phillips (Immortal Athletics WC) dec. Lanaia Selig (Mat Demon Wrestling Club), 8-6

3rd - Melayna Johnson (Utah) tech. fall Elouise Snook (Minnesota), 18-0 (2:52)

5th - Liliana Sharp (Uintah Girls Wrestling) med. for. Brielle Trang (All American Wrestling Club Southlake),

7th - Alexa Baker (Whiteland Wrestling Club) fall Aleisha Orozco (Carrollton Thunder Wrestling), 2:46

100 pounds

1st - Abigail Peterson (Big Game Wrestling Club) fall Timi Coles (Combat School), 2:45

3rd - Maritza Medina (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) fall Audriana Green (Hunter Wrestling Club), 4:49

5th - Hailey Robinson (Thermopolis Wrestling Club) fall Lydia Robinette (Bobcat Wrestling Club), 3:20

105 pounds

1st - Penelope Ayala (Team Nazar Training Center) fall Hailey Estrada (Wichita Training Center), 3:16

3rd - Brystol Wiley (Sebolt Women Wrestling Academy) dec. Brooklyn Smith (Minnesota), 6-4

5th - Leah Stringfellow (Built By Brunson Wrestling) tech. fall Zivah Brown (Indiana), 17-1 (2:33)

110 pounds

1st - Mabel Rogers (Rogue Warrior Wrestling) maj. dec. Ella Neibert (Braves Wrestling Club), 13-0

3rd - Kirra Mitchell (The Chicken Coop Wrestling Club) dec. Allison McDaniel (Colorado), 3-0

5th - Nabhanya Dhiman (New Jersey) dec. Peggy Susan Dean (Betterman Elite Wrestling), 3-1

7th - Mya Bolander (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) dec. Julie Gatto (Legacy Dragons Wrestling), 8-7

115 pounds

1st - Brielynn Jackson (Greater Heights Wrestling) maj. dec. Roselane D. Verrett (Monticello Wrestling Club), 13-0

3rd - Sophia Dacoco (Vasky Bros\Pitman Wrestling Club) dec. Saraval McGregor (Kelly Walsh High School Wrestling), 6-4

5th - Gianna Halsted (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) dec. Giavonna Prothero (Sebolt Wrestling Academy), 3-1

7th - Reagan Hester (Contenders Wrestling Academy) fall Serenity McCoy (Braves Wrestling Club), 2:57

120 pounds

1st - Mikayla Perkins (Whiteland Wrestling Club) maj. dec. Cora Stewart (Askren Wrestling Academy), 15-7

3rd - Maquelle Pace (Champions Wrestling Club) SV Morgan Johnson (Team Nazar Training Center), 6-3

5th - Lily Kolbet (Iowa) dec. Akeelah Gonzalez (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 10-6

7th - Charlotte Crowston (Grand Forks Gladiators Wrestling Club) dec. Reanna Spangler (Wichita Training Center), 17-11

125 pounds

1st - Corabella Wesley (Hobart Wrestling Club) dec. Melanie Medrano (G1 Training Center), 7-3

3rd - Aspen Walker (Trailblazer Wrestling Club) fall Karris Carter (Betterman Elite Wrestling), 4:33

5th - Harley Miller (Oklahoma) fall Georgia Smith (Moyer Elite Wrestling), 0:25

7th - Sarah Bell (Gomez Wrestling RTC) fall Madison Mink (Franklin Central Wrestling Club), 0:50

130 pounds

1st - Zaylyn Woods (Sisters on the Mat) dec. Madelyn Medrano (G1 Training Center), 8-3

3rd - Anastasia Rodnikova (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling) maj. dec. Carleigh Clark (BullTrained Wrestling), 10-2

5th - Madisyn Racine (Dakota Rattlers Wrestling Club) dec. Abbie Slothower (Maize Wrestling Club), 4-0

7th - Kahlyn Fouty (Whiteland Wrestling Club) tech. fall Catarina Patino (Grantsville Wrestling Club), 19-3 (1:10)

135 pounds

1st - Annabella Nelson (Trophy Hunters Wrestling Club) tech. fall Marli Woods (Contenders Wrestling Academy), 20-4 (6:00)

3rd - Catherine Diehl (Gomez Wrestling RTC) tech. fall Jadyn Jackson (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 18-3 (2:04)

5th - Briar Lahoe (Thermopolis Wrestling Club) fall Matalyn Guyer (Braves Wrestling Club), 0:49

7th - Alexa Guy (Minnesota) fall Addyson Bowers (Moen Wrestling Academy), 2:02

140 pounds

1st - Scarlett Yeager (Maize Wrestling Club) dec. Payton Helmin (Minnesota), 1-0

3rd - Frankie Weaver (Surfside X Wrestling) maj. dec. Annabelle Harmon (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 12-2

5th - Brooklyn Hanke (Wisconsin) fall Vanessa Takara (Omaha Buena Vista High School Wrestling), 1:17

7th - Anberlin Hardy (The Chicken Coop Wrestling Club) fall Emily Janssen (Iowa), 0:34

145 pounds

1st - Emma Antoni (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) dec. Layla Risler (Victory School of Wrestling), 6-3

3rd - Katie Davidson (Team Nazar Training Center) dec. Allie Silcox (Whiteland Wrestling Club), 9-5

5th - Alexis Chavez (Raider Wrestling Club) fall London McEntire (Utah), 2:25

7th - Kirah Baker (Nebraska) fall Sophia Voss (Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy), 4:31

155 pounds

1st - Leolyn Karnowski (Wamego Wrestling Club) fall Josylyn Glass (Silverback Wrestling Club), 1:58

3rd - Brooke Werth (Komanda Vasili Wrestling Club) fall Paytn Haack (Ironhawk Wrestling Academy), 1:27

5th - Kiersyn Duncombe (Iowa) fall Rylei Price (Iowa), 2:18

7th - Marta Gutierrez (Indiana) fall Ella Rich (Minnesota), 0:27

170 pounds

1st - Siobhan Flanner (Raider Wrestling Club) dec. Alexis Penley (Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory High School Wrestling), 11-7

3rd - Lainy Jochim (North Dakota) maj. dec. Madilyn Pulk (Minnesota), 11-3

5th - Aurora Lloyd (Iowa) dec. Ryeanne Fink (Red Hawk Wrestling Academy), 7-6

7th - Juliette Koch (Premier Wrestling Center) fall Ella Schaub (Indiana), 1:25

190 pounds

1st - Kaylee Thompson (Maize Wrestling Club) fall Bryn Schmidt (Team Nazar Training Center), 1:31

3rd - Lyla Hensen (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club) fall Queen Moniz (Takedown Express Wrestling Club), 4:44

5th - Auriana Anzaldua (Belton High School Wrestling) dec. Kaiden Shibley (Belton High School Wrestling), 8-3

207 Pounds

R1 - Mercedes Kruse (West De Pere High School Wrestling) fall Graycee Simmons (Champions Wrestling Club), 1:48

R1 - Maritza Garcia (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) tech. fall Sheena Locke (MATPAC Wrestling Club), 22-6 (5:54)

R2 - Mercedes Kruse (West De Pere High School Wrestling) fall Sheena Locke (MATPAC Wrestling Club), 0:52

R2 - Maritza Garcia (Team Idaho Wrestling Club) dec. Graycee Simmons (Champions Wrestling Club), 7-5

R3 - Mercedes Kruse (West De Pere High School Wrestling) maj. dec. Maritza Garcia (Team Idaho Wrestling Club), 9-0

R3 - Graycee Simmons (Champions Wrestling Club) dec. Sheena Locke (MATPAC Wrestling Club), 8-2

235 pounds

R1 - Caylee Miller (New Mexico) fall Malena Borja (Belton High School Wrestling), 3:36

R2 - Caylee Miller (New Mexico) fall Lauren Hatch (Champions Wrestling Club), 4:53

R3 - Malena Borja (Belton High School Wrestling) dec. Lauren Hatch (Champions Wrestling Club), 9-4