Diduch and five other returning champions still headed for the USMC 16U women’s national title

Photo of Illinois's Cadence Diduch at the 2022 USMC 16U women's freestyle Nationals. Photo by Ryan Cummings/MatFocus.com

FARGODOME, N.D. – The 16U women wrestled alongside the fellow men’s division to start off day one of the 2022 USMC Junior & 16U Nationals. The women’s tournament is up 150 entries from last year. The quarterfinals are set after session one with six 2021 champions still alive and looking to repeat. 

Two champions are still holding strong at 127 pounds. No. 6 Cadence Diduch of Illinois picked up two 10-0 technical falls. Diduch will face Nebraska’s Regan Rosseter. 

On the opposite side, No. 4 returning champion Sklyar Little-Soldier put up two technical-falls enroute to the quarters. The Minnesota state champion will face No. 14 (at 138) Alicen Dillard of Texas. 

Also wrestling in the 127-pound quarterfinals is Jordyn Fouse of Pennsylvania (No. 23 at 132). 

No. 4 Cecilia Williams of Michigan was the champion of the tournament at the same 112-pound weight last year. This morning she earned a tech and a pair of quick falls. Williams will wrestle Joy Cantu of Indiana in the quarterfinals. 

Other ranked athletes in the 112 quarterfinals is No. 12 (at 106) Molly Allen from Iowa who will wrestle No. 16 (at 106) Aubre Krazer of Pennsylvania. Arizona’s No. 2 Karlee Brooks stands on the opposite side and will face No. 15 (at 106) Sierra Chiesa from Pennsylvania. No. 19 Reanah Utterbach of Iowa also battled to quarterfinals. 

No. 17 Nebi Tsarni of Maryland returns to 144 pounds with a strong opening; Tsarni earned two 10-0 technical-falls. She will wrestle May Cuyler from Virginia in the quarterfinals. 

Only one other ranked wrestler stayed alive on the championship side, No. 5 Sydney Perry from Illinois. 

Last year’s young phenom, No. 10 Ella Pagel of Minnesota returns to the same 164-pound weight class. Pagel so far has added 1:06 to her mat time with a pin and technical fall. She will wrestle Wisconsin’s Rachel Schauer. 

Also in the quarterfinals is Piper Fowler from Tennessee (No. 3 at 152), No. 13 Naomia Simon of Iowa, No. 17 Olivia Stean of Kansas, and No. 27 Jael Miller of Pennsylvania. 

The last returning champion heading to the quarterfinals is Michigan’s Sabrina Nauss, who secured a technical fall and a pin enroute to the quarters. The No. 1 at 180 and No. 15 P-4-P wrestler will face Missouri’s Ellie Poulette.

More ranked wrestlers still going for the big stop sign are Oklahoma’s No. 17 Symphony Veloz and No. 27 Kali Hayden. 

Session two begins at 3pm for both the 16U women’s freestyle and 16U men’s freestyle. You can watch it live on FloWrestling. 

16U women's freestyle quarterfinal pairings

94

Katey Valdez of Colorado vs Jordan Epstein of Georgia

Zoey Jewett of New York vs Kendall Moe of Indiana

Joely Slyter of Idaho vs Caley Graber of Minnesota

Kyler Menza of Washington vs Annalise Maralit of South Carolina

100

Rianne Murphy of Indiana vs Gabriele Tedesco of Florida

Zoey Haney of Missouri vs Madison Heinzer of California

Mia Galindo of Virginia vs Lauren Nguyen of California

Mary Manis of Florida vs Gigi Bragg of Michigan

106

Ava Ward of Missouri vs Mia Shepard of Nevada

Teegan Sibble of New York vs Angelina Cassioppi of Illinois

Mikayla Garcia of California vs Aspen Blasko of Minnesota

Harlee Hiller of Illinois vs Heather Crull of Indiana

112

Cecilia Williams of Michigan vs Joy Cantu of Indiana

Molly Allen of Iowa vs Aubre Krazer of Pennsylvania

Karlee Brooks of Arizona vs Sierra Chiesa of Pennsylvania

Angelina Vargas of Missouri vs Reanah Utterback of Iowa

117

Persaeus Gomez of Colorado vs Kira Cole of Ohio

Ashley Naranjo of Washington vs Aubrie Pehrson of Nebraska

Isabella Marie Gonzales of California vs Evelyn Holmes-Smith of Alabama

Sophia Shultz vs Bella Williams of Oklahoma

122

Everest Leydecker of Arizona vs Audrey Rogotzke of Minnesota

Ella Gahl of Indiana vs Haylie Jaffe of Pennsylvania

Alejandra Valdiviezo of California vs Sophie Bowers of Illinois

Savannah Witt of Pennsylvania vs Carley Ceshker of Wisconsin

127

Skylar Little Soldier of Minnesota vs Alicen Dillard of Texas

Dealya Collins of Wisconsin vs Peyton Hellmann of South Dakota

Emma Chacon of Arizona vs Jordyn Fouse of Pennsylvania

Regan Rosseter of Nebraska vs Cadence Diduch of Illinois

132

Lauren Walton of Kentucky vs Mackenzie Pratt of Illinois

Isis France of Arizona vs Sanyah Queen of New Jersey

Morgan Lucio of Arizona vs Ann Maria Meiman of Nebraska

Carina Giangeruso of New Jersey vs May Prado of Georgia

138

Ellanora Bode of New York vs Sofia Delgado of Florida

Sarah Henckel of Connecticut vs Annabelle Davis of Texas

Faith Bartoszek of Wisconsin vs Madison Westerberg of New York

Kiara Djoumessi of Iowa vs Gianna DiBenedetto

144

Sydney Perry of Illinois vs Jahlia Miguel of Hawaii

Skylar Slade of Iowa vs Clare Waite of Idaho

Emma Peach of Iowa vs Madeline Haynes of Missouri

May Cuyler of Virginia vs Nebi Tsarni of Maryland

152

Mishell Rebisch of Michigan vs Savannah Holderby of Ohio

Cali Dupree of Missouri vs Adriana Palumbo of New York

Genevieve An of Georgia vs Skylur Lewis of Arkansas

Lexi Ritchie of Illinois vs Alison Evans of Colorado

164

Piper Fowler of Tennessee vs Bella Porcelli of Iowa

Naomi Simon of Iowa vs Olivia Stean of Kansas

Jael Miller of Pennsylvania vs Grace Johns of Kansas

Rachel Schauer of Wisconsin vs Ella Pagel of Minnesota

180

Sabrina Nauss of Michigan vs Ellie Poulette of Missouri

Symphony Veloz of Oklahoma vs Ashten Hubbs of Wyoming

Isabella Renfro of Missouri vs Taylor Waddy of Virginia

Kali Hayden of Oklahoma vs Aurellia Ramos of Utah

200

Savannah Isaac of Ohio vs Tilisa Matakaiongo of Utah

Savannah Sistad of Iowa vs Kiona Michel of Washington

Blythe Cayko of Colorado vs Isabella Phillips of Washington

Phoenix Lindseth of North Dakota vs Mariyah Brumley of Missouri