This year’s 16U & Junior Nationals brought the heat! Check out whose stock rose after a memorable Fargo on July 16-18. 

Olivia Bezdicek (Idaho), 3rd in Juniors at 130, and Haley Smarsh (Pennsylvania), 4th in Juniors at 130

Bezdicek defeated Smarsh in the consolation finals, but each took a unique path to get there. Bezdicek went 7-1, losing by fall to Kailin Sebert (Texas) in the semis, with all her wins by tech or pin. 

Smarsh won her first match, lost her second by fall to New Jersey’s Cami Bird, before reeling off nine straight consolation wins until she lost to Bezdicek. She went 10-2 in Fargo, so you’d assume she was a little sore afterward. 

Abigail Peterson (Iowa), 3rd in Juniors & 1st in 16U at 100 pounds

Peterson entered two tournaments and won her last match in both. She won six straight matches to take the 16U crown, including four techs and a fall, and finished third in Juniors, going 6-1 after dropping a semifinal match to eventual champion Lillie Denson. The Denver, Iowa, native went 12-1 between two tournaments over three days of competition. 

Hayden Bratland (Iowa), 6th in Juniors at 145 pounds

Bratland tore her UCL eight months ago, had surgery, rehabbed, and now she’s an All-American. Her first match back was a fall in the Round of 64. She went 6-3, falling to Violette Lasure (Pennsylvania) twice before medically forfeiting to Oklahoma’s Emily Beckley for fifth. 

Emma Bacon (Pennsylvania), 1st in Juniors at 135 pounds

Bacon loves her last name and the puns that come with it. That’s good because Bacon was sizzling in Fargo. The Bishop McCort star only wrestled 302 seconds over six wins, including a 27-second fall in the finals, and no match lasted longer than two minutes, with five ending in under a minute. Who knew Bacon could cook so fast? 

Emma Bacon embraces her incredible last name, as she should.

Sarissa Tucker (Virginia), 1st in Juniors at 110 pounds

Tucker is on fire! She recently took gold at the U20 Pan-Am Championships with a 9-3 win over Kayla Batres, then won six straight matches in Fargo, including a gritty semifinal thriller against Missouri’s Jayden Keller that ended with a late fall. 

Eva Zimmerman (Utah), 3rd in Juniors at 110 pounds

Zimmerman fell 18-10 against her future Grand Valley State teammate, Julia Horger, in the quarterfinals, then immediately won a tough 13-12 consolation match against Missouri’s Sydney Stifter. She eventually finished third with a 15-10 shootout against Maryland’s Summer Mutschler. 

Jordyn Parker (Texas), 3rd in Juniors at 140 pounds

Randi Miller at Texas Woman’s University is getting a good one. Parker won four straight matches by 10-0 tech before losing to Michigan’s Alexis Lazar, 12-2, in the semis. She bounced for third after starting wrestling four years ago. 

Nora Akpan (Minnesota), 1st in Juniors at 145 pounds

Clarissa Chun at Iowa is also getting a good one. Like Parker, Akpan is a wrestling neophyte with a big upside. She was the talk of Fargo last year when she won the 140-pound Junior title. She was back for more in 2026, taking the 145-pound crown in a loaded bracket. 

The Manuel Sisters (Michigan)

What’s better than one sister reaching the Fargo finals? How about two? Belicia reached the 145-pound finals, falling to Akpan, 11-5, and Kaili outscored seven opponents 79-4 to take the 170-pound crown. 

Brooke Huffman (Wisconsin), 1st in Juniors at 190 pounds

Huffman was at another level all weekend. She pinned five, including a finals fall, and teched one. Whatever college lands her is getting a good one.

Eloise Woolsey (New Mexico), 1st in Juniors at 155 pounds

There’s a reason Woolsey was named Outstanding Wrestler. If you think she looks like and wrestles like Kylie Welker, it’s because both are true. She used her explosive shots to drive through her opponents, securing rugged win after rugged win. Her 8-5 finals victory over U17 World bronze medalist Ella Poalillo capped a memorable run for the future Colorado Mesa freshman. 

Kylie's Clone? Welker and Woolsey look like they could be related.

Aubrey Bartkowiak (Indiana), 1st in Juniors at 235 pounds

There’s a perfect game in baseball, and there’s a perfect tournament in wrestling. Bartkowiak pitched one in Fargo, pinning six straight opponents in the first period. 

Brooklyn Murray (Massachusetts/New Hampshire) 1st in 16U at 95 pounds

What does wrestling until the final whistle blows look like? Check out Murray’s thrilling 7-6 win in the finals. She won six straight matches to bring home a stop sign. 

Riley Karwowski (Pennsylvania), 1st in 16U at 110 pounds

Karwowski was down 4-3 with 37 seconds left in her Round of 32 match when she scored a go-ahead takedown, leading to a 7-4 victory. She dominated everyone else, with a first-period fall in the finals. 

Winter West (Washington), 1st in 16U at 125 pounds

This is how the West was won: two falls and five techs, surrendering only four points in seven matches.

Kesi Tsarni (Maryland), 1st in 16U at 140 pounds

Tsarni’s sister, Nebi, won the National Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Nebi said her sister would be better than her, and her words seem prophetic after Fargo. Kesi surrendered zero points over six matches to take the title. 

Ava Guilmette (New York), 1st in 16U at 155 pounds

Guilmette went on a pinning spree, securing five first-period falls in seven matches and an 11-2 win in the finals. 

Michigan High School and College Wrestling

Pennsylvania topped Michigan in the Junior division by a point (165-164). Still, the Great Lakes State should be the talk of Fargo, as should Grand Valley State (Allendale) and Northern Michigan (Marquette). 

Grand Valley State (NCAA, Division II) had six commits earn All-America honors, and Northern Michigan (NCAA, Division II) had seven. Here’s a breakdown. 

Northern Michigan
Lillee Denson (Michigan), 1st at 100
Cheyenne Frank (Michigan), 4th at 120
Belicia Manuel (Michigan), 2nd at 145
Kaili Manuel (Michigan), 1st at 170 — Class of 2027
Kanata Richardson (Michigan), 5th at 190
Maddie Hayden (Michigan), 2nd at 207
Mya Brandenburg (Michigan), 3rd at 235

Grand Valley State
Eva Zimmerman (Utah), 3rd at 110
Julia Horger (Pennsylvania), 6th at 110
Madilyn Peach (Wisconsin), 1st at 130
Naima Ghaffar (Indiana), 3rd at 135
Alexis Lazar (Michigan) 2nd at 140
Halle Spears (Michigan), 5th at 235