Breakout Performances at Women's Nationals
Washington native Claire DiCugno won the world team spot at 57 kg in the Junior division. Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com
by Emma Bruntil, AWW staff writer
Twitter & IG: @Emaaabruntil
Just like that, another age-group domestic season has come and gone in USA Wrestling. At Women’s Nationals in Irving, Texas on May 7th-9th, the U15, Cadet, Junior, and U23 world teams were set amidst a weekend that was jammed packed with thrilling matches, exciting upsets, and breakthrough performances. Let’s breakdown whose stock rose the most after arguably the toughest tournament of the season.
Cadets
Ava Ward (46 kg)
Ava Ward put the women’s wrestling world on notice with her breakout performance in Cadets at Women’s Nationals. The 8th grader from Missouri entered the tournament unseeded, meeting the 2-seed Morgan Johnson (#4 at 100 pounds) in the second round. It was no problem for Ward, though, as she pinned Johnson in 1:42. Ward then cruised to the finals with a 10-0 tech-fall in the quarters and an 11-4 win in the semifinals. 2019 Cadet world teamer and #2 ranked Alex Szkotnicki lost in the round of 16 to eventual runner-up Rianne Murphy of Indiana, which gives some perspective to how deep this 46 kg bracket was. In the finals, Ward took round one over Murphy via an 8-0 shutout, and took the second match by fall in forty seconds. The level of dominance from such a young athlete is a rarity, so expect Ava Ward to be in the mix for age-level success for years to come.
Audrey Jimenez (49 kg)
Audrey Jimenez made a statement in January when she battled Cadet world teamer and Olympic Trials qualifier Sage Mortimer in a close 8-5 match on the January Flowrestling card in Nebraska. Jimenez was no stranger to success before that match though, with a U15 Pan American gold medal under her belt. However, pushing a formidable opponent like Mortimer to the brink is a big indicator of future success. The Sunnyside freshman didn’t disappoint at Women’s Nationals, earning a Cadet World Team spot at 49 kg after coming into the tournament unranked. Jimenez started off her tournament by beating #2 Nyla Valencia of California 3-1, before topping Janessa George of Colorado with a 10-0 tech-fall in the quarterfinals. Jimenez kept the momentum going with a 10-0 tech in the semis, and a 5-0 shutout in the first match of the best two-out-of-three series over #3 Faith Cole of Missouri. Cole's injury defaulted in the second match, sealing Jimenez’s first world team spot and capping off a stellar performance in a loaded field.
Korina Blades (61 kg)
The whole wrestling world knows the name Kennedy Blades after the 17-year-old made the Olympic Trials finals in April, but Korina Blades (Kennedy’s younger sister) is a name that you’ll want to pay close attention to as well. Like her older sister, Korina came away from Texas with not one, but two world team spots after dominating the fields at 62 kg (Juniors) and 61 kg (Cadets). Blades’ Cadet tournament title run started with a 10-0 tech-fall over Isabel Worthing, followed by a 10-0 tech in the round of 16. Her dominance continued in the quarterfinals when she secured a 10-0 tech over Cassia Zammit in a mere 18 seconds. Blades rolled through the semis with a 9-1 win over a highly touted Savannah Gomez. In the finals, she took match one with a 12-0 tech-fall over Marissa Jimenez of Idaho, and followed it up with a 14-4 tech in match two. On the day, Korina Blades outscored her opponents 65-5 en route to her first world team spot.
Juniors
Claire Dicugno (57 kg)
Claire DiCugno was no stranger to success before Women’s Nationals. The White River native and Washington girls state champion came into Texas ranked #5 at 127. However, the field at 57 kg was rich with depth and talent. In the bracket at 57 kg was #2 Montana DeLawder of Pennsylvania, Fargo champ Sofia Macaluso of New York, #1 (at 122) Jennifer Soto of California, 2-time NCWWC All-American Asia Nguyen-Smith of North Central, and 2019 Cadet Worlds silver medalist Cristelle Rodriguez of California. To start off her title run, DiCugno rattled off a fall in 1:14 over Abigail Martinez in the round of 32, and a close 5-4 win over Colorado Mesa’s Holly Beaudoin in the round of 16. In the quarters, DiCugno teched Ngao Shoua Whitethorn of Minnesota 13-2, and followed it up with a 5-1 win over Oklahoma City’s Sophia Smith in the semifinals. She had to go the distance in the best-of-three series with #1 Jennifer Soto, after dropping match one 7-4. It didn’t appear to phase the White River senior, though, as DiCugno rattled off 11-0 and 11-1 wins in match two and three, respectively.
Katerina Lange (65 kg)
#7 Katerina Lange may not have come away with the 2021 65 kg world team spot, but the Sherburn senior surely impressed on her way to the finals in a relatively deep field. Lange started off her tournament with a fall in 0:45 seconds over Isabella Mir of Nevada in the round of 32, and followed it up with a quick 19 second fall over Agelina Archuleta of Texas in the round of 16. In the quarters, Lange continued her pinning streak with a fall in 2:10 over California’s Samantha Snow, an NAIA All-American for Indiana Tech. Lange was leading the bout 6-4 in the semifinals before she decked Cadet Fargo champ and U15 world champ Destiny Rodriguez. In the finals, Lange faced a tall task in McKendree’s Alara Boyd, who was a 2021 NCWWC champion and took fourth at Olympic Trials this year. Lange showed no fear though, as she went out and threw a nasty headlock in the opening seconds of the bout. Boyd appeared to be fighting off the pin when she lost consciousness. However, the referee had already called the fall for Lange before the crowd realized Boyd was out cold. Although the McKendree corner threw the challenge brick, the call was upheld and match one went to Lange. In match two, Lange took an early lead with a takedown and a step out. Boyd then came back with several scores of her own to take the 4-3 lead late in the match, and fended off Lange’s attacks for a 4-3 victory to send the series to three matches. Match #3 was all Boyd, as the McKendree sophomore scored a huge five point move off of a double leg and never looked back, taking match three with a 11-1 tech-fall. Lange’s ability to go toe to toe with a collegiate national champion shows tons of potential, so keep an eye out for the Minnesota native as she heads to Augsburg University in the fall.
U23’s
Amanda Martinez (57 kg)
Amanda Martinez is hardly a newcomer to success after two back-to-back finals appearances at the 2020 & 2021 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships. Even so, the North Central senior broke through big time at U23’s, defeating 2-time Junior world teamer and 2021 NCWWC national champion Cameron Guerin in a wild 18-12 match. Guerin appeared to suffer a knee injury mid-way through the first period, and trailed behind Martinez 8-4. Martinez added another two before the break to make it 10-4. Guerin answered back with four points of her own to bring the score to 10-8, before a late flurry from Martinez made the final score 18-12. Guerin had previously defeated Martinez at the North Central Duals in January and the Olympic Trials with 10-0 tech-falls. In the NCWWC finals, Guerin rallied from an early deficit to defeat Martinez 9-6 for the 130-pound national title. After securing her spot in the finals by defeating Guerin, Martinez had a tall task in King’s Cheyanne Sisenstein, a 2021 NCWWC champion. The first match was as close as it gets, as Martinez snuck a takedown with only seconds left on the clock for the 10-10 win. Match two went to Sistenstein, who secured the fall in 2:09. The third and final match again went down to the wire, but this time it was Sisenstein who would come out the victor, icing a 7-5 win with a late takedown. Although Martinez didn’t make the U23 team, a win over Guerin and Sisenstein is nothing to overlook.
Ashlynn Ortega (65 kg)
The rivalry between King’s Ashlynn Ortega and McKendree’s Alara Boyd has produced some exciting and electric matches over the years. The pair are both multiple time age group world teamers, with Ortega making two Cadet teams and placing 5th at Cadet Worlds in 2016. Boyd made both the 2016 and 2017 Cadet world teams, and won Cadet bronze and silver, respectively. Boyd also made the 2019 Junior world team, and made the 2021 Junior world team only two days prior to meeting Ortega in the finals of the U23 tournament. The two first met in a match way back at the 2020 NCWWC semifinals, where Boyd powered her way to a 7-1 win. At the Olympic Trials, the pair met in a tough battle in the quarterfinals. Boyd yet again emerged the victor, this time by a 5-2 score. Heading into the U23 finals, both athletes had dominated their way to the championship match. Boyd had outscored her opponents 35-2, and Ortega dominated the competition by a 30-0 margin. Having two previous victories over Ortega, Boyd was the heavy favorite to secure the 65 kg spot. All that changed when Ortega edged Boyd 4-3 in match one, marking her first victory over the Bearcat sophomore. Ortega then controlled match two, winning 4-1 and earning her first bid to the U23 world championships, and the tournament's most outstanding wrestler to boot.