2024 Fargo 16U Women's Recap: Wylie & Gonzales Win Stop Signs; 3 Others Earn All-American Distinction

88 Pounds: Anabelle Wessel---8th Place

All it took was one clutch performance by the rising sophomoreTrojan out of Alexander to secure herself a spot on the podium!!!....

Taking advantage of a small bracket (only nine total entries), the 2024 NYSPHSAA Girls State Qualifier picked up her lone victory of the weekend when in the midst of a 4-4 deadlock with approximately 1:00 remaining in regulations, she'd come on top of a scramble for a 2pt exposure and then tacked on spin behind takedown in the waning ticks to emerge with an 8-4 decision in the blood round over Washington's Aria Wing....

For Wessel, this marked the second All-American distinction of the season, as she previously was the Bronze medalist at USAW Girls 16U Folk National Championships in March!!!

Only a rising sophomore, we are going to be seeing plenty of this young lady under the Dome in the coming years!!

112 Pounds: Charlie Wylie---NATIONAL CHAMPION

To gaze into the stare on the face of the 2023 NYS DI Boys State 6th; it was apparent that she had no intention of being denied of the crown that escaped (3rd in 2023) her one summer ago...

Her finals match-up a clash of the #3 and #4 ranked ladies in the land, as well as a rematch of the '23 Fargo quarterfinals (she lost 8-3), as wetold her parents minutes after she concluded her trek to the title, "THIS WAS THE BEST VERSION" we had ever seen out of the 2x UWW U17 Pan-American medalist (gold in 2023; bronze a few weeks ago)...

Showing no hesitation in taking the fight straight to Kayla Batres (2023 Pan-American U15 gold medalist; Multiple-time Women's Nationals All-American/U17 Bronze in 2024; 2023 Fargo 16U National runner-up), Wylie got in immediately on one of her bread-and-butter power-doubles, driving the entry from Connecticut off the mat for a 1pt stepout :08 into the 1st period to take the initial 1-0 lead...

That cushion only continued to expand through the remainder of the opening stanza, as the NYer demonstrated superior mat awareness, repeatedly circling in and then spinning behind for a pair of takedowns to carry a 5-0 margin into the intermission...

Her pace relentless and her defense impenetrable, the Iron Horse Wrestling Club protege poured it on further in the 2nd period, as she'd add insurance by way of a snap + spin TD just seconds after the scoreboard dipped below 1:00 to go in duration (7-0)...

Desperate to muster any kind of mojo, the Batres corner rolled the dice in the last half-minute on a possible Wylie stepout; but when the challenge was denied, it accounted for the icing on the 8-0 triumph!!!

The shutout of Batres somewhat par for the course given how locked in/next level Wylie was operating at on both Saturday and Sunday, the S9 standout actually allowed one or few points in five of her six trips to the mats, as she amassed a 67-14 edge in terms of points scored vs. surrendered in the lead-up to the 'ship...

Made to sweat a bit before inevitably taking full control, Wylie only led her round of 16 date with Missouri's Mackinzie Brewer (7th at the 2024 Women's U15 Nationals ), 14-12, with 95 ticks to go; but closed on an 10-0 (three takedowns, 2pt gut, a 2pt exposure off of a scramble) blitz to come away with the 24-12 TF!!!

All other outings were "cruise control" from start to finish, as Wylie collected respective 10-0, fall 3:21 (up 10-1), 11-0, and 12-1 victories at the expense of the likes of Piper Gershmel (MT), Serineh Crane (CA), Kinzie Williams (ID; 2023 USAW Girls Folk Nationals 16U 7th), & Lilly Quintanilla (2024 Wyoming Girls State Champion; 2023 USAW Girls Folk Nationals 16U Bronze medalist; 7th at the 2024 U.S. Open Girls Showcase) in the rounds of 64, 32, quarterfinals, and semis!!

Among all genders and disciples, a student-athlete from S9 has now hoisted hardware on six separate occasions since 2018....She joins the esteemed company of Mia Macaluso (16U Women @127 in '18), Sofia Macaluso (16U Women @122 in '19), Zack Ryder (16U Men's FS @152 in '21), PJ Duke (16U Men's FS @138 in '22), and Mikey Altomer (Junior Men's GR @182 in '22)!!!

118 Pounds: Haley Gonzales----NATIONAL CHAMPION

THE GLASS SLIPPER FITS, BABY!!!!!

Not picked by anyone (including shamefully NYWN) to go all the way, the 2024 NYSPHSAA Invitational State 4th looked the part of a Comet (Hicksville mascot), as despite being seeded 31st (you read that right), she lit up the Dome to the tune of a 6-0 record in bringing home Long Island's first Fargo brass ring since the already recognized Fitzgerald in 2018!!!

Picking her spots with the precision of a seasoned veteran, the rising Nassau junior converted at an insanely accurate rate; as it was her ability to identity the opportunity and then effectively pounce that proved to be her calling card at every step of her title-yielding, storybook fairytale!!!

Striking for four takedowns (two in each period), Gonzalez would emerge with a 9-3 decision in the finals against #19 in the nation, Cheyenne Frank (2x Michigan Girls State placer/2024 runner-up;  2024 USAW Girls Folk National 16U Champion), of Michigan!

The head-to-head toppling of the the Wolverine State entry being the third top-25 conquest of the weekend for New York's breakout daughter [Gonzalez], she previously knocked off #5 Alexis Lazar (also of Michigan) in the round of 32; and then complemented it by grabbing a 6-4 decision in the quarters over 21st-ranked Justice Anthony (WV)...

In the bout with the 2023 Fargo 16U National Runner-up/2023 Double Women's Nationals All-American (U15 Champion), Lazar, defense was the best offense for Gonzalez, as she twice stuffed shot attempts and them worked her way behind for counter takedowns in the 1st period to do all the damage necessary in the pitching the 4-0 upset goose-egg!!!

The championship round 8 affair with Anthony (2x West Virginia Girls State Champion;  2x NHCA All-American/4th in '24; 2023 Fargo 16U 8th) proved to be a tad bit more challenging as Haley found herself trailing 4-0 at the break....

However a 4pt spear-double off the whistle to commence the 2nd period, as well as a snap + spin takedown in the final 35 ticks ultimately were saving graces in a 6-4 comeback!

To put into perspective just how unbelievable today's feat was for the S8er; consider that even in matches where the opponent did not have a # adjourning their name; they were still creme de la creme competitors...

Never was this statement more true than in Gonzales's semifinal appearance where she'd allow the first TD of the scrap, but then answered back by recording one takedown apiece in each of the two periods (including a textbook double that could have been awarded 4 w;/just over 40 seconds to go in the 2nd) to steal the 4-2 decision over 2024 UWW Pan-American U15 Gold medalist/2024 Women's Nationals U15 Champion, Carolyn Geckler (Ohio)!!!

Not to be overlooked was the 7-0 dub in the round of 16 versus Illinois' Sydney Cannon (2x Girls State medalist/3rd in '23'; Multiple-time USAW Girls Folk Nationals All-American/16U 8th in 2024)!!!

142 Pounds: Victoria Alvarado---6th Place

A Fargo All-American before she is even a Women's State Qualifier, the diaper dandy (just completed her freshman season) for Warwick Valley entered the weekend off as one of our wildcard picks; and she sure made the Team New York Coaching staff (who endorsed her to be featured) looks brilliant as the 2024 Section IX Girls titlist arose from a #20 seed in the bracket to accrue a strong 5-3 record that landed her in sixth place!!

Opening the tourney behind a 13-2 technical fall against fellow Empire Stater/2024 NE Regional gold medalist, Brooke-Lynn Murray (Bay Shore), Alvarado would be forced to encounter some early adversity on Saturday, as she'd lose her round of 16 bout to California's Delcy Martinez (2024 Girls State 4th; 2023 Women's Nationals U15 7th)...

Never quitting on herself once, no matter how impossible the odds may have appeared, Alvarado would respond to getting "punched in the mouth" by stringing together a four-bout streak, highlighted by a takedown (threatened with a dump before doubling-off) in the final :25 of the 2nd period of a 2-2 contest to snatch the 4-2 victory in the blood round against yet another California State 4th/2023 Fargo 16U 6th, Lucia Ledezma!!!

Her three other dubs during this run of prosperity all accompanied by some form of bonus point outcome, she'd build an 8-0 cushion before pinning Garden State, Michelle Gavilanes, at exactly the 90 second mark to spark her battle back to the podium...

Further damage came in the form of a 10-0 blanking and a 12-2 tech over Amber Farr (CA) and Oklahoma's Kelice Luker!!!

The mission already achieved and playing with house money, Alvarado would drop her final two appearances, losing again to Martinez in the consolation semis before getting upended in the 5th/6th match by 2024 Idaho Girls State Champion/2023 Women's Nationals U15 4th, Roxy Sheen!

235 Pounds: Peyton Mullin---6th Place

The master of ceremonies at her own personal pin party, the 2024 NYSPHSAA Girls State Queen for Dundee was hailed as a "walking, breathing" fall machine and she did nothing to detract from this reputation, registering sub-1:00 sticks in all five of her triumphs on her way to a top-6 display in her Dome debut!!

Seeded 6th and matching expectations, much like Alvarado, Mullin's heroics were not without some stumbles along the way, as she'd get ousted from stop sign contention in the round of 16 by nationally ranked (#30), Phoenix Molina (2024 Illinois Girls State runner-up; 2024 U.S. Open Girls Showcase 6th)....

But alas, when a person carries themselves as a champion and upholds a standard of excellence; then stumbles tend to quickly be replaced by glory!!!

Notching four consecutive pins in respective times of :29, :40, :33, and :14, the Scots(wo)men rising 10th grader made an art of literally squashing the competition, as her two signature conquests occurred in the the consol 8 #1 and blood rounds, as in each case, she found herself trailing at the onset before going big and delivering an emphatic boom!!!

In the first of these two "must win" scenarios, Mullin overcame getting tossed to her back in the opening 10 seconds (rolled through to mitigate the damage to make it 4-2) when she returned the favor moments later, driving 2024 Colorado Girls State 6th, Larissa Espinosa, directly to her back where he was kept until the slap of the mat echoed with 1:20 showing on the clock in the 1st period...

One outing later, she boasted Evil Empire bragging rights when following the surrendering of a stepout (to briefly go down 1-0), the Section 5er was able to establish a body lock, which she used to bulldoze her way right through 2x NYSPHSAA Girls State medalist/2023 runner-up, Naomi Gonzalez (Valley Stream North), to clinch AA in just over half-a-minute!!!

Darn-near equaling her fastest fall of the day (had a :13 deck in her opening round match against Pennsylvania's Awur Mayom), Mullin banked her fifth and last pin of the weekend when she took care of Illinois' Aarianna Bloyd, at the 14-tick mark!!!

Her nemesis, Molina, finally halted the momentum in the consolation semis; and then 2024 Pennsylvania Girls State runner-up/2023 Fargo 16U 5th, Mackenna Atkinson, prevailed in the collision of blue chip 2027s to round out an explosive and entertaining two-day sage in North Dakota!
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‍Team NY 16U Women Breakdown