TLDR: Five advanced to the semifinals and secured All-American status: Carley Ceshker (127) and Brooke Huffman (180) in 16U, Hanna Errthum (132), Kylie Rule (127) and Alex Hofrichter (164) in Juniors. Nine more are wrestling in the consolations: In 16U, Angie Bianchi (112), Ava Peters (100), Emjay Neumann (117), Lilliana Banks (132), Olivia Hofrichter (144), Riley Hanrahan (127) and Taylor Whiting (106). Faith Bartoszek (138) and Rachel Schauer (164) are wrestling in the consolations of the junior division. Wrestling resumes at 9AM.

FARGO, North Dakota—USA Wrestling’s Junior and 16U National Championships kicked off this morning. It’s the first year that women’s freestyle, men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman are being held on separate days. That means that all 30 mats today were dedicated to WFS. Our athletes, coaches, and spectators were on the go.

Leading the way for Wisconsin women’s freestyle is a group of five semifinalists.

In the 16U division, No. 1 seed Carley Ceshker (4-0) advanced with a trio of techs and a fall over opponents from Illinois, California, Iowa and Arizona. Ceshker hit some pretty slick snatch singles and is showing her strength again domestically after earning gold at the U17 Pan Ams. Her opponent for tomorrow’s semifinals is South Dakota’s Britney Rueb.

Brooke Huffman, a first-year 16U wrestler, is 3-0 and will face Alexandria Perez of California at 180 pounds.

Hanna Errthum (132), Kylie Rule (127) and Alex Hofrichter (164) advanced in the Junior division.

Rule, a two-time WIAA state champ for Mineral Point, is 4-0. She’s been sharp on her feet and in par terre with a killer leg lace. She has wins over Oklahoma, Iowa, Illinois and New York, and will face Jaclyn Dehney of Massachusetts tomorrow morning.

Errthum is back in national competition for the first time in over a year. She posted a 5-0 record today, and hit a nasty 5-point throw in the semis over Emily Frost of New York. She will face Cadence Diduch of Illinois.

Hofrichter rounds out the Junior semifinalists, going 4-0 at 164, with three of those being pins. She will see Minnesota’s Ella Pagel in the semis. Hofrichter won by fall when they met last month at National Duals.

“The juniors are our war horses, our veterans, and they act like it” said Bianchi of the entire Junior group. “Their professionalism, focus and intensity is amazing. They come out and they execute and I am so proud of them.”

Wisconsin has 9 on the consolation side of the brackets. In 16U, Angie Bianchi (112), Ava Peters (100), Emjay Neumann (117), Lilliana Banks (132), Olivia Hofrichter (144), Riley Hanrahan (127) and Taylor Whiting (106). Faith Bartoszek (138) and Rachel Schauer (164) are wrestling in the consolations of the junior division.

The athletes competing tomorrow are tasked with cooling down, cleaning up and getting off their feet to refuel and go to bed. Bianchi said she wants them fresh when they wake up. “Tomorrow is going to come down to who can be tougher longer and it’s going to be a grind. . . as a team our job now is to support the girls that are still in and to help get them as far as they can go.”

The morning session will determine who gets to wrestle in the All-American medal matches at 12PM, and the finals at 6PM. 

The wins were paired with tough losses. With 14 wrestlers pushed through to the second day of competition that leaves a larger group that didn’t make the second day. “I know that some worked specifically for this event and are severely disappointed,” said Bianchi. “My heart breaks for them, but it wasn’t lack of effort on any of their parts,” she said. Many of those athletes had 3-7 matches. “They went out there and they fought hard and came up short. I know how strong they are and I know they’re going to come back even better.”

Back in River Falls the men’s freestyle teams are fine-tuning at camp before heading this way tomorrow.

Wrestling resumes at 9AM. 

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