Fargo, N.D. — Championship Sunday delivered all of the intensity, heart, and standout performances as the nation’s top girls took center stage in women’s freestyle at Junior Nationals. 

Rising all the way to the top was Harlow Skenandore, who captured the 16U national title with a dominant 6-0 run. She punched her ticket to the finals with a 7-3 semifinal win over Oregon’s Audrey Robinson, then capped it off by defeating top-seeded Clover Wilson of Oklahoma in the championship match.

Skenandore, who placed 4th in 2024, said she’s been working on both skill and confidence. “I think last year I let some of my feelings get ahead of my wrestling so I didn’t go out and perform to my full potential, so that’s what I’ve been working on a lot, including wrestling, is confidence.” In her championship interview, she said she focused on getting to her attacks while remaining aware of her opponents. Mentally, she was locked in and present. On repeat? “As long as I trust myself and trust God, my family, my training and my coaches—everything should be okay.”

Skenandore is in great company in Wisconsin with a strong group of girls around her. “Wisconsin is definitely one of the best states in the country now and it’s awesome to see.”

Six more claimed All-American status in the 16U division with back-to-back matches on Sunday.

Princeton freshman Daelin Cody put together an 8-2 performance at 120, battling back after a loss in the round of 16 to finish 4th overall. Layla Risler, also 4th, went 6-2 at 145 pounds. Both wrestlers have a dangerous go-getter style. The eager and skilled young group saw three finish 6th place overall. Cora Stewart (110) put herself in the semifinals and wrestled a tough match with the No. 1 seed and eventual champion out of New Jersey. Also placing 6th were Cassidy O’Connell at 95 pounds and Autumn King at 207. Marshfield’s Erika Sleznikow ended her two-day national tournament with a fall in the 7th-place All-American match in her second trip to Fargo.

Skenandore and Sleznikow aside, this group of 16U All-Americans was on their first trip to Fargo and now has this incredible experience to take back and grow from.

The Juniors doubled their All-American numbers from 2024, placing 6 on the podium.

Oconto junior Taylor Whiting finished in third place overall, notching All-American status at a weight up from where she claimed the title in 2024. When asked what worked well, Whiting said it was her offense: “I think, even though I didn’t win the one match, my offense the whole time. I didn’t let anyone bully me around. It was one of my goals and I did it—just keep looking to score even when I’m up and I think it showed.” Whiting won her 6 matches by tech. 

That loss, in the semis, was to a familiar opponent out of Illinois, Harlee Hiller. It was a back-and-forth battle that came to a 10-10 criteria decision, and now evens their back-and-forth 3-3. “We’ve always had fun wrestling each other. She’s a different style, it’s fun.” Whiting wrestled in the senior division at the US Open as an opportunity to see where she stacked up. “. . . training wise it helped me figure out what I need to fix becase they made my mistakes so much more vulnerable so I knew what I had to work on and I think that helped a lot coming here.”

Brooke Huffman locked up 3rd place overall at 190 pounds. The first-year junior claimed an incredible 7 victories by fall, stopped only in the semis by Virginia’s Mahalia Adamas. Huffman, who earned the 16U title in 2024, said, "You gotta go all the minutes,” about the jump from 16U to Juniors. She said getting to her doubles, snaps and putting the pressure on opponents were keys to success.

Madi Peach (125) and Riley Hanrahan (140) went 6-2 to place 5th. Lillie Banks (6-2) and Wisconsin teammate Dealya Collins (5-3) met in the 7th-place match for an all-Wisconsin medal round, with Banks taking the win. Banks and Collins have now earned AA status in both the 16U and Junior divisions.

The day had its share of heartbreaks for sure. There were 24 that advanced to day two, and every single one of those ladies was well within striking distance of the podium. While the sting might still be fresh, it's a massive tournament and there's a lot of good to be found in every result. 

This entire team represented Wisconsin well—athletes, coaches and the wrestling community should be proud, and really excited about where the program is at. The 16U team placed 8th overall, and the juniors finished 12th.

Next: Junior Nationals continues with men’s freestyle tomorrow. The 16U and Junior competitions will span a total of three days, from Monday to Wednesday. On Monday, Juniors will wrestle in the morning, and 16U will come in for the afternoon session.

More from Fargo

• Preview: Wisconsin Wrestlers Set for 2025 U.S.M.C Junior Nationals in Fargo
• WFS Day 1: Women’s Freestyle advances 24 wrestlers to day two at Junior Nationals

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