Championship Finals Set in 16U Girls Division, Kansas and Oklahoma Boast Four Finalists Each at U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals

Jul 18, 2026, 1:29 PM EDT

��David Gerhart, 91��

Abagail Lacy of Oklahoma competing at the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D.

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FARGO, North Dakota – Our 32 finalists have been set for the 16U Girls division at the 2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals. The championship finals from the FARGODOME will begin at 2 p.m. CT.

Kansas and Oklahoma lead all states with four finalists apiece across the 16 weight classes.

Among the Kansas finalists is 2025 Fargo runner-up Gray Joyce, who returns to the finals. In the semifinals at 145, Joyce grabbed a 10-0 technical fall over Arizona’s Yamilett Cortez. Joyce now faces Audrey Robinson of Oregon in the finals. Robinson also teched her way into the finals with an 11-1 win over Zoe Delgado of Florida.

The only other runner-up from 2025 back in the finals is Riley Karwowski of Pennsylvania. Karwowski earned a medical forfeit in the semifinals to grab a spot in the championship at 110 pounds, where she takes on Audrey Cunningham of Texas. Cunningham scored a fall in the semifinals to secure her spot in this afternoon’s finals.

At 100 pounds, the prospect of the same championship match in the two divisions ended with Oregon’s Olivia Hernandez beating out 2025 U17 World bronze medalist Maisie Elliott of Washington, 10-7. Abigail Peterson of Iowa, who was also still alive for the championship in both divisions, grabbed a 12-1 win over Timi Coles of Pennsylvania. However, Peterson’s hope of a weekend double came up short with a third-place finish in the Junior division.

The Hernandez-Peterson championship features teammates from the 2026 U17 Pan American Championships team, where Peterson grabbed silver and Hernandez won bronze.

Fellow 2026 U17 Pan Am Team member and 2026 U17 World Team member, Sophia Valdez, of Colorado, punched her ticket to the finals after beating out 2025 runner-up Brooklyn Henry of Pennsylvania, 6-2. In the finals at 95 pounds, Valdez faces Massachusetts’ Brooklyn Murray, who beat Washington’s Lanaia Selig, 8-4. Murray is just the state’s second-ever 16U Girls finalist – Corynne McNulty finished second in 2024 at 136 pounds.

Three championship bouts this afternoon feature returning Fargo All-Americans going head-to-head. The first will be at 145 pounds between Robinson and Joyce. At 170 pounds, Illinois’ Alexis Penley, who placed fifth in 2025, faces eighth-place finisher Siobhan Flanner of Kansas. The championship contest at 207 pounds pits a pair of third-place finishers from last year in Michigan’s Lyla Hensen and Oklahoma’s Abigail Lacy.

A complete list of final matchups and semifinal results is available below. The top 10 team scores heading into the finals are also listed below.

The final session of the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals begins at 2 p.m. CT with the championship finals of the Junior and 16U Girls divisions.

The U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals is being broadcast live on . Brackets and match-by-match results are available on .

Visit the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals Event Hub and 91��’s social media platforms for complete coverage of the action in Fargo.

2026 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals

At Fargo, N.D., July 18

Reference Links

Event Hub

16U Girls Freestyle Results

Team Standings

1. Pennsylvania, 167

2. Oklahoma, 103

3. Illinois, 100

4. California, 99

5. Kansas, 95

6. New York, 74

7. Florida, 61

8. Arizona, 59

9. Wisconsin, 57

10. Washington, 56

Championship Finals Matchups

95 pounds – Sophia Valdez (Colorado) vs. Brooklyn Murray (Massachusetts)

100 pounds – Abigail Peterson (Iowa) vs. Olivia Hernandez (Oregon)

105 pounds – Bella Manno (Arizona) vs. Ella Neibert (Indiana)

110 pounds – Riley Karwowski (Pennsylvania) vs. Audrey Cunningham (Texas)

115 pounds – Kaylee Vera (Ohio) vs. Auriana Wakinekona (Hawaii)

120 pounds – McKenna Wilson (Oklahoma) vs. Elle Changaris (New Jersey)

125 pounds – Presley Beard (Kansas) vs. Winter West (Washington)

130 pounds – Rachel Garcia (Oklahoma) vs. Anastasia Rodnikova (Illinois)

135 pounds – Noli Paddock (New York) vs. Rain Scott (Illinois)

140 pounds – Ki'Morah Cathey (Oklahoma) vs. Kesi Tsarni (Maryland)

145 pounds – Audrey Robinson (Oregon) vs. Gray Joyce (Kansas)

155 pounds – Ava Guilmette (New York) vs. Camilla Hathaway (Pennsylvania)

170 pounds – Alexis Penley (Illinois) vs. Siobhan Flanner (Kansas)

190 pounds – Ashley Hoffman (Pennsylvania) vs. Kaylee Thompson (Kansas)

207 pounds – Lyla Hensen (Michigan) vs. Abagail Lacy (Oklahoma)

235 pounds – Taya Maumausolo Matagi (California) vs. Maycee Hales (Utah)

Semifinal Results

95 pounds

Sophia Valdez (Colorado) dec. Brooklyn Henry (Pennsylvania), 6-2

Brooklyn Murray (Massachusetts) dec. Lanaia Selig (Washington), 8-4

100 pounds

Abigail Peterson (Iowa) tech. fall Timi Coles (Pennsylvania), 12-1

Olivia Hernandez (Oregon) dec. Maisie Elliott (Washington), 10-7

105 pounds

Ella Neibert (Indiana) tech. fall Olivia Munson (California), 10-0

Bella Manno (Arizona) dec. Kayne-Lin Chun (Hawaii), 6-4

110 pounds

Riley Karwowski (Pennsylvania) med. for. Charlotte Nold (Illinois)

Audrey Cunningham (Texas) fall Chloe Medlock (Oklahoma), 1:13

115 pounds

Kaylee Vera (Ohio) fall Mabel Rogers (Missouri), 3:17

Auriana Wakinekona (Hawaii) fall Lillian Fonceca (California), 1:34

120 pounds

McKenna Wilson (Oklahoma) fall Olivia Kearns (Pennsylvania), 1:00

Elle Changaris (New Jersey) dec. Mikayla Perkins (Indiana), 16-10

125 pounds

Presley Beard (Kansas) dec. Aleia Apostol (California), 7-6

Winter West (Washington) fall Hailey Worden (Nevada), 2:28

130 pounds

Rachel Garcia (Oklahoma) tech. fall Daelin Cody (Wisconsin), 11-0

Anastasia Rodnikova (Illinois) dec. Zaylyn Woods (Texas), 11-10

135 pounds

Noli Paddock (New York) dec. Eila Schultz (Colorado), 14-6

Rain Scott (Illinois) dec. Shannon Logue (Pennsylvania), 5-0

140 pounds

Ki'Morah Cathey (Oklahoma) tech. fall Paisley Morrison (Oregon), 10-0

Kesi Tsarni (Maryland) fall Jenny Gautreau (Pennsylvania), 1:21

145 pounds

Audrey Robinson (Oregon) tech. fall Zoe Delgado (Florida), 11-1

Gray Joyce (Kansas) tech. fall Yamilett Cortez (Arizona), 10-0

155 pounds

Camilla Hathaway (Pennsylvania) for. Leolyn Karnowski (Kansas)

Ava Guilmette (New York) fall Scarlett Yeager (Kansas), 0:43

170 pounds

Alexis Penley (Illinois) fall Reghan Koch (Ohio), 1:11

Siobhan Flanner (Kansas) dec. Remington LaFlamme (Pennsylvania), 10-10

190 pounds

Ashley Hoffman (Pennsylvania) fall Brianna Sandoval (New Jersey), 2:41

Kaylee Thompson (Kansas) dec. Princess Saili (Washington), 11-10

207 pounds

Lyla Hensen (Michigan) tech. fall Mercedes Kruse (Wisconsin), 10-0

Abagail Lacy (Oklahoma) fall Kenzie Barrett (Florida), 3:05

235 pounds

Taya Maumausolo Matagi (California) fall Malena Borja (Missouri), 2:51

Maycee Hales (Utah) dec. Jacey Peterson (North Dakota), 6-5

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