Fargo - Day 1 Recap

I’ve decided to do this as a by the numbers because I’m exhausted after day 1 and the numbers do a good job of explaining everything that happened on a busy day in Fargo. Note: if a wrestler is in the semifinals tomorrow morning - they are already and All American. They are wrestling to find out where they will end up on the podium (1st through 6th). Those in the bloodround need a win to secure a top 8 finish.

I captured a ton of pics - so our first item is a link to the smugmug account. Remember if you are an athlete or parent - please look through them and take whatever you like. If you post - I’d love for you tag sewrestle, but it isn’t necessary. If you are a media company - please feel free to use, but also 1) please attribute to sewrestle and 2) please send us an email or a DM on social media to let us know where it is posted.

1 - Junior All American for Georgia. Genevieve An is in the semis at 190 and will look to make another Fargo final. But she is the only one. The Georgia Junior girls is a talented bunch and several had some outstanding runs and came up just short of making it to the 2nd day. Our day 2 candidate was Kori Campbell and she was one of several that came close … finishing 3-2 and lost one match from making it to day 2. Abby Plemmons, Delialah Betances, and others had good runs, but came up just short of advancing to day 2.

1 - Junior All American for Tennessee. Georgia has An, Tennessee has Ella Murphey - who will All American again in 2024. She was an All American in 2022 in Juniors as well. Murphey will wrestle former Florida hammer Alyssa Favara in the opposite semi from An.

2 - 16U All Americans from Georgia. After missing out on the podium a year ago - Georgia comes back with 2 that will AA in 2024 (a huge accomplishment given that they only brought 4). Greta Garbuzovas is in the semis and Cadence Grulla is in the consis. We should amend this to say 2 16U AA’s from Lumpkin County, Georgia.

3 - 3 potential Junior All Americans for South Carolina. The Juniors girls have always been a strength for team South Carolina and 2024 is no different. Zao Estrada and Annalise Maralit wrestle in semis in the morning and Tiyanna Mack will wrestle in the bloodround.

5 - Tennessee 16U women have 5 in the hunt for a spot on the podium. 3 in the semis (Sturgill, Hilton, and Johnson) - each looking to claim a stop sign and 2 (Levendusky and Elizabella Laurin who will wrestle in the bloodround in the morning).

10 - Florida has 10 Junior All Americans in the bloodround. No semifinalists, but 10 that could AA. Florida has never had 10 All Americans in one year on the women’s side (I believe they had 10 Greco Junior All Americans back in 2011 .. but the most they have ever had in Junior women is 6 in 2021).