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Gracie Figueroa of California, shown at the 2016 Junior Nationals, was among the eight wrestlers to repeat as First Team members. Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com
ASICS America Corporation is pleased to announce the 17th annual ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team. There were eight members of the 2016 First Team who were selected as First Team members again in 2017: McKayla Campbell of Wauseon High School (Ohio), Grace Figueroa of Selma High School (Calif.), Ronna Heaton of Brookings High School (S.D.), Macey Kilty of Stratford High School (Wis.), Alexandria Liles of Allen High School (Texas), Alleida Martinez of Selma High School. (Calif.), Kayla Marano of Jefferson High School (Ga.) and Brenda Reyna of Mount Vernon High School (Wash.). Campbell and Heaton are on their third straight ASICS First Team.
The ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team is selected by a nationwide panel of wrestling experts. It is the only national all-star team for which female high school wrestlers competing on all four grade levels are eligible. Athletes from across the nation were considered for their achievements in high school wrestling, as well as the major post-season freestyle and folkstyle competitions.
The 2017 ASICS Girls High School All-American Team was finalized in early July, before the major summer competitions.
ASICS is a major supporter of wrestling at all levels. ASICS has sponsored the nationally respected ASICS High School All-American Team for boys’ wrestlers for 31 years.
“ASICS America Corporation is proud to be a sponsor of the All-American wrestling team for girls,” said Neil Duncan, Vice President of TW Promotions which represents ASICS. “Women’s wrestling is growing at all levels, with more opportunity on the college and Olympic levels. These are our future college national champions and Olympians in women’s wrestling.”
Four states boast two First Team members, California, Ohio, Washington and Wisconsin. Figueroa and Martinez represent California. Campbell and Autumn Gordon of Lancaster High School represent Ohio. Reyna and Cameron Guerin of Davis High School hail from Washington. Kilty and Jayden Laurent of Denmark High School come from Wisconsin. There were 10 different states represented on the First Team.
Heaton placed fourth in the 2017 U.S. Senior World Team Trials, while Gordon was sixth at the 2017 U.S. Senior Open. Seven First Team members won USA Wrestling Junior National titles in the summer of 2016, Figueroa, Marano, Martinez, Reyna and Guerin, plus Emily Shilson of Centennial High School (Minn.) and Alexandria Liles of Allen High School (Texas).
Eight First Teamers won the 2017 USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals in Oklahoma: Figueroa, Marano, Shilson, Campbell, Kilty, Laurent and Gordon and Alara Boyd of Yorktown High School (Ind.).
2016 UWW Cadet World medalists on the First Team were Cadet World silver medalist Heaton, plus Cadet World bronze medalists Figueroa, Martinez, Kilty and Boyd. Five First Teamers were also Cadet National Champions last summer in Fargo, Figueroa, Shilson, Liles, Kilty and Laurent.
Four from the First Team won the 2017 UWW Junior Nationals and will compete at the Junior World Championships this summer in Finland: Figueroa, Heaton, Campbell and Guerin. Four from the First Team won the 2017 UWW Cadet Nationals and will compete in the Cadet World Championships this summer in Greece: Figueroa, Shilson, Liles and Boyd.
First-teamers who are from states with official state high school championships who won their state tournament in 2017 included Figueroa and Martinez from California plus Reyna and Guerin from Washington and Liles from Texas. The First Team featured five seniors, six juniors and three sophomores.
The Second Team was also star-studded, led by Junior Folkstyle National champions Emily Bruntil of Nooksack Valley High School (Wash.), Corey Burton of Oak Hills High School (Calif.), Alyvia Fiske of Vintage High School (Calif.) and Nkechinyere Nwankwo of Richmond Foster High School (Texas), plus Cadet Nationals champion Caitlyn Walker of Upper Moreland High School (Pa.)
The Third Team featured Junior Folkstyle Nationals champion Kaden Campbell of SOT Academy – Universal Learning Center (Colo.), Cadet Folkstyle Nationals champion Viktorya Torres of Granger High School (Wash.), plus Cadet Freestyle National champions Cara Broadus of Medical Professions/Teacher Preparation Academy (Conn.) and Jesse Kirby of Culpeper County High School (Va.)
As the National Federation of State High Schools has yet to determine specific weight classes for girls wrestling, the athletes were selected based solely on achievement and ability. The top 14 athletes were named to the First Team, the second 14 athletes were named to the Second Team and the third 14 athletes were selected to the Third Team. Thirty athletes were named as Honorable Mention. An effort was made to make a reasonable spread of weights on each team. If the National Federation sets specific girls weight classes in the future, the selection committee will consider using those weight classes for the selection criteria at that time.
For the TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team, athletes were identified in three weight ranges: Light (100-121 pounds); Middle (122-140 pounds); Upper (141 pounds and above).
In total, 72 wrestlers were selected to TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team. California led all states with 12 selections, followed by Texas and Washington with seven, plus Wisconsin and Colorado with five. A total of 27 states were represented on the All-American Team. The team included 22 seniors, 31 juniors, 15 sophomores and four freshmen.
Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports among youth sports for women. It has been an Olympic sport for four Olympic Games, the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, 2012 Olympics in London, England and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are an estimated 15,000 girls competing on the high school level in the United States today, and the number has grown each year for the last dozen years. Colleges continue to add women’s wrestling on the varsity and club level across the nation.
2017 ASICS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM
First Team
Light McKayla Campbell Sr Wauseon, OH Wauseon High School
Light Grace Figueroa Jr Sanger, CA Selma High School
Light Autumn Gordon Sr Sugar Grove, OH Lancaster High School
Light Cameron Guerin Jr Yakima, WA Davis High School
Light Ronna Heaton Sr Brookings, SD Brookings High School
Light Macey Kilty So Stratford, WI Stratford High School
Light Alleida Martinez Jr Selma, CA Selma High School
Light Brenda Reyna Sr Mount Vernon, WA Mount Vernon High School
Light Emily Shilson So Maple Grove, MN Centennial High School
Middle Michaela Beck Jr New York, NY Trevor Day High School
Middle Alara Boyd So Muncie, IN Yorktown High School
Middle Alexandria Liles Jr Allen, TX Allen High School
Upper Jayden Laurent Jr Denmark, WI Denmark High School
Upper Kayla Marano Sr Jefferson, GA Jefferson High School
Second Team
Light Vayle Baker Jr Benton, PA Benton High School
Light Alexandra Hedrick Sr Fair Oaks, CA Bella Vista High School
Light Alisha Howk Jr Blue Springs, MO Blue Springs High School
Light Katlyn Pizzo Sr Madison Heights, MI Clawson High School
Light Caitlyn Walker Fr Hatboro, PA Upper Moreland High School
Middle Teniya Alo Jr Honolulu, HI Iolani High School
Middle Emily Bruntil Jr Everson, WA Nooksack Valley High School
Middle Ashlynn Ortega Jr Pueblo, CO Pueblo South High School
Middle Hanna Ramos So Kenosha, WI Bradford High School
Upper Corey Burton Jr Hesperia, CA Oak Hills High School
Upper Alexandra Castillo Jr Arleta, CA Birmingham Charter High School
Upper Kelani Corbett So Mililani, HI Leilehua High School
Upper Alyvia Fiske Sr Napa, CA Vintage High School
Upper Nkechinyere Nwankwo Sr Richmond, TX Richmond Foster High School
Third Team
Light Kaden Campbell So Greeley, CO SOT Academy/Universal Learning Center
Light Stefana Jelacic So Fountain Hills, AZ Mesa Mountain View High School
Light Asia Ray Sr Arlington, TX Arlington High School
Light Genae Sampract Sr Danville, IL Danville High School
Light Viktorya Torres Fr Granger, WA Granger High School
Light Amanda Walker Jr Hatboro, PA Upper Moreland High School
Middle Cara Broadus Jr Terryville, CT Medical Professions/Teacher Academy
Middle Hali Davis Jr Azle, TX Azle High School
Middle Breanna Douglas Jr Paola, KS Paola High School
Middle Erin Redford Sr Buckley, WA White River High School
Upper Emily Cue Jr Parker, CO Legend High School
Upper Jesse Kirby Jr Rixeyville, VA Culpeper County High School
Upper Abby Lees Sr Washougal, WA Washougal High School
Upper Marissa Patterson Sr Topeka, KS Shawnee Heights High School
Honorable Mentions
Light Kasey Baynon Jr Statesboro, GA Statesboro High School
Light Hailey Cox Jr Mapleton, UT Maple Mountain High School
Light Allison Davis Jr Bluff City, TN Sullivan East High School
Light Cierra Foster Sr Post Falls, ID Post Falls High School
Light Charlie Hamer Sr Lewisville, TX The Colony High School
Light Tiare-Lynn Ikei So Honolulu, HI Kaiser High School
Light Mya Kretzer So McPherson, KS McPherson High School
Light Trina Nguyen Jr Walnut, CA Diamond Ranch High School
Light Leah Olsen Sr Sedro Woolley, WA Sedro Woolley High School
Light Angel Rios Fr Arvada, CO Roosevelt High School
Light Jasmine Weaver Jr North Chesterfield, VA Meadowbrook High School
Middle Alyssa Aceval Sr San Jacinto, CA Corona High School
Middle Tiyahna Askew Fr Lawrenceville, GA Collins Hill High School
Middle Hailey Cancelleri Jr Staten Island, NY Curtis High School
Middle Sarah Conner Sr Brownsville, OR Central Linn High School
Middle Rory Coscia Jr Modesto, CA Enochs High School
Middle Brianna Csontos Sr Amissville, VA Culpeper County High School
Middle Jerzie Estrada So Parker, CO Selma High School
Middle Brooke Logan Jr El Mirage, AZ Liberty High School
Middle Xochitl Mota-Pettis So Humble, TX Klein High School
Middle Jessica Sanchez So Tulare, CA Tulare Union High School
Middle Alanah Vetterick Jr Norwalk, IA Norwalk High School
Upper Sierra Adams-Gregory So Lakewood, CA Milliken High School
Upper Rachel Bridges Sr Keller, TX Timbercreek High School
Upper Dymond Guilford Sr Lancaster, CA Eastside High School
Upper Natalie Kemp So DeForest, WI DeForest High School
Upper Syndee Kimber Jr Sitka, AK Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Upper Kiana Pugh Sr Mosinee, WI Mosinee High School
Upper Olivia Rondeau So Gaithersburg, MD Poolesville High School
Upper Kenya Lee-Sloan Jr Knoxville, TN Hardin Valley High School
