Ray Shoaf
The 2024 US Marine Corp 16U & Junior Nationals are once again here. Wrestlers from around the state are arriving in the DFW area to the Spartan Mat Club in preparation for the week-long event in Fargo North Dakota against the best wrestlers in the USA.
This year Texas has roughly 32 Junior boys, 16-16U boys, 34 junior girls, and 23-16U girls registered and signed up for a total of 105 wrestlers to make the journey to Fargo North Dakota.
Team Leader Ray Bedford for the boys and for the women, Team Leader Lindsey Spjut will be in charge with multiple coaches from around the state helping out.
The Girls will fly out this Thursday the 11th while the boys will fly out 2 days later Saturday the 13th. After a week long Fargo Camp at Spartan Mat Club that starts today Sunday July 7th for the girls and the 8th for the boys
Returning placers from last year for the boys will be Kody Tanimoto who last year made the finals in Greco Roman and settled for 2nd place. Tanimoto also place 5th in 2022 in Greco Roman. Aiden Cooley a double placer in 16U in 2022 with 3rd in Greco Roman and 7th in Freestyle competes in the junior division this year. Cooley missed last year in Fargo due to competing at the 17U Greco Roman World Championships. Dylan Ota returns to the 16U division this year, Ota placed 6th in the 16U Greco Roman last year. Bryce Palmer also in the junior division this year placed 8th in the 16U Greco
