Audrey Cunningham is a name some in the Texas wrestling circle may not know yet.
They will soon enough.
The soon-to-be freshman at Katy Cinco Ranch was a national finalist at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals tournament in July in Fargo, North Dakota.
Cunningham, 14, was a runner-up in the 16U girls 110-pound bracket.
“Honestly, when I was wrestling, I didn’t really care whether I lost or won. I wasn’t even thinking about making it to the finals,” she said. “And looking back, making it to the finals was a pretty big achievement.”
Cunningham was heading into Fargo on a hot streak.
She won the Texas USA Wrestling Freestyle and Greco-Roman titles in May. At the Women’s National Duals in June, she went 8-0 in freestyle and was on the Freestyle All-Tournament Team for Texas Blue.
She went 7-1 in Greco-Roman in the tournament as well with four pins.
This was her first time competing at the Fargodome. She said she spent time preparing for that atmosphere, which sometimes leads to struggles for wrestlers not used to a venue that large.
She said she didn’t spend time looking up whom she would wrestle in her matches.
“If you’re not where you want to be yet, train harder and keep improving,’ she said. “Focus on your own wrestling, not on who you’re facing.”
Cunningham won her first five matches to surge into the finals.
Her first two matches, against Ahnai Welchans from Ohio and Samantha Bentz from Pennsylvania, were 10-0 tech falls.
In the Round of 16, she fell behind 3-0 after the first period against Alexa Thomas from Wisconsin. In the second period, 5 points in the final minute led to a 5-3 win.
Cunningham then beat a Missouri High School state champion in Zolah Williams in the quarterfinals, 6-2.
In the semifinals, Oklahoma’s Chloe Medlock took an early 2-0 lead on Cunningham. She responded with four points that turned into a pin at the 1:13 mark. Medlock won the OSSAA Class 6A 115-pound championship during the high school season for Putnam City West.
In the finals, Cunningham lost to Riley Karwowski from Pennsylvania by a pin in 1:28.
“It showed me that I’m decent enough to place high in a big-scale tournament, but it also helped me realize what I still need to work on to keep improving and become a better wrestler,” she said of the trip. “Competing against the best wrestlers from all over the country was an exciting experience.”
Cunningham’s foray into wrestling started with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Gracie Barra Westchase in Houston. She said she started Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense and then made the transition into wrestling when others there were doing it.
“At first, I wasn’t too passionate about the sport and didn’t enjoy it too much, but as I grew older I started to really get into wrestling and eventually
loved doing the sport,” she said. “My coaches prepared me very well for Fargo, teaching us several moves and techniques through the weeks leading to Fargo.”
Her coach at Gracie Barra, Servando Almaraz, said he felt confident that Cunningham would have success at Fargo.
She did well at the Women’s Nationals and National Duals.
“Watching Audrey make it to the finals meant a lot to me, Almaraz said. “We spent so many hours together drilling, wrestling and talking mindset just to prepare for this moment. Still, one wonders if it’s enough? Are we doing the right things? Are we using the right technique? Are we doing everything we can to make sure we were prepared? Making it to the finals was a reassurance that we were. Also, Audrey doesn’t think she’s that good; she thinks her opponents are just easy. It was nice to see her make it so she can finally start to realize her opponents aren’t easy. She’s just that good.
“We always joke at the gym that Audrey is very nonchalant. If you look at any of her matches, after she wins she looks so unamused and bored. Almost the entire match, she won’t change a facial expression. Having such a nonchalant attitude allows her to set up her attacks and gameplay regardless of who’s in front of her.”
Almaraz said that Cunningham is just one of a handful of talented athletes that will make their name known soon. The others he listed: Vivienne Yarbrough, Phoebe Richers, Abbie Richers, Annabel Choo and Stephanie Lopez.
Cunningham, though, will have the distinction of being the first Fargo All-American to come from that gym.
