Three USA World Champions Just Dominated Spokane, and One Freshman Moment Won't Stop Them

The Women's Wrestling Nationals came to The Podium in Spokane this weekend, and the early rounds kicked off Thursday before things got real on Friday. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals all went down in one spectacular day, but three wrestlers made it crystal clear who owns the sport right now: they're all World Champions heading to Slovakia in August.

Three Gold Medalists, Two on the U20 Stage for the First Time

This is the part that should make you sit up: Morgan Turner from Illinois (50 kilograms) and Taina Fernandez from Maryland (68 kilograms) are both two-time U17 World Champions, and they're stepping onto the U20 nationals stage for the first time this year. Then there's Everest Leydecker from Arizona (55 kilograms), who earned her World Gold in the U20 ranks a year ago. All three are ranked at the top of their respective weights according to the latest Girls' National Rankings from High School On SI. They're not just winning here in Spokane. They're dominating.

Turner Runs the Table in a Sweep

Morgan Turner didn't mess around against No. 7 Sarissa Tucker of Virginia. In their best-of-three finals series, Turner went to work immediately. In the first match, she hit a technical superiority win at 11-0 in just 1:40. For anyone scoring at home, that's a ten-point margin in Freestyle (different from the 15-point margin needed in Folkstyle).

The second bout? Even faster. Turner caught Tucker with a smooth front headlock to the back and planted her in 59 seconds. Match over. Series over. Turner was relentless.

Tucker's road to the finals was no joke, though. She pinned No. 3 Christina Estrada from California in the semifinals at 4:59, and earlier dropped a quick pin on Jaclyn Bouzakis from Pennsylvania, the No. 1-ranked girl at 105 pounds who was a U17 World Bronze medalist last year. But none of that mattered when she stepped across from Turner.

Fernandez Falls Behind, Then Takes Over

Taina Fernandez hit a moment of real adversity for the first time this year. Against May Cuyler from Presbyterian College, Fernandez found herself down 4-2 early in their first match. Then she earned her first takedown with a spin behind and reset on their feet, but Cuyler caught her with a slick Japanese Whizzer that gave up exposure points and left Fernandez fighting off her back.

After a replay challenge to confirm the points, Fernandez settled down and got back to business. A low single with a seated finish led into a leg lace that Fernandez rolled through for four sets of exposure points, blowing the match wide open at 12-4. She finished with a front headlock into a cradle and one more spin behind for a final takedown to win 14-4 on a tech. Now she'll defend the U17 World Title she won last year while competing for the U20 crown at the World Stage in Slovakia come August.

These three are headed overseas in August. Spokane just got a preview of what the rest of the world is about to face.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.