Taina is a World Champion!

Archbishop Spalding’s soon to be junior Taina Fernandez just returned from a trip to Athens, Greece where she locked down her second consecutive U17 Girl’s Freestyle World Championship. The title capped off a tremendous calendar year that saw Fernandez build on her already incredible legacy, by somehow, finding a way to outdo herself.

“My main thoughts on winning a second consecutive world title are gratitude and pride,” Fernandez reflected. “I feel so grateful to have had such an amazing support system behind me, consisting of family, coaches, and especially faith, that all helped me reach my goal of winning another world title this year. I also feel proud of the work I put in, specifically the times I didn’t want to but did anyway, as it feels so gratifying now that the mission is accomplished.”

Fernandez ran the table from Super 32, the Beast of the East, and National Preps before competing in the U17 Women’s Nationals, where she locked down her spot on the World Team by downing Texas’ Landri VonGonten. Fernandez added another stop that wasn’t on her log a year ago at the U.S. Open when she won the 135-pound title over Arizona’s No. 2 Morgan Lucio, by fall, 2:54.

Another U17 Pan Am Championship came in June followed by the Cavalier winning crowns in both Divisions at Fargo by technical fall, 11-0, over Oklahoma’s No. 16 Emily Beckley in the 16U slate and another 11-0 tally in the Junior Final versus Indiana’s No. 11 Maddie Marsh. A 10-0 tech of Lucio also occurred in the junior brackets.

This all was prep for the world stage and an opportunity to become a back-to-back World Champ. Fernandez delivered on that hope with a dominant 11-0 tech versus India’s Yashita in the gold medal match.

“I think what was on my mind throughout the tournament was constantly reminding myself that this was just another goal I wanted to accomplish, and that I knew I could achieve,” Fernandez added. “I tried not to think about whether I could be a world champion again; instead, I kept telling myself I would be, no matter what adversity or obstacles I faced.

“As a returning champ, I think the biggest way I prepared was simply by staying humble and hungry to continue chasing that second world title. I went into the tournament recognizing that I couldn’t let my foot off the gas just because I won last year. I would make that win motivate me to press my foot down even harder.”

The road to the finals was filled with three different types of outcomes. China’s Zichen Dong was disposed of by a 10-0 tech in the Qualification Round. Zalina Torova (United World Wrestling) accomplished a rare feat by going the distance with Fernandez before falling, 13-6. A 35 second semifinal flattening of Georgia’s Miranda Kapanadze delivered her to the big stage. Wrestlers compete under the UWW Flag when their countries’ federation is banned from participation, but the individual is eligible.

“I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to test myself against each country’s best representative,” Fernandez said. “Although each match may have required something different out of my wrestling, my mindset remained consistent; I would try to wrestle each of my competitors to the very best of my ability every time I stepped foot on the mat. Overall, it was a truly special experience.”

Coming back as a defending champ placed pressure on Fernandez’s doorstep that is more than what she normally encounters stateside where it’s more about how much she will dominate, than the uncertainty that comes with facing the best in the world.

“Honestly, I did feel some extra pressure this tournament,” Fernandez said. “Whenever I compete internationally, I always feel a little bit of extra pressure, because I recognize that I’m representing something so much bigger than just myself, and even my state, I’m representing my country. However, at the same time, I acknowledge that the additional pressure I’m feeling also comes along with how privileged I feel to be able to wrestle in the red, white, and blue singlet. So yes, I may have placed additional pressure on myself for this tournament, but it didn’t feel as much of a burden as a blessing.”

Fernandez has been ranked atop her weight class this entire rankings period but in USA Wrestling/Flo Wrestling’s July update to the national rankings, Fernandez came in as the number two pound-for-pound girl behind Arizona’s Everest Leydecker (Desert Vista, 120 pounds). One would think a second world title should place Fernandez in the top spot when they are updated again. Both wrestlers return this upcoming year.

Fernandez’s trips across the country and around the world have been turned into family affairs. Whenever possible, the whole group will be in the fold, but there is never a shortage of family on hand for Fernandez to lean on.

“Unless I have a work obligation that I absolutely can’t miss, I always travel with Taina,” said Fernandez’s father Kareem. “Our family supports her every step of the way, and her grandparents rarely miss a chance to be in the stands cheering her on. Wherever Taina wrestles, you can be sure there’s a strong family presence nearby.

“It’s a blessing to be along for the ride and share these moments with her. Honestly, it’s not hard to believe how successful Taina is, because I witness firsthand how hard she works and how dedicated she is to her craft every day. Her success directly reflects the time, effort, and heart she puts into it. Winning a second World title is an incredible accomplishment. It highlights her consistency, growth, and relentless drive to improve. We’re proud of her and excited for what the future holds.”

Having this be the second time traveling abroad for the World Championships (last year’s were in Jordan) and knowing what that entails helped with preparation and expectations, not just for the wrestling, but the actual journey as well.

“Surprisingly, reflecting on this trip, I don’t think I handled it much differently, even though I had been down this road before,” said Fernandez. “I believe the additional feeling of comfort came from staying consistent with what I did last year. Staying true to what I did last year helped me feel more prepared this year, as I trusted that it would produce the same result.

“Whether it be something big like staying positive throughout the trip, or even something small like packing an extra shirt in my wrestling bag, by doing both the big and small things I did last year, I gave myself some peace of mind. I believe as I continue my wrestling journey, and hopefully take many more trips, I’ll keep on figuring out how exactly I like to handle each one.”