Team Maryland sets Women's Record @ Duals
- Billy Buckheit
- Jun 30
- 10 min read
Just before summer arrived on the calendar on June 19th and 20th, Team Maryland was in Westfield, Indiana making history at USA Wrestling’s Women’s National Duals, specifically in the Junior Ranks where they came in third in their final Gold/Yellow Pool with a 3-1 record.
The Grand Park Events Center was where the action unfolded as Maryland stepped on the mats for the first as a full entity since the event’s inception in 2016 when a partial team made the trek as part of the Fargo Nationals. Maryland has not returned until this year.
“To clarify,” coach Chris Dyke added. “While this was the first time Maryland has sent a full team to the USA Wrestling Women’s National Duals as part of the event being standalone, we did have participation in 2016, when the event was held as a one-day competition during Fargo. That roster included Maddi Sheng, Kalin Bower, Lisa McChesney, Grace Oswald, Clarice Palmer, Alyssa Marinaccio, Laura Change, and Lilly Schelling. The duals continued from that point forward, except for the COVID year.”
The girls took some lumps during their Pool A matches, landing in the eighth position with a 2-3 tally. Maryland opened with a Round of 16 match with Oregon that resulted in a mighty 55-14 win.
In that dual, Maryland mudslided Oregon by sweeping the first seven matches to take a commanding 30-0 lead. It began at 125 pounds with Walkersville’s third-place state placer blanking state champion Abigail Mardock, 4-0. Stephen Decatur’s Irie Carmack (No. 8 at 120 in Legacy’s final MD Rankings) posted a 10-0 technical fall at 130 of Scarlett McHugh, a fifth-place state placer, in 1:37.
At 135 pounds, state champion Sophia Hodges of Northeast put up her own 10-0 tech of another fifth-place state finisher, Katelyn Wiseman, 1:41. Bullis’ Kesi Tsarni, a National Prep Runner-up to Spalding’s Taina Fernandez, who is ranked ninth in the country at 135 in USA Wrestling’s updated May Rankings, was given a forfeit at 140.
Laurel’s multi-time state champ, Alexandra Ford, served up an 11-0 tech in 1:39 to Jasmin Lopez Hernandez, a state bronze medalist, at 145. Two pins were registered over girls who placed fourth in Oregon’s states in the next two matches by, Quince Orchard’s Amirah Abegesah (3rd at states) in 1:42 over Adysen Maupin (155) and Eastern Tech’s state silver medalist, Morgan Linton, in 2:06 against Aliyah Sauceda (170).
Oregon’s Sialafua Polamalu, who was third at states got her squad off the schneid with a 2:10 fall of Stephen Decatur’s Azariyah Johnson (2nd at states) at 190 pounds, but Maryland was given a forfeit at 207 pounds to keep Oregon from building any momentum off their win. After Queen Anne’s state champion Kaylynn Bryant got her hand raised, Severn Run’s Katrina Adhikara (No. 11 at 235 in MD) decked state champion Lizabeth Henderson at 235 in 5:25 to go up 40-5.
No one had a 95 pounder so that was a double forfeit, and the next bout came at 100 pounds with Oregon’s third-place state finisher, Eily Asher, sticking No. 11 in Maryland, Calleigh McBride (Stephen Decatur), in 52 seconds. Walt Whitman’s Kelani Ramos collected a forfeit at 105. Archbishop Spalding’s Nationally ranked Summer Mutschler (No. 25 at 105) authored a tech over state champ, Zoe Brewer, 12-2 (2:30), at 110 pounds.
State runner-up Ariana Carnahan of Eastern Tech pinned Amy Carlson (5th at states) in 2:31 at 115, to run Maryland’s lead to 54-11. A battle of state champions closed the dual with Brunswick’s Katharine Virgilio unfortunately coming up on the short end versus Macali Lade, 11-5.
“The first win over Oregon was special,” Dyke said. “It was our opening dual, and they came out swinging. That win was statement. It said we belong here. It gave the girls confidence and gave us momentum early in the day. Everyone contributed, and you could feel the energy shift – from hopeful to hungry.”
Running into a Colorado juggernaut that would make it to the championship bout and fall to Pennsylvania Blue was their reward for the Oregon win. It was a tough draw that resulted in a 61-14 quarter final loss. Maryland’s first consolation match ended with a 41-24 victory over Texas Red. South Dakota Red’s 43-32 win dropped Maryland into the seventh-place match with Missouri Red, where they would suffer a tough 39-36 loss.
“We knew it was going to be a grind – It included No. 1 Pennsylvania, No. 5 Colorado, and No. 9 Oklahoma,” said Dyke. “Add in Missouri and Ohio, and these teams all have long-standing infrastructures. We went 2-3 in Pool A, but even in those losses, our girls showed they could hang. Pool A gave us a true test out of the gate, and instead of being discouraged, the girls responded with belief. That foundation set us up for momentum we carried into Day 2.
“At first, there were definitely some wide eyes. A few of our athletes were stepping onto the mat against nationally ranked opponents for the first time, but they were ready. There wasn’t shock or hesitation – these girls have all competed at high levels before, and we approached this event with a clear mindset and preparation plan. We knew what we were walking into, and the girls met that level of competition head on.”
Pool A was held in a bracketed format, the Green/Yellow Pool would have two traditional pools with the teams meeting for placement versus a team with identical placement on the other side. After going 2-1 with wins over Arkansas Blue (61-11) and New Jersey (39-32), and a 47-30 loss to Ohio Scarlet, Maryland was slotted into the third place dual, facing off with Pennsylvania Red, who they would defeat, 44-34.
The dual with Pennsylvania Red started with the 100 pounders and PA’s Kate Hollinger getting her squad on the board first with a quick 36 second pin of McBride. Maryland didn’t flinch and came out ahead 10-5 after the next two matches as Ramos stuck Blythe Letters in 1:39 at 105 and Mutschler was given a forfeit at 110 pounds.
Two-time Pennsylvania state champion and one-time runner-up, Journie Rodrguez blanked Carnahan at 115 to pull within one, 10-9. Virgilio built upon Maryland’s lead at 120 pounds with a 6-4 decision of Emily Sarr (8th at states). In Olympic Styles, if your opponent scores a point in a loss that doesn’t end with a pin or a disqualification, their team receives a team point, hence PA adding one to their tally despite losing to Virgilio, leaving the count 13-10 in favor of Maryland.
Pennsylvania would take their first lead since the opening bout when they captured victories at 125 and 130 pounds. At 125, three-time state placer (4th this year) Anaiah Kolesar pinned Nicholas in 1:58. Molly Lubenow followed at 130 with a 17-4 tech of Carmack for a 19-14 Pennsylvania advantage.
Hodges and Tsarni rectified that turn of events with back-to-back pins to retake the lead, 24-19. At 135, Hodges planted third-place state finisher Maggie Alfera in 1:44 and Tasrni complimented that with a 29 second flattening of Kaleia Timko at 140.
Two state silver medalists met at 145 pounds with Pennsylvania’s Angelina Spachman winning by fall over Quince Orchard’s Aubry Spadoni, 3:50, to bring the team count to a draw, 24-24.
Starting at 155 pounds, Maryland would bank the wins needed to put this one away as Abegesah pinned Chase Marie Ryan in 1:49, then watched Linton obliterate state runner-up and three-time placer, Bryce Snyder, in 33 seconds, to be followed by state champion Chaniah Bernier (Stephen Decatur) putting another three-time state placer, Jurelys Peguero del Roasrio (3rd this year), to sleep in 1:49.
That barrage of pins left Maryland holding its largest advantage of the match, 39-24. There were three bouts left, so if PA could pin out, they would tie and force a look at criteria to decide the winner as a fall is worth five in the Olympic Styles. State runner-up and three-time placer, Alaina Claassen did her part at 207 pounds when she took out Bryant in 3:47.
This gave Adhikari the opportunity to be the nail that shut the coffin, and she delivered quickly, keeping potential drama from arriving on the scene with a 50 second fall of Makenzie O’Donnell at 235 pounds. Maryland forfeited to Keyra Seville at 95 pounds to make the final tally, 44-34.
“By that point, the girls weren’t just reacting to the competition – they were controlling it,” reflected Dyke. “They understood match strategy, stayed composed under pressure, and wrestled with total belief in each other. That dual felt like a culmination of everything they had built over the two days – toughness, trust, and execution. They knew what was on the line, and they delivered.
“We had an amazing coaching staff who poured everything into these girls with energy, professionalism, and care. They handled the logistics, the emotional highs and lows, and the technical development – all while helping athletes grow as individuals. Our parents were incredible – trusting the process, supporting, and helping make this trip possible. And to the State Leadership and wrestling community that backed this effort – thank you. This was a team win from top to bottom.”
What happened in Pool A would build the base for the success that was to come. The experience of that gauntlet allowed them to see they belonged and could hang with the best in the country.
“Wrestling through Pool A gave us more than just tough matches – it gave us feedback,” Dyke remarked. “We saw what was working, what we needed to tighten up, and where we could capitalize. The girls took that information and made real-time adjustments. We went 3-1 in the Green/Yellow Pool, with wins over New Jersey (39-32), Arkansas (61-11), and Pennsylvania (44-34). Those weren’t easy matchups. The experience from Pool A gave them clarity. They wrestled with sharper instincts, more urgency, and more confidence on Day 2. We were building momentum, and they felt it. They weren’t waiting for opportunity – there were creating it.
“What stood out the most was how quickly they processed what they experienced and applied it. By the next duals, they were already adjusting setups, managing pace better, and getting to their offense earlier in matches. They weren’t just reacting – they were executing. You could also see in between duals, they were asking for feedback, breaking down positions, and sharing information with each other. That kind of ownership shows maturity and commitment to growth. The mental side stood out too – they stayed locked in. No frustration, no excuses. Just a steady mindset and focus on getting better. They adapted not just individually, but as a team.”
Tsarni led the way with a perfect 9-0 record. Others who went unscathed were Bernier (5-0) and Linton (4-0). Mutschler was 8-1 with her lone loss coming to a sophomore from Colorado, Jaydin Cuevas, an undefeated state champion that was third as a freshman.
Ford was 5-1 with her sole loss coming in the Colorado dual as well. Ford is ranked 19th in the country at 140 pounds, and was pinned by the girl right behind her in that report, No. 20 Vivienne Gitke, 1:02. Bryant and Carnahan were 7-2. Hodges and Johnson put together 5-3 records.
Adhikari and Ramos were 4-5. Nicholas collected three wins. Putting two Ws in the book were Abegesah, Carmack and Virgilio. Spadoni won one of her three matches.
“This was a special group,” Dyke offered. “We brought together athletes from across the state – different schools, different clubs, different backgrounds – and in just a few days, they formed a true team. That’s not something you can force. It comes from shared work, mutual respect, and belief in the mission. They supported each other every step of the way – whether it was during weigh ins, warmups, tough matches, or team meetings late at night. They took pride in representing Maryland, and that pride showed in how they carried themselves on and off the mat. What made this team stand out wasn’t just talent – it was chemistry, composure and the way they handled challenges. They were coachable, driven, and tough. And they’re only getting started.
“There were standout moments across the board. We had girls pick up their first national-level wins, secure critical pins in tight duals, and go toe-to-toe with ranked opponents. Some wrestling up in weight. Some stepped into matchups with no hesitation. Others rebounded from tough losses to dominate their next bout. Every one of them found a way to contribute – whether it was a big throw, saving team points by dropping a decision, or bringing energy from the bench. You could also see leadership emerge – athletes pulling teammates aside to offer encouragement or feedback, staying locked in when they weren’t on the mat, and taking initiative in team huddles. It wasn’t just about personal success – it was about the whole team moving forward together.”
Dyke is committed to building Maryland up on the National Scene and looks at this as the first step towards that goal. Careful consideration was given to the structure of the team. A plan has been put in place, a plan that will look to add a 14U team to the duals next year. The roots for all that is to come were planted with this year’s trip and experience.
“It was transformational. From the moment we met at the airport to the final team meeting back at the hotel, this trip was about more than just wrestling,” Dyke continued. “It was about growing as athletes and teammates. They experienced what it means to compete on the national stage – the structure, the intensity, and the expectations. But they also learned how to travel as a team, manage their bodies across multiple days of competition, and stay mentally sharp through highs and lows. Those lessons are just as valuable as any medal. And off the mat, the bonding was real. Whether it was team dinners, pool time, stretching sessions in the lobby, or late-night conversations in the courtyard – they built connections that will last far beyond this event. This trip gave them a sense of what’s possible. And it gave them each other – something they can carry into Fargo, college, and beyond.
“This team was built as a combined effort between 16U and Junior athletes. We made that decision intentionally – not just to field a full, competitive roster, but to begin shaping the future of Maryland girls wrestling as a unified force. We knew this team needed to do more than compete. It needed to set the tone and set the standard for the next three years. And our older girls embraced that responsibility. They led by examples – in how they trained, how the competed, and how they supported the younger athletes on and off the mat.
“This wasn’t just about 2025 – it was about laying a foundation so that by 2026, 2027, and beyond, Maryland isn’t just participating in national events – we’re contending. And we’re doing it with a system built on leadership, structure, and belief in the mission. Girls who didn’t make the trip were watching. Parents and coaches were taking notice. This trip wasn’t just about 2025 – it was about opening the door for the next wave. And based on what we saw, the future of Maryland women’s wrestling is strong, motivated, and coming fast.
“We also walked away with more than just results. We saw what worked – and we saw were we can improve. From training structure, to travel logistics to lineup depth, we’re already taking notes and making adjustments. This wasn’t a one-off trip – this is a building block. Looking ahead, our goal for the next year is to return with another combined Junior team, but also to field our first 14u team in that division. That’s the next evolution – and based on what we saw this week, it’s well within reach.”
Full results can be found here:
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