State winners of the Tricia Saunders HS Excellence Award and their college commitments
High school girls wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports in America. This year’s participation rate is expected to come in near 28 thousand—a 33 percent increase from the more than 21 thousand in 2019.
Paired with that growth is visibility of the sport’s boom, and more girls recognized for their efforts and character on and off the mat. This month, 46 seniors were selected as individual state winners of the prestigious Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award.
Saunders is a true women’s wrestling pioneer. She became the first U.S. World Champion in freestyle women’s wrestling when she captured the gold medal in 1992. After ’92, Saunders was crowned a World Champion again three more times, in ’96, ’98 and ’99. Tricia Saunders created a path for herself and those to follow in her footsteps.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame states, “The award recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior female wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.” Of the 46 state-level honorees, a single national winner will be selected on May 28.
Many of these budding young wrestlers will compete at the next level with a commitment to a college or university that sponsors a varsity women’s wrestling program.
The award winning seniors are listed below in alphabetical order of their college commitment.
- Augsburg University | Autumn Flanigan, Missouri
- Augsburg University | Kya Rybacheck, Minnesota
- Augsburg University | Tateum Park, Iowa
- Campbellsville University | Emma Walker, Tennessee
- Campbellsville University | Leilah Castro, Ohio
- Central Methodist University | Shelby Fugate, Alabama
- Colorado Mesa | Tristan Kelly, Colorado
- Columbia University | Caitlyn Walker, Pennsylvania
- East Stroudsburg University |Amber Aguilar, Rhode Island
- East Stroudsburg University | Mia Macaluso, New York
- East Stroudsburg University | Shandria Waters, New Hampshire
- Eastern Oregon University | Olivia Robinson, Oregon
- Emmanuel College | Tiyhana Askew, Georgia
- Gannon University | Jewel Gonzalez, New Jersey
- Indiana Tech University | Tehani Soares, Nevada
- Indiana Tech University | Charmayne DeLong, Wyoming
- King University | Kathleen Janis, Utah
- Lehigh University | Marisol Nugent, Massachusetts
- Lourdes University | Stefana Jelacic, Arizona
- Menlo College | Louisa Schwab, Illinois
- Menlo College | Nanea Estrella, Hawaii
- Missouri Baptist University | Jessica Corredor, Florida
- North Central College | Maggie Palmore, Maryland
- Oklahoma City University | Brooklyn Hermel, North Carolina
- Oklahoma City University | Selvi Gallegos, New Mexico
- Presbyterian College | Samantha Miller, West Virginia
- Southern Oregon University | Rayana Vigil, Alaska
- Texas Wesleyan University | Camille Fournier, Texas
- University of Jamestown | Rayana Sahagun, Michigan
- University of Providence | Brooke Cicierski, Montana
- University of Saint Mary | Alisha Van Scoy, South Dakota
- University of the Cumberlands | Elizabeth Dosado, Virginia
- University of the Cumberlands | Savanna Bacon, Kentucky
- Wayne State University | Anya Broussard, Louisiana
- Elisa Robinson, Kansas
- Elisha Thaxton, South Carolina
- Francesca LoPresti, California
- Janene Perry, Oklahoma
- Jerzie Menke, Nebraska
- Larresha Bryant-Coleman, Indiana
- Lilly Schwartz, Connecticut
- Marta Jasperson, Wisconsin
- Molly Williams, Washington
- Payton Lanningham, Idaho
- Riley Holman, Arkansas
- Sierra Ramberg, North Dakota
Learn more about Tricia Saunders in a feature article by USA Wrestling and in the Sports Illustrated Vault. The full story from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame can be accessed, here.
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