By Richard Immel
USA Wrestling

SPOKANE, Washington – The U23 women’s freestyle semifinals are set after Saturday’s action at the 2026 USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals, with returning champions and U23 World Team members Cristelle Rodriguez (53 kg), Elena Ivaldi (55 kg), Alexis Janiak (59 kg) and Adaugo Nwachukwu (62 kg) still in the mix for repeats.

Rodriguez and Nwachukwu were members of last year’s Senior World Team, in addition to the U23 squad. Rodriguez, a U20 World champion and three-time NAIA champion, posted three technical falls in three matches on the day to set up a semifinal against USA Wrestling Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals champion Clare Booe. Nwachukwu, a U17 World bronze medalist, was pushed to a 5-4 decision by 2024 U23 World Team member Skye Realin in the quarterfinals. She will see two-time age-group World Team member SaVannah Cosme in the semifinal round.

Ivaldi, who has made two age-group World Teams, won her two bouts by pin and technical fall to set up a semifinal against 2025 NCAA All-American Karissa Turnwall. Janiak, a three-time age-group World medalist, cruised to the semis, where she will take on 2023 U20 Pan American champion and four-time NAIA All-American Sarah Savidge.

A fifth member of the 2025 U23 World Team was unexpectedly upset in round one. Three-time age-group World medalist Jasmine Robinson, who won the U20 tournament yesterday, was pinned by Love Daley at 72 kg. Daley was leading on criteria, 3-3, before the final exchange that resulted in the pin.

The highly anticipated 50 kg bracket features three age-group World medalists in the semifinals. 2024 U23 World champion Sage Mortimer is slated to face two-time NAIA champion Mia Palumbo in the top-side semifinal. Two-time U17 World champion Morgan Turner and two-time U17 World bronze medalist Jaclyn Bouzakis will hit in the bottom half of the bracket.

Four of this year’s U20 division champions have moved to the U23 semifinals—Turner, Everest Leydecker (57 kg), Caley Graber (62 kg) and Bella Williams (65 kg).

Leydecker, a 2025 U20 World champion, added a pair of 10-0 technical falls to her weekend ledger. She has wrestled eight matches across the U20 and U23 divisions in Spokane, with eight shutout technical fall wins. Her next opponent is 2025 U20 Pan American champion and 2025 NCAA All-American Aspen Blasko.

Graber posted two techs and a pin to book her semifinal spot against 2021 U20 World Team member and 2025 NCAA runner-up Claire DiCugno. Williams squeaked past 2022 U17 World Team member Kaiulani Garcia, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. She will face 2023 U20 World Team member and 2025 NCAA All-American Maddie Kubicki in the semis.

The USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals conclude at 10 a.m. (PT) on Sunday with the remaining rounds of the U23 and U17 tournaments.  

Watch the action from Spokane live or on-demand on FloWrestling. Brackets and live results are available on USA Bracketing.

2026 USA Wrestling Women’s Nationals 

April 11, The Podium, Spokane, Washington 

Reference Links 

• Event website

• Live stream

• Brackets

• Photos 

U23 Women  

Semifinal Matchups 

50 kg 

Sage Mortimer (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Mia Palumbo (Statesmen WC)

Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Morgan Turner (All I See Is Gold Academy/Titan Mercury WC)

53 kg 

Cristelle Rodriguez (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Clare Booe (West Point WC)

Ava Bayless (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Sydney Petzinger (Cardinal WC)

55 kg 

Elena Ivaldi (California) vs. Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel Training Center)

Cali Leng (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Alexandra Waitsman (The Nest WC)

57 kg 

Everest Leydecker (Thorobred/NYAC) vs. Aspen Blasko (Pinnacle WC)

Tonya Flournory (Pembroke RTC) vs. Sara Sterner (Cardinal WC)

59 kg 

Alexis Janiak (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Sarah Savidge (Army WCAP)

Alexandra Szkotnicki (Bearcat WC) vs. Grace Stem (Cardinal WC)

62 kg 

Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) vs. SaVannah Cosme (Southwest WC)

Claire DiCugno (Cardinal WC) vs. Caley Graber (Summit Wrestling Academy)

65 kg 

Bella Williams (Iowa Women’s WC) vs. Maddie Kubicki (Vision Wrestling)

London Houston (Mat Demon WC) vs. Nina Makem (NYAC/Storm)

68 kg 

Noelle Gaffney (Laker WC) vs. Elise Twait (Argo WC)

Darby Weidl (Lucky Duck WC) vs. Annelise Obermark (Storm RTC)

72 kg 

Rebecca Strong (Missouri) vs. Shannon Workinger (Quincy Regulator Wrestling)

Taylor Graveman (Cardinal WC) vs. Stella Steigler (Team Tornado WC)

76 kg 

Shenita Lawson (Cardinal WC) vs. Teagan McGuinness (Team Worldwide Wrestling Academy LLC)

Caitlyn Davis (Cowgirls WC) vs. Alexandria Alli (USOPTC)

Quarterfinal Results 

50 kg 

Mia Palumbo (Statesmen WC) tech. fall Katey Valdez (Army WCAP), 11-0

Morgan Turner (All I See Is Gold Academy/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Jaelle Cortez (Gilroy Hawks), 10-0

Sage Mortimer (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Isabel Kaplan (Central Indiana Academy Of Wrestling), 14-6

Jaclyn Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) dec. Kaelani Shufeldt (Cardinal WC), 14-10

53 kg 

Clare Booe (West Point WC) tech. fall Gabrielle Hampton (Tiger Den WC), 11-0

Ava Bayless (Iowa Women’s WC) dec. Kinzie Williams (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), 3-0

Sydney Petzinger (Cardinal WC) tech. fall Taylin Long (Hawks WC), 10-0

Cristelle Rodriguez (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Christina Estrada (Dethrone WC), 16-6

55 kg 

Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel Training Center) tech. fall Savannah Witt (Eagle WC), 10-0

Cali Leng (Iowa Women’s WC) tech. fall Waverly Kanelong (Golden Bear WC), 10-0

Elena Ivaldi (California) tech. fall Angela Bianchi (Askren Wrestling Academy), 10-0

Alexandra Waitsman (The Nest WC) dec. Jenna Anderson (Vision Wrestling), 7-2

57 kg 

Everest Leydecker (Thorobred/NYAC) tech. fall Kandice Spry (Beast Mode Wrestling), 10-0

Aspen Blasko (Pinnacle WC) tech. fall Brianna Holcomb (Maryland), 10-0

Tonya Flournory (Pembroke RTC) dec. Kaidance Gerg (Askren Wrestling Academy), 5-4

Sara Sterner (Cardinal WC) fall Anna DiCugno (Tarleton WC), 4:39

59 kg 

Alexis Janiak (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jennifer Soto (Tarleton WC), 6-2

Alexandra Szkotnicki (Bearcat WC) tech. fall Emily Frost (Iowa Women’s WC), 11-0

Sarah Savidge (Army WCAP) tech. fall London Woods (Cardinal WC), 12-2

Grace Stem (Cardinal WC) dec. Shelby Moore (Bearcat WC), 6-1

62 kg 

Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) dec. Skye Realin (Iowa Women’s WC), 5-4

SaVannah Cosme (Southwest WC) tech. fall Emma Bacon (Titan Mercury WC), 11-0

Caley Graber (Summit Wrestling Academy) fall Kailin Sebert (Best Trained Wrestling), 1:31

Claire DiCugno (Cardinal WC) dec. Hanna Errthum (USOPTC), 10-4

65 kg 

Maddie Kubicki (Vision Wrestling) dec. Paige Wehrmeister (Missouri), 6-0

Nina Makem (NYAC/Storm) tech. fall Jordyn Parker (Best Trained Wrestling), 10-0

Bella Williams (Iowa Women’s WC) dec. Kaiulani Garcia (Cowgirls WC), 2-1

London Houston (Mat Demon WC) fall Violette Lasure (Team Pennsylvania), 3:55

68 kg 

Noelle Gaffney (Laker WC) tech. fall Amelia Fawcett (Pioneer Grappling Academy), 13-2

Elise Twait (Argo WC) fall River Todd (Surfside), 3:17

Darby Weidl (Lucky Duck WC) fall April Kelly (Burg Training Center), 3:00

Annelise Obermark (Storm RTC) tech. fall Liv Wieber (The Factory WC), 12-2

72 kg 

Rebecca Strong (Missouri) dec. Love Daley (Maryland), 8-0

Shannon Workinger (Quincy Regulator Wrestling) tech. fall Gretchen Donally (Colorado Mesa WC), 10-0

Taylor Graveman (Cardinal WC) dec. Ella Poalillo (Iron Horse WC), 14-11

Stella Steigler (Team Tornado WC) fall Margaret Buurma (Laker WC), 5:45

76 kg 

Shenita Lawson (Cardinal WC) dec. Isabella Gretzinger (Vision Wrestling), 9-0

Caitlyn Davis (Cowgirls WC) dec. Keeley Kehrli (Storm RTC), 8-2

Teagan McGuinness (Team Worldwide Wrestling Academy LLC) dec. Elizabeth Rosenstiel (Cardinal WC), 4-2

Alexandria Alli (USOPTC) fall Madison Sandquist (Rise RTC), 4:53