Women's Wrestling
2025 Scholastic State Tournament Details
The 2024-25 scholastic (folkstyle) season is drawing to a close! 8 of the 9 Qualifiers are now completed and the NJ State Championship Series is right around the corner on March 15 and 16.
Just like last year, USAW-NJ hosted regional qualifiers for both girls and boys, in order to offer more competition opportunities and hopefully attract more participation. Complete details are in the rules flyer below.
Good luck to all NJ wrestlers this season! We hope to see you soon at one of our qualifying tournaments.
Team NJ's 16U Women Place an Historic 2nd in Nation
The 2024 Marine Corps USA Wrestling Nationals got off to a roaring start for Team NJ, where our 16U Women's team placed 2nd in the nation, behind winner Pennsylvania and just ahead of 3rd-place California. The team score was powered by six All-Americans including two champions: Charlie Wylie and Taina McGowan. Additional finalists Victoria Carbonaro and Ella Poalillo brought home silver, while Olivia Georges took fourth and Marie Sharp captured fifth.
Most notable about the result is that the Pennsylvania and California teams each entered more than double the number of 16U Women's wrestlers as New Jersey, yet New Jersey still powered its way into the top three.
Fargo results are "a developing story." A longer article will follow at the end of the tournament
Riley Lerner Wins National High School Excellence Award
Named by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award
Riley Lerner of Mays Landing, New Jersey, attends Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey in the Environmental Sciences program. She is a three-time high school state runner up and won a State champion for Cedar Creek High School in 2022-2023. She is one of only three girls to go to state finals for four consecutive years in the state of New Jersey.
The daughter of Robert and Tracy Lerner, she will continue her wrestling career at Western New England University. Riley Lerner became the first female wrestler to reach 100 career wins against girls, and holds an overall record of 110-14. Lerner was team captain of both the Cedar Creek High School boys team and the girls team for 2023-2024. In her senior, year Lerner helped to develop a roster of 10 girls at Cedar Creek High School, as well as an additional 10 girl roster at her sister school, Absegami High School in Galloway Township, New Jersey.
Lerner assists in helping to coach at her previous recreational team, the Mays Landing Predators, and helps to organize donation drives with all proceeds going to local veteran homes and programs. Lerner helps with outreach and mentorship for female wrestlers through a local organization called Make Wrestling MINE, and teaches girls about growing girls wrestling through inclusivity, opportunity, and visibility.
Riley works as a lifeguard for the Egg Harbor City Lake during her summer breaks.
Francesca Gusfa celebrating 2022 Pan-Am gold
16U Carina Giangeruso wins 2022 Fargo National Title
Francesca Gusfa Earns Pan-Am Gold
RIONEGRO, Colombia – New Jersey native Francesca Gusfa won gold for Team USA at the 2022 U15 Pan American Championships in Rionegro, Colombia. She was but one of USA’s women’s freestyle wrestlers who combined to earn 11 medals, including nine golds, one silver and one bronze on Saturday.
USA won the team title with 215 points, followed by Mexico for second place with 149 points and Colombia for third place with 111 points.
“Today was a great day for our USA women’s freestyle team,” Coach Brazel Marquez said. “These ladies worked hard leading up to today. Their weight management was phenomenal, their training looked great and their attitudes were awesome! It was so great seeing so many smiles and hearing the National Anthem play nine times! This is just the start for these young women.”
U.S. women’s freestyle results
33 kg: Brynn Engel (Genoa City, Wis.) – GOLD
36 kg: Brynn Engel (Genoa City, Wis.) – SILVER
36 kg: Francesca Gusfa (Ridgewood, N.J.) – GOLD
39 kg: Jaclyn Bouzakis (Shavertown, Pa.) – GOLD
42 kg: Morgan Turner (Lockport, Ill.) – GOLD
46 kg: Ysabelle Ocampo (New Haven, Ind.) – GOLD
50 kg: Jayden Keller (Saint Catharine, Mo.) – BRONZE
54 kg: Isabella Marie Gonzales (Fresno, Calif.) – GOLD
58 kg: Taina Fernandez (Bowie, Md.) – GOLD
62 kg: Isis France (Glendale, Ariz.) – GOLD
66 kg: Skylar Slade (Altoona, Iowa) – GOLD