Women's Wrestling
CHANGE IN LOCATION FOR FREESTYLE & GRECO-ROMAN STATES
The location of the 2025 NJ state championships for Freestyle and Greco-Roman styles on May 18, 2025, has changed to:
Hillsborough High School, 466 Raider Blvd, Hillsborough Township, NJ 08844
Female wrestlers will be selected to represent New Jersey as a part of our 2025 New Jersey Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Team. You can be competing against women’s teams from other states across the country June 18-21 at the National Women’s Duals in Westfield, IN. We will host a Team New Jersey training camp a few days before the event. At the conclusion of the camp, all athletes, coaches, and chaperones will depart on buses to travel together to the venue. We plan on bringing 3 full teams this year (14U, 16U, and Junior). With the great number of talented girls in New Jersey we plan on going for gold! We strongly encourage you to express your interest in this unique opportunity as it will be one of the greatest experiences of your wrestling career. The age groups and weight classes follow:
- The new USAW 14U (birth year 2011-2012) weight classes are as follows: 75, 80, 85, 90, 95,100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 150, 165, and 180.
- The new USAW 16U (birth year 2009-2010) weight classes are as follows: 95, 100, 105, 110,115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, 207, 235.
- The new USAW Junior (Born 9/1/2005 and after, plus enrolled in grades 9-12 in the Spring 2025 semester) weight classes are as follows: 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 155, 170, 190, 207, 235.
Please fill out the online interest form with your parents by clicking on the following link: Interest Form for 2025 National Women's Duals...
There will be more details to come. Please feel free to contact Joe Cunningham or Jessica Morot (email addresses available below) with any questions in the meantime. Reminder – All athletes need to have their USAW Athlete Card renewed/ purchased in order to participate in the various USAW/USANJ events. To purchase or renew, please visit USA Wrestling's membership page: http://usawmembership.com
Link to the event: https://usawrestlingevents.com/event/2500018602/division
EVENT DETAILS:
• Event Dates: June 18th - June 21st
• Venue: Grand Park Events Center, 19000 Grand Park Blvd, Westfield, IN 46074
• Travel: Departing from Newark International Airport on June 18th, returning June 21st
• Hotel: Hampton Inn, Indianapolis, 6817 E 82nd St, Indianapolis, IN 46250
• Cost: $450.00
• Includes gear package, travel, and lodging
• Requirement: You must have a current USA Wrestling card to participate
Event Schedule & More Info:
https://usawrestlingevents.com/event/2500018602/schedule
Interest Form, please complete this form to be considered for the team:
https://teamnj.gimpsoftware.com/2025USAWNJDualsFormsCheckoff.php
14U $450 Payment. Please submit your payment here:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLS3P9PCWAFNJ/checkout/AUURHRJDTB36ECZE77QTK7UD
16U $450 Payment. Please submit your payment here:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLS3P9PCWAFNJ/checkout/7S76IGGOMXGZBA6VQF6Y3G2D
Junior $450 Payment. Please submit your payment here:
https://checkout.square.site/merchant/MLS3P9PCWAFNJ/checkout/4DFYSBB6BCZN24PVUOM5EIVB
IMPORTANT: If you are selected for the team, you will receive a call from a USAWNJ board member. Payment is due by April 30th, 2025.
PLEASE FILL OUT THE ONLINE INTEREST FORM... AND EMAIL JESSICA MOROT AND JOE CUNNINGHAM (ADDRESSES BELOW) IN ORDER TO EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST!
Yours in Wrestling,
Jessica Morot
USAW-NJ International Styles Chair
Joe Cunningham
USAW-NJ Women’s Council Chair
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