The state of Florida is now known as a powerhouse state for the sport of GIRLS WRESTLING!!! Yes indeed, after crowning numerous girls NATIONAL Champions at FARGO the nation has taken notice that we have some of the best females in the country! I believe we came home from Fargo with four Natty Champs with more girls who made the podium and were named HS All-Americans.
The 2024-2025 season looks to be spectacular, with some of the toughest girls you’ll ever watch coming back as 10th, 11th and 12th graders. And of course we will have a nice crop of middle schoolers who will compete as well. And don’t forget about the incoming freshmen too.
At 100 pounds from last season, Joslyn Johnson of Flagler Palm Coast returns for the 2024-2025 season as junior. If she goes 100 pounds again she will be very hard to beat. Right behind her is last season’s #1 ranked wrestler Camdyn Elliott. Johnson beat Elliott in the state finals by a very close 4-3 decision, but when you are at the level of these two girls, you never know who will win that match on any given day. Elliott will be a junior heading into the season as well. And you can bet your last dollar she will be gunning for her that state title.
A few other returners from the 100 pound class who can shake it up a bit is Emerson Webber who was just an 8th grader last season while wrestling on the varsity squad for Zephyrhills Christian. Unfortunately, due to a severe injury right before the post season, she was sidelined for the remainder of the season. But she’s back on the mats and is ready to go! She will be at perennial powerhouse Hernando HS when she starts her freshman year. Don’t forget Sayuri Caceres from Lincoln, Kia Partello of Barron-Collier and Sophie Booe of Palm Harbor University. They will all be back and gunning for that elusive state title. Others at 100 last season who can make some noise as well are Mia Parker [First Baptist], Paola Perez [Doral], Miabella Lopez [Orlando-Freedom] and Aniyah Wayne of [Osceola HS]. All are very capable of placing in the top 8.
105 pounds is a tough weight class with Abigail Gonzalez leading the pack. Last season she was in the 8th grade and while wrestling varsity for Mater Lakes she made the state finals! Unfortunately, she had to wrestle defending state and national champion Gabby Tedesco in the finals. Tedesco was a senior and made her way to the finals by pinning everyone in her way. She pinned each girl she faced in the very first period. That was until she met Gonzalez in the finals. She was able to capture her 2nd state title in a row with a victory over Gonzalez, but she had to work much harder for that win. Abigail Gonzalez gave Gabby all she wanted and lost by a regular decision of 7-2. To be just an 8th grader and have to wrestle a senior state and national champion would be enough to shake the calmest of nerves but an 8th grader? Wow. Apparently it didn’t shake up Abigail too much as she wrestled a really good match. I have a feeling she will be a regular in the state finals for many years to come!
Others 105 pounders from last season are Gianella Walczak [Springstead], Skyler Randolph [Riverdale], and Emily Doolittle [North Ft. Myers]. These are three very tough girls who are all very capable of getting on the top step of the podium as they all placed at the state tournament this past March. . McKenzie Allcroft of Ft Pierce Central may return at this weight as well and if she does, watch out! She had over 40 wins last season and although she missed making the podium this past season she’s is very capable of getting on the podium. The other 105 pounder who needs to be watched is Skyla Fisher of Middleburg HS. She also missed the podium this past season but you better not put too much stock into that because this girl is for real. She has great coaching and doesnt have an “off-season”. Skyla wrestles all summer long and wrestles on the national teams as well. She’s got great family support and her brother is a top ranked 106 pounder who I’m sure she can train with too.
If 110 pounds is anything like it was last season we are in for fireworks. I call this weight class “Murderer’s Row”. With girls such as Mariah Mills [Matanzas], Erin Rizzuto [Ponte Vedra], Kiki Bush [Hudson], Jazlyn Diaz [Mater Lakes] and Julia Brocato [Cypress Creek-Wesley Chapel] how can it not be one of the best and toughest weight classes again? When Rizzuto and Bush met in the state semi-finals to see who would advance to wrestle Mariah Mills in the finals I thought I was going to have a heart attack! These two are just plain tough. But they both train together at Phoenix WC so they’re very familiar with each other as well. But matches like that are the matches which get these girls to a higher level. And every girl I just mentioned is either on their way to the next level or have already arrived. Brocato is one who has been putting in the time and heading to that next level. I feel in 2024-2025 Brocato will round that corner and will make her presence known. Others to keep an eye on if they decide to stay at 110 would be Sigrun Metzger [Crestview], Zoe Delgado [Florida Christian], Catalina Kenny [Viera] and Zoey McDonald of [Palmetto Ridge].
At 115 pounds the undefeated state champion [28-0] Iyonna Church-Ross is the big dog on the block. With that being said, there are several other big dogs, but can they take over as the “alpha”?? That’s exactly what Church-Ross was all season long and nobody was able to prove any different. She wrestled 28 times and won every single time. Including knocking off a very tough and talented Grace Lashinsky of Deland HS in the state finals. But Grace is back and if she goes 115 again and Church -Ross decides to defend that weight class, well we are in for another treat, if and when they meet again. I’m sure Lashinsky will be working hard all summer because that’s exactly what she told me at the state tourney when we spoke. But then there’s Emma Bauknight right there to put her two cents into this conversation. She lost to Lashinsky in the state semi’s but she’s another Phoenix WC wrestler who never stops training. And when you have a girl like Emma Bauknight who’s extremely hungry to win a state title and you pair that desire to win with training your ass off and getting the best training possible at Phoenix WC, well that’s a recipe for becoming a state champion. There are several others who were at 115 last season that can be in the mix if they decide to stay at this weight. But the three I mentioned are the top three in my opinion.
Natalia Choquegonza of Ponte Vedra, Paola Ramirez of Kissimmee-Osceola, Shaniah Martinez of East Bay and Brooke VanEtten of Jensen Beach are all returning 115 pounders from last season and will all be in the mix. But can they win against the likes of Bauknight, Lashinsky and Church-Ross? That remains to be seen. I guess we will find out if they all decide to stay at 115.
120 pounds is owned by returning state champion Milana Borelli of Venice HS. The current junior finished as the state champion with an 18-0 record. She knocked off nationally ranked Delialah Betances of Liberty HS in the state finals. If these two stay at 120 I feel we will see a rematch in the 2024-2025 state finals. Other who will contend at this weight if they stay here will be Hailee Moder of First Baptist-Naples, Isis Severe of North Miami and Willow White of SLAM Academy.
125 has another undefeated state champion in Nina Borgmann. She won her first state title at Matanzas and then won her 2nd state title in a row at Flagler Palm Coast. The 2X state champion will not be stopped any time soon in Florida. If she’s at 125 again she will defend her two state titles and most likely win a 3rd. Lahela Turnquest of Pace, Jasmine Serrano of Springstead and Arianna Ruiz of Mater Lakes will all be with her on the podium IF they decide this is where they are staying.
Ruiz of Mater Lakes is a middle schooler but will be a freshman for the 2024-2025 season. IF this phenom can figure out Borgmann, I feel she would be the one to dethrone the queen at 125. Arianna Ruiz has untapped potential that we havent even seen yet. It’s scary to think how great she will be when she’s actually in high school! Her backround as a youth was in jiu-jitsu which has translated very well for many when they decided to start wrestling. Ruiz is one of those jiu-jitsu kids who will win state titles in high school wrestling. She has 4 years to do it!!
The top girls at 130 are Rachel Silva of Florida Christian, Ana Vilar of Flagler Palm Coast, Juliana Caisse of Palm Harbor University, Geraldine Honore of South Dade and Alexa Paz of the SLAM Academy. I feel this one is wide open for anyone to claim stake to. In my opinion I think my favorite to win it all if she decides to stay at this weight would be Ana Vilar. Of course Rachel Silva will have something to say about this. I have watched Vilar a lot last season and I really see her developing into a high level wrestler. She has Borgmann in that room to train with and any time you have a 2x state champ in your room to train with and push you, you will always get better.
Another weight class where there’s a clear favorite would be 135 with Ailee Briggs at the very top. The state champ finished her year with a 40-1 record. Her only loss was at The Knockout when she was up at 140 pounds. Her lone loss was a very close 2-0 decision to Elle Kaufman of Georgia. Briggs went undefeated against Florida girls in the 2023-2024 season. The only two I see who can possibly push Briggs would be Emma Hoppe [Viera] or Kailani Barrientos [Oakleaf]. Both are extremely tough and have the technique to wrestle at a very high level. If they stay here and Briggs decides she isn’t going anywhere, then these two are my choices as the ones that have the best shot at taking her out. Do I see Briggs losing in Florida?? Nope. But then again, anything can happen in wrestling.
Tiana Fries of Matanzas is the state runner up at 140 pounds. She lost to Delgado in the state finals but Delgado will graduate this year. This weight class will be all Tiana Fries’s for the taking. If she wants to stay at 140 she will most likely get that state title she was so close to getting. Although, Kristy More of Sunlake can be at this weight class too which may put some pressure on Fries. Kristy More was in the semi’s on the opposite side of Fries and had the misfortune of getting Delgado in her semi’s match. But in true champion fashion, More came back and got the next best thing with a win in the consi semi’s and then a 31 second pin in her medal match for 3rd place. A girl like that can never be taken out of the conversation when talking about the ability to win a state title. Fries and More would be my two favorites here for sure.
Kiiaana Gavere [Pace], Ericka Hernandez [Kissimmee-Osceola] and Kylie Mangum [Space Coast] should be there at the end at 140 as well. I can’t say where on the podium they’ll be but they should definitely be there. Oh. I almost forgot one!! You can’t forget about Olivia Brown of Hernando. Even though she lost quite a few matches last season you must remember she’s in that Hernando room with some of the best girls in the state pushing her. For that reason alone I feel Brown can find a spot on the podium in 2024-2025. This of course depends on how much work she’s willing to dedicate to her craft this summer. That will be a huge part of it. She must put the time in in order to get the results she is after.
145 pounds has National Champion [Fargo] Makenzie Eltzroth of Hernando. She didnt win a state title which is odd, considering she won a Fargo national title that summer. After interviewing her on my podcast, I feel a big part of why she wasn’t as consistent as she could have been is due to confidence. She had mentioned one thing she would like to improve on is her confidence. She needs to believe in herself a lot more. That confidence will turn into more wins and bigger wins at big events. I mean, don’t get me wrong, winning Fargo is about as big as it gets! Which is why I am saying if she had that high level of confidence at the state tournament she wouldn’t have lost and would probably have had a state title to sit next to her natty title. I think she will be just fine and get back to her winning ways. I don’t see her losing 9 matches in 2024-2025 like she did last season.
Another top girl at 145 who was a little inconsistent too was Kendall Bibla of Matanzas. She was the 2023 state champion and in 2024 didn’t make the podium. This is very uncommon and Im not sure I have ever seen a wrestler win a state title one year and then fail to get onto the podium the following year. I havent spoken to her about this so I cannot say why that happened. Maybe there was an injury we didnt know about? Maybe it was a mental block? Only one person can say for sure and that’s Kendall Bibla. One think I can say is any girl who wins one state title is capable of winning two or more. I think she will be right there in the mix for another state title in 2024-2025. The Bibla girls are tough and they will not quit, ever.
Noelia Varela of Riverdale, Viktoriya Devochkina of South Broward and Alexia Davis of McKeel Academy are also top contenders at 145 if they all stay there. But if one of them is to knock off Bibla or Etzroth I would say it would be Davis of McKeel.
Mya Bethel at 155 is another Fargo National Champion. She also won the state title as well. She isnt slowing down any time soon and she will win another state title at 155 if that’s where she decides she wants to be. Kha’Liyah Delva of Ft PIerce Central and Alena Rik of mater Academy will be on her heels pushing her. Both are very talented wrestlers and can win it on any given day. But to beat Bethel they will need to be at their very best and Bethel would need to make a mistake or two. Bethel is that good. Riley Lancaster of Admiral Farragut and Mariah Earl of Hernando should both be there as well. Lancaster was ranked all year as was Mariah Earl. I expect them both to be on the podium in 2024-2025.
At 170 we have 2x state champion Grace Leota and I would bet it all on her to win it for a third time. She’s an incredible wrestler and knows what she wants. She works hard to get it and she will not get beat in Florida. There’s other very good girls here as well such as Megan Preston of Wiregrass Ranch, Alexa Calidonio of Flagler Palm Coast, Isabella McFarlen of King and Shyann Tate of Hagerty. These girls should make the podium but I don’t see them knocking off Leota if ahe remains injury free.
190 is owned by undefeated [28-0] defending state champion Cheyenne Cruce of Middleburg. I learned the hard way to never bet on anyone other than Cruce at 190. I had her ranked #1 all season and then I predicted she would get upset in the state finals. It was a great match for sure and Cruce won it. It may have even been an overtime win? I can’t remember but I think it was. Anyway, Cruce is my girl at 190 if she remains there. Ani Brown [Matanzas] and Quisiera Wilson [Lincoln Park] are both really good but they will be 2nd and 3rd behind Cruce.
At 235 we have three main girls, all who have gone back and forth with each other. Cerenity Whiting of Countryside, Kinea Moore of Boca Ciega and Rotchiva Clermont of Orlando-Freedom. Put these three names in a hat and pull one. That’s how close I think this can be again in 2024-2025. Unless one of them really jumps out ahead with some serious one on one private training or lots of mat time at summer tournament, I think they will all remain as close to each other this year as they were last season. But those three will be your top three.