Christina “Nina” Borgmann is a 2X FHSAA State Champion. She won her first state title in 2023 while at Matanzas HS. She then left Matanzas for Flagler Palm Coast HS where she won her second state title in 2024. Two state titles is very impressive and Nina has been dominating the mats for a while now.
During the weekend of March 15th-17th, 2024 Nina Borgmann traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa to test her skills at the 2024 USA Folkstyle 16U and Junior National Championships held at the UNI-Dome. This event is usually a very good indicator of where you stand at the national level in your respective weight class. Nina bumped up a weight class to 130 pounds for this tournament. She normally competes at 125. With the bump up in weight comes bigger, stronger competition, as most girls are cutting down from 140 and 145. Nina came up from 125, so I’m sure she was one of the smaller wrestlers in the weight class.
Being a 2X state champion she was definitely ready for the competiton and up to the challenge of wrestling bigger, stronger girls. In her first match to open the tourney, Nina faced Ava Johnson of Mayhem WC . Borgmann beat Johnson by 7-1 decision. In her second match, Borgmann faced Kylee Shoop of DC Elite WC is Washington, DC. Borgmann pinned Shoop in 2:27 of the second period. In the quarter finals Borgmann wrestled Vanessa Aguirre of Arizona and won by major decision 9-0.
In the semi’s she would face Michigan state champion Angelina Pena. Nina lost her semi’s match to Pena by a 7-0 decision. Pena advanced to the finals where she won and was crowned National Champion.
After losing in the semi’s, being the champion she is Borgmann was ready to come back to try and win the bronze. In the consolation semi-finals she wrestled Abigail Mozden from Michigan. Mozden placed 3rd at the Michigan High School state championships. Borgmann made quick work of Mozden, pinning her in just :55 seconds of the first period! After taking down Mozden, Borgmann worked an arm-bar and a one on one and ran her straight over to her back for the pin.
With her win in the consolation semi-finals, Borgmann would now advance and wrestle for “the next best thing” which is 3rd place and a bronze medal. It would not be an easy task. In her 3rd place match Borgmann had Jamie Laswell. Laswell is a state champion from Phoenix, Arizona. Laswell also won the 2023 Western Regional Championships whicgh is the Fargo Qualifier.
As the match started both wrestlers went to an immediate tie up with some hand fighting mixed in. After a few head snaps and fakes, Borgmann shot in on a single but got her head stuffed. She stayed with it and drove Laswell to the edge of the mat. The referee stopped the action for potentially dangerous, but I’m not sure what she saw that I didn’t. The started back in neutral position and after some more hand fighting Borgmann shot another inside single and once again it was stoopped for potentially dangerous. This time the official spoke to Laswell about some type of elbow lock she did the first time it was stopped. The second period started 0-0 with Borgmann deferring to Laswell. She chose down and Borgmann started in the top position.
The entire second period was Borgmann trying to turn Laswell. Laswell could not escape and the period ended o-o. If riding time was in play, Borgmann would have 2 full minutes of riding time! Borgmann chose bottom to start the third period. In just 6 seconds into the final period Borgmann escaped and took a 1-0 lead. No more points were scored and Borgmann won the match 1-0 for the 3rd place finish and a bronze medal.
In a couple of weeks Nina Borgmann will be wrestling for a shot to qualify for Fargo.