Bella Williams capped an impressive month of wrestling by capturing the 59 kg title at the recent U23 Pan American Championships. Competing in Queretaro, Mexico, Williams dominated her opponents with two falls and a victory by superiority to help lead Team USA to the team title. Williams was one of four champions for Team USA, which had a total of nine medalists to win the championship by 31 points over 2nd place Canada.
Williams opened the tournament with a fall in 2:51 over Mexico’s Karla Ramos Espinosa, before pinning runner-up Olivia Lichti from Canada in 2:37 and wrapping up the prestigious title with a 10-0 victory by superiority over Peru’s Camila Roa Ortega.
Williams, a 2024 U17 World Team member, qualified for the Pan American Championships with a runner-up finish at the U23 U.S. Marine Corps Women’s National Championships which took place April 4-6 at Spokane, Washington. The U23 runner-up finish was one of two runner-up finishes the talented Williams garnered at the tournament as she also earned a national runner-up finish in U20 tournament.
In the U23 Tournament, Williams advanced to the finals with a fall, tech fall and two decisions. In the finals, Williams fell to 2X U20 World medalist Alexis Janiak from Illinois. Janiak, a recent NCWWC champion, for Auroura University, defeated Williams by 3-0 and 5-0 to claim the 59 kg title.
In the U20 Tournament, Williams won four straight matches, opening with a tight 2-1 win, before reeling off three straight falls to advance to the finals. In the finals, Williams fell by 10-2 and 9-0 scores to champion Aubre Krazer from Pennsylvania. Williams was the only wrestler to score on Krazer and hold her to a decision during the tournament.
Williams, a 2023 Fargo national champion (and OW) was a 3X state champion in Oklahoma and ended her career with a perfect 113-0 record with 107 falls.
In addition to Williams, nine others from Oklahoma battled through incredibly tough brackets to earn All-American honors at the tournament. Kylee Ooton earned double All-American honors, earning a runner-up finish at 90 lbs, in the 14U tournament, and an 8th place finish at 42 kg in the U15 tournament.
OKLAHOMA ALL-AMERICANS
U23
59 kg Bella Williams – 2nd
U20
59 kg Bella Williams – 2nd
59 kg Shelby Kemp – 7th
U17
65 kg Makaylee Cannon – 6th
U15
42 kg Kylee Ooton – 8th
62 kg Kasia Wong – 4th
14U
90 Kylee Ooton – 2nd
110 Raeya Perkins – 2nd
110 Carleigh Clark – 3rd
120 Sasha Williams – 4th
180 Autumn Jones – 2nd
12U
69 Hanna Lollis – 5th
A total of 37 girls from Oklahoma made the trip to Spokane to compete at the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s National Championships, with some entering in two different divisions. Listed below are the competitors from Oklahoma.
U23
Bella Williams
Victorya Cox
Alexis Miller
Addie Morse
Peyton Hand
Dru Turner
Corwin Lowe
U20
Bella Williams
Victorya Cox
Addie Morse
Madison Roe
Damiyah Smith
Peyton Hand
Dru Turner
Shelby Kemp
Aiyana Perkins
Heidi Schultz
Ezmerelda Fuller
Corwin Lowe
Ariah Beardsley
U17
Kyrian Perez
Kyrstan Perez
Claire Lancaster
Ranelle Smith
Addison Cole
Madison Pagonis
Gage Vaughn
Carli Antonelli
Maggie Beaird
Makaylee Cannon
Clover Williams
Ezmerelda Fuller
Mya Dobrinski
U15
Emily Hamil
Chloe Medock
Kasia Wong
Kylee Ooton
Quin Turner
Carleigh Clark
Sasha Williams
14U
Kylee Ooton
Quin Turner
Raeya Perkins
Sasha Williams
Carleigh Clark
Autumn Jones
12U
Hanna Lollis
10U
Hailey Lollis
