Fargo Breakthrough: Oklahoma’s Girls Set New Wrestling Standards

Led by national finalists Emily Beckley and Clover Williams and eight other All-Americans, the Oklahoma women shined at the record-breaking US Marine Corps 16U and Junior National Tournament, held July 12-13 in Fargo, ND.  The tournament, simply referred to as “Fargo”, is one of the largest and most prestigious tournaments of the year.  Joining Beckley and Williams as All-American were Abagail Lacy (3^rd), Riley Samarripa (4^th), Kelcie Luker (5^th), Alyvia Edwards (6^th), Claire Lancaster (7^th) and 8^th place finishers Kyrain Perez, Addie Morse, and Azreal Smith.

Perez, Morse, and Smith all earned the All-American honors in the Junior division, while the others earned their coveted “stop signs” in the 16U division.  As a team, the 16U team earned an impressive 3^rd place finish, just one point behind runner-up Texas.  

The seven All-Americans at 16U set a new state record, while the 3^rd place finish ties the highest team placement in state history in that division.  The 10 total medals set the state record for most medals won in a single year on the women’s side (stats provided by Jason Bryant).

Once again, the tournament set a record for the number of entries in the girls tournaments, with a total of 2,245 entries!  There were 1,216 in the Junior Tournament and 1,029 in the U16 Tournament.  The U16 entries shattered the old record, with 191 more entries than the record set last year.  An example of the rapid growth of girls wrestling at Fargo shows that the first 16U in 2011 had 81 total entries.  In 2025, FOUR 16U Girls WEIGHT CLASSES had 81 entries or more.  (stats provided by USA Wrestling).  

Team Oklahoma added to the record total, setting their own record for number of entries.  A total of 71 wrestlers competed in the tournament (27 Juniors and a record-high 44 16U).  Coaches for both teams included Matt Douglass, Kidd Gomez, Izack Wilson, Ty Bowling, Nik Turner, Archie Randall, Bryson McGowan, Shelby Morrison, Tori Liles, Dwayne DeNolf, Ashton Cooper, Andrew McCune, and Gerald Harris. 

Broken Arrow’s Emily Beckley roared to the finals with five straight dominating wins.  Beckley opened with falls in 0:53 and 1:02, before outscoring her next two opponents 23-3, taking back-to-back tech fall wins (10-0, and 13-3) to advance to the semifinals.  In the semifinals, Beckley jumped to a quick 5-0 lead before pinning Utah’s Giavonna Good in just 0:52 to advance to the finals.  In the finals, Beckley fell to the nation’s number one ranked P4P wrestler, Taina Fernandez from Maryland. The impressive Fernandez was named OW of the U16 Tournament and also won the Junior Tournament, outscoring her opponents 113-2, in going 12-0 with 10 tech falls and two falls.   

Edmond North’s Clover Williams also turned in a stellar performance to earn a runner-up finish for Team Oklahoma.  Williams opened with a 9-0 win, followed with a fall in 1:48, a 5-1 win and advanced to the semifinals with an 11-1 tech fall win.  Williams earned a spot in the finals, with a fall in 3:40 over Missouri’s Keely Fallert.  Williams trailed 4-0 after the first period, and still trailed 6-2 with a minute left, before storming back with six unanswered points and then getting the fall for the win and advancing to the finals.  In the finals, Williams fell by a 9-5 score to Wisconsin’s Harlow Skenandore to earn the runner-up finish at 140 lbs.   

Oologah’s Abagail Lacy earned All-American honors with a 3^rd place finish at 207 lbs.  Lacy went 4-1, with three falls and a tech fall win.  Her only loss was a semifinal loss to eventual champion Racheal Adolphe from Indiana.  Lacy closed the tournament with a fall in just 0:32 over Florida’s Makayla Ocean to earn the 3^rd place finish.

Harrah’s Riley Samarripa went 4-2 with 4 tech falls.  Samarripa outscored her opponents 46-1 in her four wins to earn a 4^th place All-American finish at 190 lbs.  Samarripa advanced to the consolation finals with a 12-0 tech fall win over teammate Alyvia Edwards.  

Union’s Kelcie Luker earned her second Fargo All-American honors with a 5^th place finish at 140 lbs.  Luker went 7-2 with five falls and a tech fall.  She won her 5^th place match with a fall in 0:35 over Missouri’s Keely Fallert.  

Wagoner’s Alyvia Edwards went 5-3 with two falls and a tech fall to earn a 6^th place All-American finish at 190 lbs. In the “blood round,” Edwards came from behind to take a thrilling 10-8 win over Arizona’s Braya Andrews to guarantee her All-American status.  

Claire Lancaster became the first female Fargo All-American from Norman HS with a 7^th place finish at 125 lbs.  Lancaster went 6-2, with 3 falls and two tech falls.  Lancaster took a wild 19-14 win in the “blood round” and won her 7^th place match with a fall in 1:22 over Averie Counts from Kansas.

Addie Morse added to her impressive career, earning her third Fargo All-American stop sign with an 8^th place finish at 110 lbs.  Morse went 4-3 with one fall and one tech fall.   Morse guaranteed her All-American status with a 10-0 tech fall win over Utah’s Payton Gines in the blood round.

Westmoore’s Kyrain Perez went 5-3 with four falls to earn an 8th place All-American finish at 100 lbs.  Following a loss in the quarterfinals, Perez responded with three straight falls, including a fall in 1:48 over Colorado’s Lola Gonzales to earn the top eight finish.

Union’s Azreal Smith went 4-3 with two falls and a tech fall to earn an 8^th place All-American finish at 235 lbs.  Smith opened with a fall before dropping a close 2-1 match to eventual champion Deionna Borders from Ohio.  Smith bounced back with three straight wins, including a 2-1 win over Ariana Chavez from Texas in the blood round to earn All-American honors. 

JUNIOR GIRL’S FREESTYLE ALL-AMERICANS

100 Kyrain Perez (Westmoore) – 8^th 

110 Addie Morse (Bixby) – 8^th 

235 Azreal Smith (Tulsa Union) – 8^th 

16U GIRL’S FREESTYLE ALL-AMERICANS

135 Emily Beckley (Broken Arrow) – 2^nd 

140 Clover Williams (Edmond North) – 2^nd 

207 Abagail Lacy (Oologah) – 3^rd 

190 Riley Samarripa (Harrah) – 4^th 

140 Kelcie Luker (Tulsa Union) – 5^th 

190 Alyvia Edwards (Wagoner) – 6^th 

125 Claire Lancaster (Norman) – 7^th 

TEAM PLACINGS

16U Girl’s Freestyle – 3^rd (Seven All-Americans)

Junior Girl’s Freestyle – 33^rd (Three All-Americans)

16U TEAM MEMBERS

JUNIORS TEAM MEMBERS