USA's Taina Fernandez Wins Second Straight U17 World Wrestling Title

Morgan Turner also reaches the top the podium in Greece; Team USA captures seven medals at the 2025 Girls’ U17 World Championships

Jul 4, 2025; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; General view of the United States of America flag at Dick's Sporting Goods Park before the match between the Sporting Kansas City against the Colorado Rapids. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Athens, Greece was the setting for the Girls’ U17 World Championships, whose finals were held on July 31st and August 1st, with Team USA coming in second behind India, 151-142.

Team USA Shines in Athens With Seven-Medal Performance

The USA Girls brought home two golds amongst their seven-medal haul as Maryland’s Taina Fernandez (61 kilograms) and Illinois’ Morgan Turner (49) stood atop the podium.

Taina Fernandez Repeats as U17 World Champion at 61 Kilograms

For Fernandez, who repped the Titan Mercury WC, it was her second consecutive U17 World Championship.

“My main thoughts on winning a second consecutive world title are gratitude and pride,” Fernandez offered. “I feel so grateful to have had such an amazing support system behind me, consisting of family, coaches, and especially faith, that all helped me reach my goal of winning another world title this year. I also feel proud of the work I put in, specifically the times I didn’t want to but did anyway, as it feels so gratifying now that the mission is accomplished.”

The soon to be junior at Archbishop Spalding High School only had one match go the distance and that was her quarterfinal bout with Zalina Totrova, a United World Wrestling athlete, 13-6. Wrestlers compete under the UWW umbrella when their national wrestling federation is suspended from competition, but the wrestler is eligible to compete.

Fernandez Displayed Domination in Winning the Gold Medal

Fernandez’s finals match with India’s Yashita ended with an 11-0 technical superiority outcome. Outside of Totrova, everyone was handled in Fernandez’s usual dominate manner including sticking Georgia’s Miranda Kapanadze 35 seconds into their semifinal showdown. China’s Zichen Dong was discarded with a 10-0 tech in Fernandez’s opening round match.

“I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to test myself against each country’s best representative,” remarked Fernandez. “Although each match may have required something different out of my wrestling, my mindset remained consistent; I would try to wrestle each of my competitors to the very best of my ability every time I stepped foot on the mat. Overall, it was a truly special experience.”

Pound-for-Pound Fernandez Is Ranked the No. 2 Female Wrestler in the Nation

Fernandez is rated No. 1 at 135 pounds in the July update to the USA Wrestling/Flo Wrestling Girls’ National Rankings. Fernandez is slated as the number two girl in the pound-for-pound rankings behind Arizona’s Everest Leydecker (Desert Vista, 120 pounds), who will be a senior this upcoming season.

It will not be a surprise to see Fernandez ascend to the top of those pound-for-pound rankings after her impressive showing in Greece. Fernandez and Leydecker have not met, and with Fernandez now being a two-time World Champion, I don’t see any valid argument for her not being number one. It’s not a goal of hers as Fernandez is focused on championships, not rankings.

Fernandez Reflects on Her Championship Mindset and Pressure

“I think what was on my mind throughout the tournament was constantly reminding myself that this was just another goal I wanted to accomplish, and that I knew I could achieve,” Fernandez continued. “I tried not to think about whether I could be a world champion again; instead, I kept telling myself I would be, no matter what adversity or obstacles I faced. As a returning champ, I think the biggest way I prepared was simply by staying humble and hungry to continue chasing that second world title. I went into the tournament recognizing that I couldn’t let my foot off the gas just because I won last year. I would make that win motivate me to press my foot down even harder.”

A lot of the pressure Fernandez faces stateside has to do with her typical method of victory. Fernandez has said in the past that a lot of the nerves come more because of the expectations of her than the competition, although Fernandez takes nothing for granted. But the 2025 World Championships were different.

Staying Grounded: How Faith, Preparation, and Purpose Drive Fernandez

“Honestly, I did feel some extra pressure this tournament,” Fernandez said. “Whenever I compete internationally, I always feel a little bit of extra pressure, because I recognize that I’m representing something so much bigger than just myself, and even my state, I’m representing my country. However, at the same time, I acknowledge that the additional pressure I’m feeling also comes along with how privileged I feel to be able to wrestle in the red, white, and blue singlet. So yes, I may have placed additional pressure on myself for this tournament, but it didn’t feel as much of a burden as a blessing.”

Having been through this a year ago gave Fernandez a level of comfort regarding the process, the flow, and what to expect from the competition.

“Surprisingly, reflecting on this trip, I don’t think I handled it much differently, even though I had been down this road before,” said Fernandez. “I believe the additional feeling of comfort came from staying consistent with what I did last year. Staying true to what I did last year helped me feel more prepared this year, as I trusted that it would produce the same result.

“Whether it be something big like staying positive throughout the trip, or even something small like packing an extra shirt in my wrestling bag, by doing both the big and small things I did last year, I gave myself some peace of mind. I believe as I continue my wrestling journey, and hopefully take many more trips, I’ll keep on figuring out how exactly I like to handle each one.”

Morgan Turner Captures Her Second U17 World Title at 49 Kilograms

Lockport High School’s Turner sits atop the rankings at 105 pounds and is the number seven pound-for-pound grappler on the list. Turner, who will be a senior this coming season, captured her second U17 World Championship to go along with the one she brought home in 2023. A year ago, Turner settled for bronze.

Turner wrestled for the All I See Is Gold Academy on her title run and had a tight match in the finals after dominating the competition along the way, winning 6-1 versus Japan’s Yu Kataoka. Two first period pins and a tech propelled Turner into the finals. The pins came in 1:18 in the semis against Anhelina Burkina (UWW) and 30 seconds in the first match with Kazakhstan’s Saniya Soltangali. A 10-0 tech was given to India’s Komal Verma in the quarters.

Elison Claims Silver, Falls Just Short in the Comeback Bid

California’s Epenesa Elison (53 kilograms) does her regular work at Los Altos High School, where she earned the number one ranking at 115 pounds and is considered the number nine girl overall. Elison celebrated the summer between her freshman and sophomore years by claiming a World Silver Medal after coming up just short of a comeback after being down 6-0 to China’s Jiaqing Jiang, falling 7-4.

The Monster Garage Grappler teched her first foe, Kosovo’s Kanita Spahija, 12-0, as well as her semifinal rival, Fraida Abdrakhmanova (Kazakhstan), 10-0. A pin in 1:04 over the host country’s Maria Vandoulaki came after the opening tech. Hungary’s Mariia Zhytovoz was the only girl to last a whole match with Elison, dropping a 12-7 decision.

Four USA Wrestlers Earn Bronze Medals in Gritty Performances

Four girls made the flight home with Bronze Medals dangling from their necks, Washington’s Maisie Elliott (40 kilograms), New Jersey’s Ella Poalillo (73), and two, not just from Pennsylvania, but also the same program in Wyoming Seminary, Madison Healey (43 kilograms) and Jaclyn Bouzakis (46).

Elliott, who competed for Mat Demon WC is rated 21st at 95 pounds in the July report, suffered her only loss to the eventual champ from Uzbekistan, Shokhista Shonazarova, 9-0. The Ridgecrest High School product, who will be a sophomore this year, won her bronze bout, 6-0 over Germany’s Finja Strauch. Elliott’s early win was 6-2 versus India’s Presti Vadav.

Pound-for-Pound Rankings Shaped by World Results

Poalillo fell to the silver medalist from India, Kajal, 11-0, then rallied back to deck Georgia’s Anna Godelashvili in 2:35 of the consolation final. Poalillo (High Point Regional) is ranked No. 1 at 155 pounds (number 14 in PFP) and stuck her first two adversaries with Canada’s Jolina Healey dropping in 50 seconds and Mongolia’s Uranzaya Tserennyam meeting her ending at the 3:06 mark of the second period. Poalillo begins her junior campaign in the fall.

The Seminary Girls both picked up losses to the World Champs in their brackets. Healey, who is No. 1 at 95 pounds won by fall in the third-place match over Egypt’s Mareim Abdelaal, 3:29, and registered pins in her other victories, 44 seconds with Uzbekistan’s Mukhlisa Masharipova and 3:29 versus Japan’s Sayuki Hibarino. India’s Rachana defeated Healey on criteria, 1-1. Healey begins her sophomore season this year and Bouzakis will be a junior.

Bouzakis, who earned her second U17 Bronze, did so with a 12-2 tech of Irina Tsydeeva (UWW). Prior to that win came her only hiccup versus Gold Medalist Hanano Oya of Japan, 6-4. India’s Kasish Gurjar was handled with a 12-4 tally and China’s Yuting Yuan was given a 7-4 loss. Bouzakis is the number one 100 pounder and number four on the pound-for-pound list.

Another Pennsylvania participant, Chestnut Ridge’s Violette Lasure (No. 1 at 145 pounds, No. 10 PFP as a sophomore) was ninth at 65 kilograms. MN Elite’s Cassandra Gonzales (No. 2 at 155 pounds and 19 PFP) will go back to Apple Valley High School and begin her senior year as a seventh-place finisher in the world at 69 kilograms.

Women’s Freestyle Team Standings

1. India, 151

2. United States, 142

3. Japan, 113

4. China, 107

5. Kazakhstan, 69

6. Hungary, 62

7. Germany, 51

8. Uzbekistan, 45

9. Kyrgyzstan, 35

10. Ukraine, 31

Women’s Freestyle Group One Results 

43 kg 

Gold – Rachana (India)

Silver – Xin Huang (China)

Bronze – Madison Healey (United States)

Bronze – Inzhu Bakkozha (Kazakhstan)

5th – Mareim Abdelaal (Egypt)

5th – Raniia Rakhmanova (UWW)

7th – Sayuki Hibarino (Japan)

8th – Reka Teleki (Hungary)

9th – Nurana Asadli (UWW)

10th – Liva Nur Celik (Turkey)

Gold – Rachana (India) dec. Xin Huang (China), 3-0

Bronze – Madison Healey (United States) fall Mareim Abdelaal (Egypt), 3:29

Bronze – Inzhu Bakkozha (Kazakhstan) fall Raniia Rakhmanova (UWW), 2:46

49 kg 

Gold – Morgan Turner (United States)

Silver – Yu Kataoka (Japan)

Bronze – Komal Verma (India)

Bronze – Polina Bochkareva (UWW)

5th – Anhelina Burkina (UWW)

5th – Azema Kalidinova (Kyrgyzstan)

7th – Xiaoqing Mo (China)

8th – Electra Garaiacu (Romania)

9th – Melike Koparan (Turkey)

10th – Dimitra Skouvaki (Greece)

Gold – Morgan Turner (United States) dec. Yu Kataoka (Japan), 6-1

Bronze – Komal Verma (India) dec. Anhelina Burkina (UWW), 8-3

Bronze – Polina Bochkareva (UWW) dec. Azema Kalidinova (Kyrgyzstan), 6-6

57 kg 

Gold – Madkhiya Usmanova (Kazakhstan)

Silver – Moni (India)

Bronze – Sayuki Tanada (Japan)

Bronze – Alina Baroeva (UWW)

5th – Sophie Ritter (Italy)

5th – Marta Mankowska (Poland)

7th – Yasmim Neper Oliveira Santos (Brazil)

8th – Oana Dumitru (Romania)

9th – Sofiya Zuyeva (UWW)

10th – Ivanna Lukianenko (Ukraine)

Gold – Madkhiya Usmanova (Kazakhstan) dec. Moni (India), 6-5

Bronze – Sayuki Tanada (Japan) dec. Sophie Ritter (Italy), 4-4

Bronze – Alina Baroeva (UWW) dec. Marta Mankowska (Poland), 6-1

65 kg 

Gold – Ashvini Vishnoi (India)

Silver – Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova (Uzbekistan)

Bronze – Feenja Hermann (Germany)

Bronze – Lilia Ermokhina (UWW)

5th – Alexandra Moisei (Moldova)

5th – Anujin Erkhembaatar (Mongolia)

7th – Anastasiya Komanava (UWW)

8th – Emese Czegledi (Hungary)

9th – Violette Lasure (United States)

10th – Mitsuki Okawa (Japan)

Gold – Ashvini Vishnoi (India) dec. Mukhayyo Rakhimjonova (Uzbekistan), 3-0

Bronze – Feenja Hermann (Germany) dec. Alexandra Moisei (Moldova), 4-2

Bronze – Lilia Ermokhina (UWW) dec. Anujin Erkhembaatar (Mongolia), 9-2

73 kg 

Gold – Wenjin Qiu (China)

Silver – Kajal (India)

Bronze – Ella Poalillo (United States)

Bronze – Eylem Engin (Turkey)

5th – Anna Godelashvili (Georgia)

5th – Deborah Garcia Pacheco (Mexico)

7th – Jolina Healey (Canada)

8th – Ichine Tateshita (Japan)

9th – Claudia Mantog (Romania)

10th – Gulnur Maksatkyzy (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Wenjin Qiu (China) dec. Kajal (India), 8-5

Bronze – Ella Poalillo (United States) fall Anna Godelashvili (Georgia), 2:35

Bronze – Eylem Engin (Turkey) dec. Deborah Garcia Pacheco (Mexico), 9-1

Women’s Freestyle Group Two Result

40 kg

Gold – Shokhista Shonazarova (Uzbekistan)

Silver – An Nakanishi (Japan)

Bronze – Maisie Elliott (United States)

Bronze – Asema Asangaryeva (Kyrgyzstan)

5th – Finja Strauch (Germany)

5th – Valia Harsan (Romania)

7th – Preeti Yadav (India)

8th – Daria Maslennikova (UWW)

9th – Emma Talpa (Ukraine)

10th – Polina Timsina (Estonia)

Gold – Shokhista Shonazarova (Uzbekistan) tech. fall An Nakanishi (Japan), 11-0

Bronze – Maisie Elliott (United States) dec. Finja Strauch (Germany), 6-0

Bronze – Asema Asangaryeva (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Valia Harsan (Romania), 2-0

46 kg 

Gold – Hanano Oya (Japan)

Silver – Janka Sillei (Hungary)

Bronze – Maria Gkika (Greece)

Bronze – Jaclyn Bouzakis (United States)

5th – Kamila Kuchma (Ukraine)

5th – Irina Tsydeeva (UWW)

7th – Elanur Berber (Turkey)

8th – Kasish Gurjar (India)

9th – Yuting Yuan (China)

10th – Shynaiy Maken (Kazakhstan)

Gold – Hanano Oya (Japan) dec. Janka Sillei (Hungary), 3-0

Bronze – Maria Gkika (Greece) dec. Kamila Kuchma (Ukraine), 4-3

Bronze – Jaclyn Bouzakis (United States) tech. fall Irina Tsydeeva (UWW), 12-2

53 kg 

Gold – Jiaqing Jiang (China)

Silver – Epenesa Elison (United States)

Bronze – Mariia Zhytovoz (Hungary)

Bronze – Rion Ogawa (Japan)

5th – Farida Abdrakhmanova (Kazakhstan)

5th – Margarita Iarygina (UWW)

7th – Naomi Liuzzi (Italy)

8th – Josefine Widmann (Germany)

9th – Kanita Spahija (Kosovo)

10th – Saarika (India)

Gold – Jiaqing Jiang (China) dec. Epenesa Elison (United States), 7-4

Bronze – Mariia Zhytovoz (Hungary) tech. fall Farida Abdrakhmanova (Kazakhstan), 10-0

Bronze – Rion Ogawa (Japan) dec. Margarita Iarygina (UWW), 8-0

61 kg 

Gold – Taina Fernandez (United States)

Silver – Yashita (India)

Bronze – Zalina Totrova (UWW)

Bronze – Barbara Bager (Hungary)

5th – Miranda Kapanadze (Georgia)

5th – Varvara Aliseyenka (UWW)

7th – Akylai Chynybaeva (Kyrgyzstan)

8th – Nadia Kocia (Poland)

9th – Natalie Wojciechowski (Canada)

10th – Waka Awano (Japan)

Gold – Taina Fernandez (United States) tech. fall Yashita (India), 11-0

Bronze – Zalina Totrova (UWW) dec. Miranda Kapanadze (Georgia), 8-0

Bronze – Barbara Bager (Hungary) dec. Varvara Aliseyenka (UWW), 3-0

69 kg 

Gold – Min Zhao (China)

Silver – Ayla Sahin (Germany)

Bronze – Shakhizada Dauletzhan (Kazakhstan)

Bronze – Solomiia Petriv (Ukraine)

5th – Linda Martinez Armenta (Mexico)

5th – Manisha (India)

7th – Cassandra Gonzales (United States)

8th – Mayara Neper Oliveira Santos (Brazil)

9th – Aurelia Godzinska (Poland)

10th – Aiana Asamalikova (Kyrgyzstan)

Gold – Min Zhao (China) tech. fall Ayla Sahin (Germany), 13-2

Bronze – Shakhizada Dauletzhan (Kazakhstan) dec. Linda Martinez Armenta (Mexico), 4-1

Bronze – Solomiia Petriv (Ukraine) dec. Manisha (India), 5-2