Kayla Miracle of Indiana scores a takedown on the way to a 2012 Junior Nationals title. John Sachs photo

2013 ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team named

The nation’s best girls high school wrestlers are being honored with the announcement of the 13th annual ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team.

The 2013 First Team members will be recognized at the ASICS/Vaughan Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D., July 13-20, where they will be presented with their trophies. At the same time, the ASICS High School Girls Wrestler of the Year will be announced.

There were six members of the 2013 First Team who were selected as First Team members again in 2012: Haley Augello of Lockport High School (Ill.), Marina Doi of Kingsburg High School (Calif.), Cassy Herkelman of Cedar Falls High School (Iowa), Alyssa LaFrancis of West Covina High School (Calif.), Kayla Miracle of Culver Academy (Ind.) and Cody Pfau of Grand Valley High School (Colo.)

Augello, Miracle and Herkelman are on the ASICS First Team for the third straight years.

The ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team is selected by a nationwide panel of wrestling experts. It is the only national all-star team for which female high school wrestlers competing on all four grade levels are eligible. Athletes from across the nation were considered for their achievements in high school wrestling, as well as the major post-season freestyle and folkstyle competitions. 

ASICS is a national sponsor of USA Wrestling and a major supporter of wrestling at all levels. ASICS has sponsored the nationally respected ASICS High School All-American Team for boys wrestlers for 28 years.

“The ASICS Tiger Corporation is proud to be a sponsor of the All-American wrestling team for girls,” said Neil Duncan, Vice President of TW Promotions which represents ASICS. “We see this sport having a huge potential for growth, and look forward to the day when many more high schools and colleges across the country offer wrestling programs for the female athlete. These are our future Olympians in women’s wrestling.”

California led the nation with three First Team member, including LaFrancis and Doi, plus Cadence Lee of Gunn High School and Anastasia Lobsinger of Northgate High School. Iowa was the only other state with more than one First Teamer, including Herkelman and Megan Black of Eddyville High School.

Augello placed second at 112.25 pounds at 2013 U.S. Senior Open, the top placement of a high school wrestler in the event in any style. Lobsinger placed seventh at the U.S. Senior Open at 158.5 pounds.

Six First Team members won USA Wrestling ASICS/Vaughan Junior National titles in the summer of 2012, including Miracle, Pfau, Black, along with Amy Hou of Rome High School (Ga.), Alexis Porter of Shenedehowa High School (N.Y.) and Hope Steffenson of Kenai Central High School (Alaska).

Four First Teamers won the 2013 USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle Nationals in Oklahoma: Miracle, LaFrancis, Pfau, plus Becka Leathers of Choctaw High School (Okla.)

Doi won a FILA Cadet World title in the summer of 2012. Miracle and Lobsinger also won FILA Cadet World medals last summer, with Miracle getting a silver medal and Lobsinger getting a bronze medal.

Five First Teamers were also Cadet National Champions last summer, Porter, Leathers, Herkelman and Lee, plus Teshya Alo of Kamehameha High School (Hawaii).

The First Team featured five seniors, six juniors, two sophomores and a freshman. In total, 10 states were represented on the First Team. 

The Second Team was also star-studded, led by Junior Nationals freestyle champion Katie Germain of George Jenkins High School (Fla.), along with Junior National folkstyle champions Jasmine Bailey of Iowa City West High School (Iowa) and Kaylee Chavez of Savannah High School (Calif.), Steffanie Hampton of Leslie High School (Mich.) and Tiaria Scott of Evanston Township High School (Ill.) plus USGWA national champion Crista Hartinger of Lancaster High School (N.Y.)

The Third Team featured USA Wrestling Junior Nationals freestyle champion Kierra Boyce of Hendrickson High School (Texas), along with Junior Folkstyle champions Cady Chessin of Los Gatos High School (Calif.), Jessi Kee of Scottland High School (N.C.) and Kaitlyn Hill of Constantine High School (Mich.), plus Cadet Nationals freestyle champion Autumn Rux of Lansing Eastern High School (Mich.)

As the National Federation of State High Schools has yet to determine specific weight classes for girls wrestling, the athletes were selected based solely on achievement and ability. The top 14 athletes were named to the First Team, the second 14 athletes were named to the Second Team and the third 14 athletes were selected to the Third Team. Thirty athletes were named as Honorable Mention. An effort was made to make a reasonable spread of weights on each team. If the National Federation sets specific girls weight classes in the future, the selection committee will consider using those weight classes for the selection criteria at that time.

For the TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team, athletes were identified in three weight ranges: Light (100-121 pounds); Middle (122-140 pounds); Upper (141 pounds and above).

In total, 72 wrestlers were selected to TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School All-American Wrestling Team. 

California led all states with 14 selections, followed by Texas and Hawaii with six, Michigan with five and New York and Washington with four

A total of 28 states were represented on the All-American Team. The team included 27 seniors, 26 juniors, 14 sophomores and 5 freshmen.

Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sports among youth sports for women. It has been an Olympic sport for the last three Olympic Games, the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2012 Olympics in London, England. There are an estimated 11,000 girls competing on the high school level in the United States today, and the number has grown each year for the last dozen years. Colleges continue to add women’s wrestling on the varsity and club level across the nation.

2013 TheMat.com/ASICS Girls High School All-American Team

First Team (alphabetically)
Teshya Alo, freshman, Honolulu, Hawaii, Kamehameha High School, light
Haley Augello, senior, Lockport, Ill, Lockport High School, light
Megan Black,senior,  Batavia, Iowa, Eddyville High School, middle
Marina Doi, junior, Kingsburg, Calif, Kingsburg High School, light
Cassy Herkelman, junior, Cedar Falls, Iowa, Cedar Falls High School, light
Amy Hou, senior, Rome, Ga., Rome High School, light
Alyssa LaFrancis, sophomore, Vista, Calif., West Covina High School, upper
Becka Leathers, sophomore, Choctaw, Okla., Choctaw High School, middle
Cadence Lee, junior, Los Altos Hill, Calif., Gunn High School, light
Anastasia Lobsinger, junior, Concord, Calif., Northgate High School, upper
Kayla Miracle, junior, Culver, Ind., Culver Academy, light
Cody Pfau, senior, Parachute, Colo., Grand Valley High School, light
Alexis Porter, junior, Ballston Lake, N.Y., Shenendehowa High School, upper
Hope Steffenson, senior, Kenai, Alaska, Kenai Central High School, light

Second Team (alphabetically)
Jasmine Bailey, junior, Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City West High School, light
Kaylee Chevez, senior, Anaheim, Calif., Savannah High School, light
Regina Doi, junior, Kingsburg, Calif., Kingsburg High School, light
Rosemary Flores, senior, Port Richmond, N.Y., Curtis High School, light
Katie Germaine, senior, Lakeland, Fla., George Jenkins High School, middle
Francesca Giorgio, junior, West Lawn, Pa., Wilson High School, middle
Rachel Hale, junior, Bennington, Vermont, Mount Anthony High School, light
Steffanie Hampton, junior, Onondaga, Mich., Leslie High School, light
Cristta Hartinger, junior, Lancaster, N.Y., Lancaster High School, middle
Haley Moreno, senior, Fort Worth, Texas, Saginaw High School, light
Bree Rapoza, senior, Honolulu, Hawaii, Kamehameha High School, light
Tiaira Scott, senior, Evanston, Ill., Evanston Township High School, upper
Maya Nelson, sophomore, Denver, Colo., Denver East High Schook, middle
Jessika Rottier, sophomore, Little Suamico, Wis., North Pulaski High School, middle

Third Team (alphabetically)
Kierra Boyce, senior, Plugerville, Texas, Hendrickson High School, upper
Cady Chessin, senior, Los Gatos, Calif., Los Gatos High School, light
Danielle Coughlin, senior, Andover, Mass., North Andover High School
Jenna Elmlinger, sophomore, Buffalo, Wyo., Buffalo High School, middle
Gabriella Garcia, sophomore, Anaheim, Calif., Valencia High School, light
Kaitlyn Hill, sophomore, Constantine, Mich., Constantine High School, upper
Jessi Kee, junior, Laurinburg, N.C., Scottland High School, middle
Michelle Lomas, senior, Amarillo, Texas, Tascosa High School, light
Julia Long, junior, Mountain View, Wyo., Mountain View High School, light
Jasmine Mendoza, junior, San Jose, Calif., Overfelt High School, middle
Autumn Rux, junior, Lansing, Mich., Lansing Eastern High School, upper
Thai Ha Sloan, senior, Honolulu, Hawaii, Punahou School,  light
Areana Villeascusa, junior, Rio Rico, Ariz., Rio Rico High School, middle
Alesha Zappitella, senior, Conneaut, Ohio, Conneaut High School, light

Honorable Mention (alphabetically)
Amanda Allen, senior, Texas, Liberty High School, upper
Jakeitha Baker, junior, Raleigh, N.C., Broughton High School, middle
Kelsey Baker, senior, Amarillo, Texas, Palo Duro High School,  middle
Brittany Bates, freshman, Doyline, La., Doyline High School, light
Alexis Bleau, freshman, Schoharie, N.Y., Schoharie High School, light
Arian Carpio, sophomore, Federal Way, Wash., Beamer High School, middle
Kaelynn Canyete, senior, Waianae, Hawaii, Kapolei High School, light
Montana Drum, senior, Neosho, Mo., Neosho High School, middle
Rebecca Forsyth, sophomore, Beaverdam, Va., Patrick Henry High School, light
Yvonne Galindo, senior, El Paso, Texas, Jefferson High School, middle
Hanna Gladden, junior, Gadsden, Ala., Ohatchee High School, upper
Ryan Gibbons, sophomore, Rochester, Wash., Centralia High School, upper
Hanna Jewell, sophomore, Goodrich, Mich., Goodrich High School, light
Devyn Johnson, junior, Osakis, Minn., Osakis High School, light
Sariyah Jones, freshman, Modesto, Calif., James C. Enoch High School, light
Angelica Llanes, sophomore, Lamont, Calif., Arvin High School, light
Gina Lopez, senior, Anaheim, Calif., Western High School, upper
Shannon Paaaina, junior, Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Mid-Pacific Institute,  middle
Harmony Pacheco, junior, Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, Kamehameha High School, light
Gibby Paxton, senior, Crawfordsville, Ind., Southmont High School, light
Emily Pinson, sophomore, Lizella, Ga., Rutland High School, light
Jaimie Reif, junior, Racine, Wis., Kenosha Bradford High School, light
Allesha Reyes, senior, Othello, Wash., Othello High School, middle
Jessica Rodriguez, junior, Stockton, Calif., Lincoln South High School, upper
Vanessa Smith, senior, St. Paul, Minn., Apple Valley High School, light
Kenya Spencer, freshman,  Caro, Mich., Caro High School, upper
Harriet Symington, senior, Bethesda, Md,  Walt Whitman High School, light
Kiaya Van Scoyoc, junior, Lakewood, Wash., Lakes High School, upper
Sierra Vulgamore, sophomore, Williamsport, Ohio, Westfall High School, middle
Mallory Velte, senior, Cameron Park, Calif., Christian Brothers High School, middle

Light (100-121 pounds); Middle (122-140 pounds); Upper (141 pounds and above).