Rachel Watters captures Junior Freestyle National Title

These days it’s about impossible to slow the momentum of Iowan Rachel Watters of Ballard, as last night she added another national title to her growing resume.

Watters entered the Fargo high school national tournament as one of the favorites to win the 159 pound weight class after she tore up the Junior and Senior circuit earlier this summer. In May she won the Body Bar nationals tournament, which earned her a spot on the UWW Junior World Team. Watters also took third at Women’s Senior World Team Trials this past June.

So with her freestyle experience growing at a rapid pace, it was no surprise to see her come out and win her first three matches all by technical fall. After opening with a first round bye, Watters won 10-0 over the likes of Maikah Gutierrez of Texas and Andrea Sennett of Illinois. In the semifinals she won 12-0 against California’s Nicole Diaz, and she capped off her gold medal performance with a 7-0 finals win against Wisconsin’s Jessika Rottier. All said and done, Watters outscored her opponents 39-0.

Watters becomes the first Iowan to capture a national title at the 2015 Fargo national championships, and she is one of two Iowa wrestlers to reach the finals so far.

Junior Women`s FS 105 – Felicity Taylor’s place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Felicity Taylor (Iowa) won by tech fall over Pearl Fletcher (New York) (TF 10-0)
Champ. Round 2 – Aleeah Gould (California) won by tech fall over Felicity Taylor (Iowa) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Felicity Taylor (Iowa) won by fall over Elisabet Perez-Vega (New Jersey) (Fall 4:39)
Cons. Round 3 – Felicity Taylor (Iowa) won by tech fall over Mallory Dagg (Florida) (TF 13-2)
Cons. Round 4 – Alexus Nalls (Virginia) won by tech fall over Felicity Taylor (Iowa) (TF 13-0)

Junior Women`s FS 117 – Tori Goodale’s place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Tori Goodale (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Madison Ruckdashel (Wisconsin) won by fall over Tori Goodale (Iowa) (Fall 2:03)
Cons. Round 2 – Tori Goodale (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Cons. Round 3 – Hilary Merrifield (Maine) won by decision over Tori Goodale (Iowa) (Dec 10-2)

Junior Women`s FS 130 – Nicole Watters’s place is unknown and has scored 0.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Nicole Watters (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Alexia Ward (Oregon) won by tech fall over Nicole Watters (Iowa) (TF 10-0)
Cons. Round 2 – Lauren Dale (Texas) won by tech fall over Nicole Watters (Iowa) (TF 20-10)

Junior Women`s FS 159 – Rachel Watters’s place is 1st and has scored 8.00 team points.
Champ. Round 1 – Rachel Watters (Iowa) received a bye () (Bye)
Champ. Round 2 – Rachel Watters (Iowa) won by tech fall over Maikah Gutierrez (Texas) (TF 10-0)
Quarterfinal – Rachel Watters (Iowa) won by tech fall over Andrea Sennett (Illinois) (TF 10-0)
Semifinal – Rachel Watters (Iowa) won by tech fall over Nicole Diaz (California) (TF 12-0)
1st Place Match – Rachel Watters (Iowa) won by decision over Jessika Rottier (Wisconsin) (Dec 7-0)