Takeaways From The 2024 Girls High School Recruiting Showcase
Takeaways From The 2024 Girls High School Recruiting Showcase
Here are takeaways from the 2024 USA Wrestling Girls High School Recruiting Showcase held on April 27-28 in Las Vegas.
USA Wrestling’s Girls High School Recruiting Showcase is in the books. Here are takeaways from the tournament held at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas on April 27-28.
Click here for complete brackets and results
We Are The Champions
Fourteen champions were crowned at the 2024 Girls High School Recruiting Showcase. Here’s who won with the current national rankings and college commitments if applicable.
100: Jaclyn Bouzakis — #1 at 100
105: Rianne Murphy — #6 at 105
110: Emma Albanese — #10 at 115
115: Clare Booe — #2 at 115 (King University)
120: Karlee Brooks — #2 at 120 (University of Iowa)
125: Emma Bacon — #7 at 120
130: Sophia Slaughter — unranked
135: Isis France — #4 at 140
140: Louise Juitt — unranked
145: Valerie Hamilton — #2 at 145
155: Eduarda Rodrigues — #1 at 155 (McKendree University)
170: Matilda Hruby — #9 at 170
190: Isabella Phillips — #15 at 190
235: Tilisa Matakaiongo — #3 at 235
Knights Crown Five
Wyoming Seminary crowned five champions and had two additional placers. Bouzakis (100), Murphy (105), Booe (110), Bacon (125), and France (135) won titles while Lisa Pastoriza (sixth at 100) and Amelia Murphy (fourth at 110) earned All-American honors.
This was the final high school tournament for Booe, who will wrestle for King next season, and Murphy, who is undecided but will likely announce her commitment soon. The other five are still in high school.
Match Of The Tournament
Karlee Brooks and Zao Estrada wrestled in the 55 kg (121 pounds) U20 World Team Trials bracket but didn’t face each other during the tournament. Both fell to eventual champion Cristelle Rodriguez, with Estrada finishing second and Brooks fourth.
The two squared off in the 120-pound finals with a thrilling match that saw Estrada race to an 8-0 lead before Brooks cut the lead to 8-6 at the break. Estrada was up 12-6 with 33 seconds left when Brooks hit a headlock for a fall with nine seconds left. Watch the entire match below.
Karlee Brooks won a thriller in the 120-pound finals
Who’s Number One Rematch
Clare Booe and Gabriella Gomez (#6 at 115) had a rematch of last year’s Who’s Number One won by Gomez, 7-1. Booe notched an 11-0 win in the finals during her final high school match. Watch both matches below.
Clare Booe and Gabriella Gomez faced off at the 2023 Who's Number One
Claree Booe and Gabriella Gomez had a rematch in the 2024 USA Wrestling Girls High School Recruiting Showcase finals
Trending Upward
Sophie Slaughter and Louise Juitt entered nationally unranked, but that will likely change following championship performances in Las Vegas.
Slaughter had ranked wins over Isabella Cepak (#20 at 130), Lilyana Lamothe (#23 at 130), Taylor Ellis Hishaw (#5 at 125), and Samantha Sachs (#8 at 125) to win the 130-pound bracket.
Juitt had ranked wins over Corynne McNulty (#9 at 135) and Morgan Lucio (#6 at 145) to win the 140-pound bracket.
Murphy’s Law
Rianne Murphy ended her high school career on a high note. She pinned her way through the tournament and outscored her opponents 26-0 in four matches.
Rianne Murphy's final high school match was a fall in the 2024 USA Wrestling High School Recruiting Showcase Finals
That Was Close!
Duda Rodrigues (#1 at 155) often makes short work of her opponents. She only had three matches over the weekend, and two of her wins lasted a combined 39 seconds. Her quarterfinal win tested her resolve, though. The McKendree commit was down 6-5 against Gretchen Donally (#3 at 145) when Rodrigues secured a double-leg takedown with 12 seconds left for a 7-6 win. Rodrigues won in the finals by forfeit over Kaili Manuel.
Emma Albanese survived a scare in the 110-pound finals against Libby Roberts. Albanese was up 8-7 with 10 seconds left when Roberts nearly scored as time expired. The Las Vegas native won 9-7 after a lost challenge.
Duda Rodrigues won this quarterfinal match over Grethen Donally in the closing seconds
Emma Albanese held on in the closing seconds of her 110-pound finals match to win the USA Wrestling Girls High School Recruiting Showcase