Taina Fernandez turned 15 at the end of last May. A few weeks later she was in Guatemala winning her third U15 Pan-Am gold medal. About a month after that Fernandez won the second Fargo title of her young career, celebrating on the big stage with two rubber chickens, as is the custom for Maryland wrestlers. One month after that, Fernandez was in Amman Jordan earning another gold medal, this time at the U17 World Championship.

Watch Fernandez win world gold in the video below: 

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A soon-to-be sophomore at Archbishop Spalding High School in Southern Maryland, Fernandez has grown accustomed to both winning and dominating. Fernandez went unscored upon at U17 Worlds, pinning four of her five opponents and 11-0 teching the fifth. No one lasted a full match against Taina at U17 Pan-Ams either. Same story at Fargo and the U17 World Team Trials. The last loss I can find for Taina was last November at the 2023 Princeton Open, a college tournament, where the then 14-year-old lost to then 28-year-old Alexandra Town, a Canadian who a U23 world title in 2018. 

Fernandez wrestled her WNO opponent, Jordyn Fouse, twice during her recent winning binge, defeating Fouse 2-0 in the best 2-of-3 U17 Team Trials finals. Fouse is a local to the Johnstown area, where Who’s Number One’s 2024 edition will be held. 

Fouse has no shortage of accolades either. Beyond her runner-up finish at this year's 2024 Team Trials, Jordyn was a runnerup at Fargo in 2023 and third at 2023’s U17 World Team Trials. 

Fouse also did a lot of winning while representing Bishop McCort, her high school, also located in Johnstown, winning a 2024 PIAA state championship in dramatic fashion over Haylie Jaffe. Fouse also won the second-ever women’s division at the prestigious Beast of the East tournament and placed third at the venerable Walsh Ironman tournament.  

Watch Fouse's state title-winning bout below: 

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Fernandez has not been tested domestically by an age-level opponent in some time, but Fouse may be inspired by the hometown crowd. Whatever the result, the number one ranking will be the reward for the victor.

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