West Des Moines, Iowa — Team Minnesota made a powerful statement this past weekend, earning a 5th-place finish out of 68 high school girl’s teams at the prestigious Twin Rivers National Duals in West Des Moines, Iowa. Despite forfeiting a weight class all tournament due to an injury, the day before weigh-ins, the team showed grit, depth, and determination to finish with an impressive 6-2 dual record.

The tournament used modified folkstyle rules, creating a continued transition for females wrestling freestyle at the collegiate level with three points of emphasis:

1. Stalemates mirrored traditional folkstyle to promote breakdowns and turns.
2. All restarts began in the neutral position on the feet.
3. A step-out point was awarded, similar to freestyle rules. 

Team Minnesota kicked off the tournament in dominant fashion, defeating:

• UNCLE SLAM SQUAD 62-18
• BERGE ELITE WA 62-18
• CHARLIE’S ANGELS BLACK 52-28

They then dropped a narrow battle to MIDWEST ASSASSINS, 40-35, before bouncing back with a 43-28 win over NE-Green Gladiators. In the championship quarterfinals, Minnesota narrowly fell to IA – PATRIOT PAIN TRAIN, 42-40, but finished strong in the placement rounds:

• Defeated SEBOLT W.W.C. 52-29
• Wrapped up the weekend with a 57-21 victory over Team Indiana in the 5th place match.

Across the event, the team racked up 53 pins and 10 tech fall victories, showcasing dominance and firepower on the mat.

Eight Minnesota Wrestlers Earn All-American Honors:

• Ivy Brandenburg
• Adriana Kunz
• Ella Henning
• Caley Graber
• Nora Akpan
• Chloe Wehry
• Taniah Borney
• Espe Calvillo

Brandenburg and Calvillo led the team in total match points, setting the tone for Team Minnesota.  Kunz collected eight falls, followed by Henning with seven.  Graber had a combination of eight falls and tech. falls.

With a strong showing on a national stage and eight All-Americans, Team Minnesota continues to raise the bar for girls wrestling in the state and across the country.

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