New York Fargo Preview & Best Bets

Photo: Lori Strouse
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Fargo kicks off on Saturday! Dive into our full preview with who our best bets are to make the podium in the Fargo Dome!

For the entire Fargo entry list for Team New York, please click HERE.

2025 Fargo Schedule

Junior Girls - July 12th and 13th
16U Girls - July 12th and 13th
Junior Boys Freestyle - July 14th through July 16th
16U Boys Freestyle - July 14th through July 16th
Junior Boys Greco - July 18th and 19th
16U Boys Greco - July 18th and 19th

Most Recent Statistics

Most Recent 16U WFS Champ: Haley Gonzales (Hicksville) - 2024 118 lbs
Most Recent JR WFS Champ: Michaela Beck (Trevor Day / Fusion Academy) - 2016 125 lbs
Most Recent 16U MFS Champ: Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) - 2023 182 lbs
Most Recent JR MFS Champ: Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach) - 2024 113 lbs
Most Recent 16U MGR Champ: Michael Chaires (Christian Brothers, Albany) - 2005 152 lbs
Most Recent JR MGR Champ: Michael Altomer (Minisink Valley) - 2022 182 lbs

Boys Best Bets

Dunia Sibomana (Long Beach) - JR 120 LBS: Sibomana has done just about everything you can ask for. Last year he brought home double All-American honors in the Fargo Dome with a 1st place finish in the 16U 113 Freestyle tournament and a 5th place finish in the Greco portion. In 2024 he finished 4th at the 17U US Open in Greco, and last fall he brought home Super 32 honors with a 6th place finish. The 2x state champ recently doubled up at the Jeff Blatnick with Freestyle and Greco state championships, and won the coveted triple crown award. He's consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally, is the 48th recruit in the entire class of 2026, and is the NYWN top ranked 2026 big boarder. Sibomana begins his quest to double up with two big stop signs this year!
Griffin LaPlante (St. Francis) - JR 157 LBS: LaPlante is coming off a monster junior duals showing where he went undefeated and outscored his opponents 85-8. He teched Justus Heeg (IL) who was ranked 4th in the country at the time, and also beat Brandon Dean (CO) was a top 250 graduating senior. The NC State commit is currently ranked 10th in the land at 157 lbs, and is the 84th overall recruit in the class of 2026. The Red Raider placed at both Powerade and Escape the Rock this year, while also winning his first state title. He has also placed at the Grappler Fall Classic and is a 3x NHSCA AA (8-4-1). He is a major contender for Fargo stop sign honors this week.
Will Soto (Newburgh) - 16U 106 LBS: Soto returns to the Fargo Dome after he came home with a 6th place finish in the 16U division just a year ago. He will look to build on that and climb up the podium this year as he's a serious title contender. Outside of Fargo, Soto won 15U Pan Am Gold in 2024 in the Freestyle division while he finished with Silver in Greco. He's already won two state titles, and is the 86th recruit in the class of 2027 (#2 on our NYWN Big Board). Soto finds himself regularly in the national rankings, and is currently ranked 16th at 113 lbs (would be higher up the totem pole at 106 lbs). Keep an eye on the KDTC product this weekend.
Tavio Hoose (St. Francis) - JR 190 LBS: The St. Francis Red Raider is coming off of a 6-2 showing at Junior Duals and looks to be ready for a run inside the Fargo Dome. Hoose is a perennial top 100 recruit nationally and has previously been in the state finals on two separate occasions, finishing with a title and runner-up honors. Hoose has also placed twice at NHSCA Nationals, and has found himself in and out of the national rankings. Hoose travelled to U23 Freestyle Nationals back in May and went 3-2 at 86kg notching notable wins over college guys. There's no doubt he's a solid contender to podium in Fargo this week.
Devin Downes (Plainedge) - JR 215 LBS: The Maryland commit out of Long Island has wrestled in two major events this offseason after coming off of his second state title. Downes finished 2nd at NHSCA Nationals where he fell to Mikey White (Minnesota commit) in the finals and notched wins over Alex Reyes (NJ State 5th) and Isaac Ward (MO State Champ). At Northeast Regionals where he teched his way to the finals, before beating Sal Marchese 6-4 in the finals (who finished 3rd at the NJ state tournament this year). Downes is ranked as high as 4th at 215 lbs (MatScouts) and is the 76th ranked recruit in the entire country, while being our 4th ranked recruit in-state. Downes should be poised to make a run at Fargo this week.
Finnegan O'Brien (Chaminade) - 16U 132 LBS: O'Brien heads into Fargo after going 6-2 at Junior National Duals and wrestling up a division. At Junior Duals he won plenty of great matches including ones over Vince Jasinski and Che Jenkins. O'Brien is no stranger to the national spotlight having finished with All-American honors at Super 32 (7th, 1st) and placing 4th at the 2024 US Open in the 15U division. He is a top 75 recruit in the class of 2028 according to MatScouts, and is 2nd within the confines of New York. When O'Brien is wrestling well, he is absolutely lights out, and that has showed with a previous win over Gauge Botero (Michigan commit). It would be no surprise to see O'Brien high on the podium when it's all said and done this week.
Camryn Howard (Bellport) - 16U 157 LBS: Howard is going to be a sophomore and has done about just everything you can ask of someone in a high school career. It's crazy that he still has three more years, but makes absolute sense as to why he 's our top recruit in the class of 2028, and the 9th ranked recruit in the entire country. The KDTC product travels back west to North Dakota this week looking to build on his 3rd place finish just a year ago, and is on a short list of favorites to come home with Fargo gold this weekend. Over the course of his career he has won the 15U US Open in Freestyle (2nd in Greco), won the Pan Am Championships in 2024 in Freestyle (2nd in Greco), and has already placed in the high school division of Super 32. During the high school season he went undefeated in-state en route to his first state title. He recently won NHSCA Nationals down in Virginia Beach, and it's a surprise he's not currently in the national rankings.
Jake Nieto (Chaminade) - 16U 138 LBS: After falling in the finals of the CHSAA championships, Nieto has been a force to be reckoned with on the freestyle circuit. Nieto finished 3rd at the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle State Tournament with his only loss coming at the hands of Finnegan O'Brien, then he ran through the Greco portion and finished with a gold medal. He followed that up by going up to 138 lbs at Northeast Regionals where he won both the Freestyle and Greco portions, and teched Landyn Shaffer in the first period. Nieto looks to build on his Fargo showing last year, where he finished 2 matches shy of All-American honors amidst a 5-2 record.
Tyler Conzo (Smithtown West) - 16U 94 LBS: The former state medalist wrestled in a brutal section this year with Seabury, Patrovich, and Phillips and ultimately did not qualify for the state championships this year. Since the section tournament, he's been on a tear and looks primed to go on a run at Fargo. In just the last few months he's competed just about everywhere including the Freestyle & Greco State Tournament, Northeast Regionals, and the 15U US Open where he found success at all tournaments. He won both Freestyle and Greco state, finished with 2nd place honors at Northeast Regionals in Freestyle and 3rd in Greco, and then doubled up at the 15U US Open with a 3rd place finish in Freestyle and 2nd place finish in Greco. Fully expect him to dominate on the Fargo Dome floor this week in both styles.
Chris Belmonte (New Hartford) - JR 285 LBS: Belmonte heads out to Fargo after a solid 7-1 showing at Junior Duals where he knocked off nationally ranked Isaiah Taylor (#20 at 285 lbs, #237 recruit in the class of 2026) among other solid wins. The 2x state medalist (Q-3-2) built on his runner-up finish this year where he made the blood round of NHSCA Nationals after winning it the year prior, and also won Freestyle state back in May. The Section III standout has been in and out of the national class rankings, and is our #8 in state recruit in the class of 2026.
Chris Noto (Honeoye Falls-Lima) - JR 132 LBS: The Lock Haven commit out of Section V capped off his junior campaign with a state title and is our 5th ranked recruit in the 2026 class. He's coming off an NHSCA Nationals tournament where he finished 5th and had some solid wins over Caleb Hutchinson (KS State Champ) and a pair of Georgia state medalists. Noto also won the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle state tournament this year, and has previously beaten Landyn Shaffer and had close matches with Luke Satriano. Noto should be a solid contender at Fargo.
Samson McKissick-Staley (Pittsford) - JR 144 LBS: The 2x state runner-up out of Section V looks to make a run at Fargo this weekend after his 3-2 showing in Junior Freestyle and 4-2 outing in Junior Greco just a year ago. McKissick-Staley has previously finished 7th at the U17 US Open in Greco and will be a major contender this weekend in both styles. The Cornell commit is a former NHSCA All-American and placed at the Journeymen Fall Classic back in 2024. McKissick-Staley is the 163rd ranked recruit in the country, and currently slated as our 6th best prospect in the class of 2026.
Anthony LaGala-Ryan (Longwood) - JR 120 LBS: LaGala-Ryan heads back to North Dakota this week after a 3-2 showing in the 16U 113 lb freestyle bracket just a year ago and looks to build on that. LaGala-Ryan is no stranger to the national circuit and has previously won NHSCA Nationals twice. The KDTC product most recently traveled to Central Regionals where he made the semifinals; after losing in the final seconds of his semifinal bout, he defaulted to 6th place. The Long Island wrestler is our 3rd ranked recruit in the 2027 class, and is the overall #138 recruit nationally according to MatScouts. Expect LaGala-Ryan to make some noise this weekend.
Oumar Tounkara (NYMA) - JR 126 LBS: The Beat the Streets product returns to the Fargo Dome after he finished 8th at 113 lbs in the Junior Freestyle division just a year ago. It'll be interesting to see how he competes up two weights this weekend, but wherever he competes, he's always a threat. Tounkara capped off his career as a 2x National Preps All-American, 2x NHSCA National Champion, and Super 32 All-American. The Drexel commit wrestled a close match with Cooper Merli in his BTS Benefit Match at Final X, falling 11-11 on criteria. Lookout for Tounkara to land higher on the podium this year when it's all said and done.
Xavier Seabury (North Babylon) - 16U 106 LBS: What a trip around the sun it's been for Xavier Seabury. After falling short of the state tournament a year ago, he ran the gauntlet at the Eastern States Classic en route to his 1st place finish. He kept it rolling and ended up finishing 3rd at the state tournament, with his only loss coming to the champ Jonny Tutku. Since then he's been super active this offseason, which included a 5th place finish at NHSCA Nationals and wins over two state champs and three state runner-ups. He traveled to the 15U US Open where he torched his way through the freestyle bracket and won the dang thing. He also doubled up on gold at the Jeff Blatnick en route to winning both brackets, and finished in 4th place in the freestyle portion (6th in greco) at Northeast Regionals. Seabury should be a major contender to bring home a stop sign this week.

Keep An Eye On

Ryan Ferrara (Chenango Forks) -JR 138 LBS
Alex Berisha (Fox Lane) - JR 215 LBS
Anthony Valls (Chenango Valley) - 16U 120 LBS
Nico Rivera (Mohonasen) - JR 120 LBS
James Capasso (Ballston Spa) - 16U 175 LBS
Luke Nieto (Plainedge) - JR 157 LBS
Landyn Shaffer (Deposit-Hancock) - 16U 138 LBS
Ryker Cox (Coxsackie-Athens) - 16U 165 LBS
Dominic Darch (Attica-Batavia) - 16U 215 LBS
Kweku Arthur-Mensah (Trinity Pawling) - JR 285 LBS
Casey Liess (Northfield Mt Hermon / McQuaid Jesuit) - JR  175 LBS
Thomas Kellas (Blair Academy / Sleepy Hollow) - 16U 215 LBS
John De La Rosa (Brentwood) - JR 165 LBS
Jacob McVige (Honeoye Falls-Lima) - JR 150 LBS

Girls Best Bets

Peyton Mullin (Dundee) -16U 235 LBS: Mullin is our top prospect in the Class of 2027 and rightfully so. Over the last calendar year she's placed 6th at Fargo, dominated the competition in-state en route to a state title, and just recently went a whopping 12-0 at Women's National Duals in the Junior division while cooking the competition. She's ranked as high as 4th in the country (MatScouts), with other outlets ranking her in the top 25 (USA Wrestling, #22).
Victoria Alvarado (Warwick) - 16U 145 LBS: The Section IX product capped off her sophomore campaign with a state title and is currently our #2 prospect in the Class of 2027. Last year she finished 6th in the 16U division at Fargo, and is a major contender to run the gauntlet and bring home a coveted stop sign. Most recently Alvarado made the blood round in the 17U division of Women's Nationals at 69kg (154 lbs). Now down a weight class, expect her to make some noise.
Teegan Sibble (Bolivar-Richburg) - JR 115 LBS: Sibble has been a mainstay on the national stage with a common finish of 8th place. She's finished 8th at Fargo two consecutive years in a row, and just recently finished 8th at NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach. Sibble is one of the more established wrestlers on the junior girls roster, and has been a mainstay in the national rankings (was ranked 24th at 115 lbs in April). The East Stroudsburg commit finished her career as the 3rd ranked prospect on our 2025 Big Board, and looks to go out with a bang during her last dance at the Fargo Dome.
Ava Guilmette (Shenendehowa) - 16U 155 LBS: Guilmette is well on her way to being a monster recruit and she is only an incoming sophomore. The Section II standout is currently ranked as high as 4th in the country (MatScouts) and is also ranked in the top 20 according to USA Wrestling (18th). Guilmette has had a monster last twelve months having won 15U Pan Am Gold in El Salvador, pinned her way through the state tournament, earned Silver at 15U Women's Nationals, and then went unblemished with a 7-0 record at Women's National Duals in the Junior Freestyle division. Back in 2024 she also won 15U Women's Nationals in the same 66kg bracket. She is absolutely one of the favorites to win a stop sign in Fargo this week in the 16U 155 lb bracket.
Gigi Sullivan (Monroe Woodbury) - 16U 105 LBS: Sullivan elected to wrestle the boys in the state series this year, and ended up being the first girl to ever qualify for the NYSPHSAA DI state tournament. Sullivan beat state qualifiers Connor McAllister, Dorian Hidalgo, Matteo Walsh, Andrew Uszenski, and Evan Gomez. She also tech falled Laila Builes, who won the Girls NYSPHSAA 100 lb state title this year as well. Outside of New York, Sullivan most recently finished 5th at Super 32 and made the semifinals at Northeast Regionals before defaulting to 6th place. Sullivan will be our top incoming freshmen on our 2029 Girls Big Board, and is currently ranked 8th in the nation at 100 lbs by MatScouts.
Sara Pauls (Minisink Valley) - 16U 130 LBS: A mainstay on the state and national circuits, Pauls is constantly seeking out the best competition and traveling across the country. Last year at Fargo she finished with a 4-2 record and came a few matches short of finishing with All-American honors. Her losses were only to the women who finished 3rd (Emma Bacon) and 4th (Danica Torres) at the weight class. Since then Pauls has finished with runner-up honors at the state tournament, won gold at the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle State Tournament and avenged her loss to Lilly Blenk, and landed on top of the podium at Southeast Regionals. The Section IX standout is now ranked 19th in the nation at 130 lbs, and is a major contender to land on the podium this year in the Fargo Dome.
Gabrielle Severin (Bethpage) - JR 120 LBS: Severin finished with runner-up honors at the state tournament with her sole loss coming to Charlie Wylie. Most recently Severin pinned or teched her way through the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle State Tournament, and followed that up with pinning or teching her way through Northeast Regionals. She's in a great position to build on her 3-2 showing at Fargo from a year ago, and is a contender to earn All-American honors this week.
Mia Collins (Ballston Spa) - JR 130 LBS: The Columbia commit isn't shy to the national stage and has already earned Fargo All-American honors when she finished 3rd in 2023 in the 16U division. Collins just capped off her career with a state title back in February then followed that up with another Freestyle State gold medal and a 2nd place finish at Northeast Regionals. She finished her career as our 5th best prospect in the Class of 2025, and should be a name you see on the podium at the end of the tournament!
Brynn Shepardson (Little Falls) - JR 170 LBS: The Lehigh commit finished her high school career with a state runner-up finish in MVP Arena and was our 4th ranked prospect in the Class of 2025. Recently she wrestled at the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle State Tournament where she teched Teagan McGuinness 10-0 in the finals. Shepardson finds herself in the national rankings consistently and is currently ranked 20th in the country at 190 lbs. The Little Falls native already finished 8th a year ago at Fargo in the same weight and division, and looks to move up on the podium this year before heading to Pennsylvania to kickstart her collegiate career.
Jaida Macaluso (Minisink Valley) - JR 155 LBS: Macaluso continues to be a familiar face as she competes at seemingly every single event both in and out of state. Macaluso capped off her junior year with a state runner-up finish before travelling to the Jeff Blatnick Freestyle State Tournament where she found gold in a bracket with nationally ranked Michaela Thomas. At the Freestyle State Tournament, Macaluso got the best of Keishara Tulloch in an 11-6 bout (where Tulloch beat Thomas the match prior) and then spent just two minutes on the mat for the remainder of the tournament, winning both the semifinal and finals match by fall. The Minisink Valley standout also recently finished 4th at both Northeast Regionals and Southeast Regionals. Macaluso has found plenty of success out of state having previously placed at the Walsh Women's Ironman and Women's Nationals.
Delaney Dixon (Windsor) - 16U 140 LBS: Dixon should be a solid contender to find her way on the podium in the 16U 140 lbs bracket this weekend. Dixon finished 2nd at the state tournament this year before she made the blood round at Women's Nationals in the 15U 66kg bracket. She spent a total of two and a half minutes on the mat at the Freestyle State Tournament en route to a gold medal finish, and landed with runner-up honors at Northeast Regionals. Dixon is currently ranked 3rd on our 2028 Girls Big Board.
Michaela Thomas (Iroquois) - JR 155 LBS: Thomas comes back to the Fargo Dome after making the blood round a year ago. Since her 4-2 showing at Fargo she placed 7th at Super 32 with some superb wins, including Brooklyn McKinney (Oklahoma). Thomas recently won a NYSPHSAA state title and now finds herself ranked 23rd in the country at 170 lbs. She will look to get back on track after falling short of a placement match at the Freestyle State Tournament.

Keep An Eye On

Ana Carolina Lockard (Brooklyn Tech) - JR 145 LBS
Jasmine Brucato (Alexander) - 16U 95 LBS
Noli Paddock (Chautauqua Lake) - 16U 135 LBS
Teagan McGuinness (Union-Endicott) - JR 170 LBS
Isabella Phelps (Sidney) - 16U 115 lbs
Lilly Blenk (Rocky Point) - 16U 130 LBS
Maia DeLaCruz (Shaker) - JR 120 LBS
Keishara Tulloch (Uniondale) - JR 155 LBS‍