Fargo 2026: Which 16U Champions Are Coming Back to Defend?

The 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo crowned 50 champions across 16U Boys freestyle, 16U Boys Greco-Roman, and 16U Girls freestyle. Two months from Fargo 2026, the question every bracket watcher is asking: who is coming back to defend? The answer is more complicated than a roster check. The 2026 Fargo 16U division is restricted to wrestlers born in 2010-2011, a one-year shift from last year's 2009-2010 eligibility window. That means every finalist born in 2009 has aged out to Junior — and many of last summer's finalists are right on that boundary. We dug into the 2026 competition data to sort out who is defending, who has aged out, and where the titles are up for grabs.

The boys freestyle division produced some of the highest-rated champions in any division. Kooper Deputy of Pennsylvania won the 100-pound title and now carries a 2644 overall rating on a 120-2 record — the highest-rated boys freestyle champion. He is confirmed back at 16U. Chase Karenbauer, also of Pennsylvania, took the 113-pound crown and sits at 2615 with a 113-7 record. Camryn Howard of New York (157 lbs, 2574, 104-4) and Salah Tsarni of Maryland (175 lbs runner-up, 2531, 124-11) are among the highest-rated finalists still competing at 16U. At several weights, the runner-up now carries a higher rating than the champion: Tsarni's 2531 dwarfs champion Jayden O'Farrill's 2369 at 175, and Jason Dube of Pennsylvania (2462) has passed champion Greyson Music (2361) at 144. Colin Rutlin of Missouri (150 lbs champion, 2431, 113-14) is confirmed 16U and one of the busiest champions in any weight.

On the Greco-Roman side, Peter Mocco of Florida (190 lbs, 2530, 118-5) is the highest-rated Greco champion and confirmed 16U — a potential dominant force on the Greco mats. Diego Robertty of Iowa (106 lbs, 2474, 54-8), Gage Bjerga of Minnesota (132 lbs, 2421, 146-17), and Ryder Owen of Washington (120 lbs, 2378, 121-25) are all confirmed 16U with elite ratings. At 113 Greco, champion Kacen Jones of Utah (2112) faces a massive rating inversion: runner-up Zachary Donalson of Arkansas carries a 2447 rating on a 137-11 record, 335 points higher than the wrestler who beat him in last year's finals. At 126, runner-up Cooper Mathews of Colorado (2463) has passed champion Robert Ruscitti of Illinois (2377). Several Greco champions — Ivan Ivanov at 175 and Gage Ponton at 215 — are straddling 16U and Junior, leaving their titles potentially vacant.

The 16U Girls freestyle division features some of the most dominant returning champions in any division. Taina Fernandez of Maryland (135 lbs, 2672, 119-2) is the highest-rated returning champion across all 16U divisions — boys or girls — and is competing at both 16U and Junior. Hailey Delgado of Texas (105 lbs, 2623, 132-4) is confirmed 16U with just four losses all season. Kaili Manuel of Michigan (170 lbs, 2610, 43-1) and Marlee Solomon of Pennsylvania (115 lbs runner-up, 2653, 153-12) are also confirmed 16U. At 110, runner-up Aubree Gutierrez of California (2453) has passed champion Gabriella Conte (2416), and both are back at 16U. At 120, runner-up Marie Sharp of New Jersey (2552) has climbed well above champion Carolyn Geckler of Ohio (2451). Multiple girls weight classes — 145, 155, 190, 207, 235 — show no 2026 data for either finalist, leaving those brackets wide open.

The numbers paint a clear picture: of the 50 championships contested last July, roughly half have a confirmed returning champion at 16U. But a significant number of those returning champions are no longer the highest-rated wrestler who stood on the finals mat. The birth year cutoff shift from 2009-2010 to 2010-2011 has created a natural moment of upheaval, and the dual-division wrestlers — competing at both 16U and Junior — are a wildcard that will not resolve until entry lists are finalized. For coaches and parents scouting the 2026 Fargo brackets, the takeaway is simple: last year's placement tells you who earned it. This year's rating tells you who is ready to take it.