Bay County wrestlers aim for gold at Fargo national championships

Five Bay County wrestlers will compete in a tournament for the chance to be named a national championship and earn coveted All-American status.

Former Mosley and Arnold athlete Valarie Solorio, a two-time FHSAA state champion and already a national champion, said she is attacking training differently with the increase and diversity of competition at this year's U.S. Marine Corps Junior & 16U Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.

"During the regular season you have set hours during the week, but during the offseason with an event like this everything is up to you," said Solorio, who's a commitment to the University of Iowa. "You decide the extra hours, runs, lifts and practices while seeking out partners and coaches to help you."

Rising sophomore Tor'Rina Rushing made waves her freshman season at Mosley and is ready to see where she stands among the nation's best.

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"I am the only one who hasn't been up there but I am going for the experience and if I can do well I'll be very happy," Rushing said.

North Bay Haven's Bear Siegal is the veteran of the group as he will be competing in his fourth Fargo tournament. The rising junior said he practices three times a day and gets rest the few times he can.

"Every Sunday I hop in the hot tub for 30 minutes and it will be the (only) rest until next Sunday where I do it again," Siegal said.

Bozeman graduate Derrick Williams, who won a state championship in March, will compete in the 120-pound weight class in hopes of earning gold for a second time this year.

"I am not going in trying to place sixth, I am going to win the tournament and call myself a national champion," Williams said.

Rising senior Preston Neufeld is on his second trip to Fargo and can't stress enough the importance of strenuous practices.

"These are grueling hard-hitting practices where there is not a point where I am not dripped in sweat," Neufeld said. "We have faced the competition at Fargo and know that we have to put ourselves at a higher level and train at that level."

The tournament runs from July 12-20.

Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1 .

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County wrestlers aim for gold at Fargo national championships