Port Jervis wrestler Charlie Wylie takes home Fargo Nationals title

It’s been a transformational year for Port Jervis wrestler Charlie Wylie, all because she learned to accept change.

Standing only 4 foot, 11 inches, Wylie was always cutting weight trying to maintain 100 pounds for her matches. She proved successful for the most part but it wasn’t always comfortable.

“I finally went up,’’ she said, putting on 10 pounds in the last year. “I just started worrying about getting stronger and it was the best decision I’ve made. I’ve been wrestling so much better.’’

Since the end of the scholastic season, Wylie, 16, took second at the U.S. World Team trials – winning her first match in the best-of-3 finals before bowing out – and she placed third at the recent Pan American Championships in the Dominican Republic.

Last weekend she won the gold medal at 112 pounds at Fargo Nationals, avenging a 2023 quarterfinals setback to the same girl at 106: Wylie beat Kayla Batres of Connecticut 8-0 in the final.

“It means everything to me,’’ Wylie said, “because in all my other tournaments I’ve been coming up short. So to finally win this big of a high-school tournament it’s, like, crazy. It doesn’t feel real.’’

“She’s been knocking on the doorstep on the national scene for a long time,’’ Port Jervis coach Jon Foley said. “So for her to come home with this win hopefully it changes a lot of things for her.’’

Foley said Wylie is one of the hardest workers he knows: she gets up early, lifts weights and practices hard.

“She’s very goal driven when it comes to what she wants to do to meet her goals,’’ he said. “She doesn’t complain. It’s tough to get those kids that day in and day out they’re coming in to get better.’’

Wylie welcomed the hard work and even saw a sports psychologist to sharpen her mental approach.

“I would get in my own head and over-think everything,’’ Wylie said. “This year I was like you need to push through, ignore everything and just stay focused. I was 100 percent way more focused this year.’’

In the Fargo final, Wylie knew Batres would try to tie up her wrists, negating a major strength in her arsenal. She said all her hand fighting training prepared her well to seize control of the match.

The emotions came over her when the match was over. “It was literally the best feeling ever,’’ she said. “It was just knowing that all the hard work I put in since last year paid off.

Peruvian gold

Former Minisink teammates P.J. Duke and Zack Ryder each earned gold for Team USA at the Under-20 Pan American championships in Lima, Peru.

Duke, headed into his senior year, did not yield a single point in three wins at 70 kilograms. Ryder, who wrestled for a club team before headed to Penn State this fall, also blanked all four of his foes at 79 kilos.

More Fargo results

In the girls cadet division, Victoria Alvarado (5-3 record) placed sixth at 142 pounds; Sara Pauls (4-2) of Minisink Valley went out in the consolation round of 16 at 124 pounds; and, Jaida Macaluso (3-2) of Minisink went out in the conso round of eight at 136.

In the girls junior division, Brooke Tarshis (3-2) of Pine Bush went out in the conso round of 16 at 125 pounds; and, Patricia Deslandes (0-2) of Minisink bowed out in the conso round of 32 at 235.

In the boys cadet division, William Soto (8-3) of Newburgh placed sixth at 100 pounds. Marco Futia (3-2) of Wallkill went out in the conso round of 32 at 120 pounds and Elijah Brown (3-2) of Monroe-Woodbury did the same at 138. In the boys junior division, Cooper Merli (4-2) of Newburgh went out in the conso round of 16 at 113 pounds and Luke Satriano (2-2) of Valley Central bowed in the conso round of 32 at 132 pounds.

At the New York State high school championships in March, Soto won at 101 pounds, Merli won at 108 and Duke won at 160

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