Riley Rayome

BY: Matthew Ogle | VYPE

Junior Riley Rayome is gradually becoming a staple in a long line of acclaimed athletes at The Woodlands.

After taking gold at the UIL State Tournament last Winter, Rayome has subsequently set the stage for this season with style. This past weekend – her birthday weekend, no less – she won the Preseason National Tournament for USA Wrestling (115 weight class), and became the first TWHS student to earn the title of Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament.

Despite the precedent she’s already established, Rayome remains determined.

“I try to stay humble and realize that there are still things that I can accomplish,” she said. “I try to look at it as if I’m not done yet. There will always be someone better than me, so I just need to keep going. Once I accomplish something I just try to set a higher goal, which means I can’t let off the gas.”

Given the presence she has on the mat, it comes as no surprise that this junior Highlander will be the wrestling team’s captain in the upcoming season – a role she doesn’t take lightly.

“The pressure is high, but I do enjoy it,” said Rayome. “There’s a lot that comes with being a potential role model and setting an example for the team, but that’s part of what makes it fun. I like being able to have that control, and being able to say ‘I’ve done these things, I’ve been places’.”

“It also helps me to improve my leadership skills. I just enjoy helping people see what this sport can bring them, in order to help them see out their own visions.”

Considering her father, Jeffery Rayome, is her wrestling coach at The Woodlands, it’s not hard to see where Riley got her dedication to the sport from – dating all the way back when she started in second grade.

Riley Rayome with her father, Coach Jeffery RayomePhoto provided by Riley Rayome

“He (Rayome’s father) is the reason I started wrestling,” she said. “I would watch his practices as a kid, and seeing his passion made me want to go into it. Now that he’s my high school coach, I love having him in my corner. It makes me feel like I have a lot of trust in my matches, because I know that I’ll have the best person possible backing me up.”

BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING

Many of the nation’s best girls high school wrestlers came out to test themselves at the Brian Keck Memorial Preseason Nationals. While a number of weight classes were won by well-established national stars, some of the champions used this event to make a name for themselves.

The Outstanding Wrestler was Texas star Riley Rayome of JfloTrained, who defeated Kaura Coles of Montana, 11-4 in the 115-pound finals. Rayome broke open a competitive match with some great wrestling, especially on the mat. Rayome came into Des Moines with a No. 7 national ranking, while Coles was at No. 6. It was one of the most competitive weight classes in the tournament.

One of the top wrestlers in the field, No. 2 nationally ranked Eduarda Rodrigues of California, powered through her 155-pound bracket with pins in all five of her matches. She wrapped up the title with a fall over No. 19 Kaylee Davis of Prodigy Wrestling of Oklahoma in 2:56.

The 170-pound finals featured a pair of elite stars, with Iowan Naomi Simon of the Iowa City WC, ranked No. 2 at 170 pounds, against Illinois’ Valerie Hamilton of SOT-C, who is No. 1 at 135 pounds and jumped up for this event. Although Hamilton was able to turn Simon for back points, it was Simon who controlled most of the positions on the way to a 6-3 win.

While the tournament was loaded with nationally ranked high school girls, and most of the champions were high in the rankings, two of the individual champions came to Des Moines unranked, 130-pound winner Riley Hanrahan of Team Nazar Training Center in Wisconsin and 190-pound wrestler Libby Dix of Iowa.

Hanrahan stopped No. 11 ranked Lilyana Balderas of the Sunkist Kids Monster Garage in the finals with a pin in 5:44. Hanrahan beat No. 8 Briney Rueb, No. 30 Chloe Sanders and No. 4 Samantha Sachs on the way to the finals.

Dix scored a 4-0 decision in the finals against No. 6 Mariah Brumley of Lebanon Yellowjackets of Missouri. Her first win in the tournament was over No. 2 ranked Tirza Twoteeth of Montana, by pin in 5:13. Dix won her first three matches by pin.

The first two matches of the finals finished with pins, as No. 3 Katey Valdez of Betterman Elite Wrestling of Colorado (100) and No. 5 Gabrielle Tedesco of Lake Gibson High in Florida (105).

Valdez pinned Jubilee Rendon of Team Xtreme in Texas in 40 seconds, and Tedesco, a 2023 Junior Nationals champion, pinned Athea Valenzuela of Arizona in 1:42.

At 110 pounds, No. 24 Ava Peters of Aviators needed sudden victory to defeat Alicia Serratos of Wolf Pack WC in California, 9-7.

No. 6 Sierra Chiesa of Bad Karma WC of Pennsylvania was powerful in her victory at 120 pounds, holding a strong lead before pinning No. 5 Lexie Lopez of Victory WC of Colorado.

No. 9 Kaylyn Harrill of The Best Wrestler in Nebraska opened up her offense in a 10-4 win over Brissa Bernal of Oklahoma, who competes for BullTrained Wrestling. Bernal, who has been nationally ranked in the past, is coming back after missing substantial time with injury.

Harrill will be competing in the U15 Pan American Championships later this fall.

No. 27 Emma Chacon of Arizona stopped Iowa’s Isabella Miller of Big Game WC in a competitive final at 135 pounds, by a 5-2 margin.

Taking the 140-pound title was No. 11 Cassandra Gonzales of Minnesota Elite WC, who shut out No. 16 Gianna DiBenedetto of the Swamp Monsters WC of California. Also winning by a shutout was No. 3 Gretchen Donally of Montana, who stopped No. 23 Mackenzie Pratt of Illinois, 7-0.

In a battle of nationally ranked athletes at 235 pounds, No. 12 Mia Cienega of the Ascend Wrestling Academy controlled No. 6 Chloe Hoselton of SOT-C, 5-2.

BRIAN KECK PRESEASON NATIONALS

At Des Moines, Iowa, October 29, 2023

9th-12th Grade Girls results

100 pounds

1st – Katey Valdez (Betterman Elite Wrestling) won by fall over Jubilee Rendon (Team Xtreme Wrestling) (Fall 0:40)

3rd – Zurri Zamora (Texas) won by fall over Brianne Graves (Ohio) (Fall 3:22)

5th – Katie Biscoglia (Ubasa Wrestling Academy) won by fall over Mia Navarro (California) (Fall 2:38)

7th – Mya Hairston (Thoroughbred Wrestling Academy (TWA)) won by decision over Abigail Mendoza (Texas Style Wrestling Club) (Dec 8-2)

105 pounds

1st – Gabriele Tedesco (Lake Gibson High School Wrestling) won by fall over Athea Valenzuela (Arizona Girls Wrestling) (Fall 1:42)

3rd – Elizabeth Valenzuela Smith (Arizona Girls Wrestling) won by decision over Jazmine Turner (Grace M Davis High School Wrestling) (Dec 6-1)

5th – Kendall Moe (Contenders Wrestling Academy) won by decision over Sloane Kruger (Mat Demon Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-2)

7th – Layla Phillips (Immortal Athletics WC) won by fall over Payton Thiele (The Best Wrestler) (Fall 0:47)

110 pounds

1st – Ava Peters (Aviators Wrestling) won in sudden victory – 1 over Alicia Serratos (Wolf Pack WC) (SV-1 9-7)

3rd – Sophia Shultz (The Best Wrestler) won by fall over Sofia Ferran (Golden Bears Wrestling Club) (Fall 5:00)

5th Place Match

Madison Heinzer (Daniel Cormier Wrestling Club) won by decision over Madilyn Enterline (Bad Karma Wrestling Club) (Dec 6-2)

7th Place Match

Cheyenne Frank (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club) won by fall over Abigail Gindele (Pursuit Wrestling Minnesota) (Fall 0:30)

115 pounds

1st – Riley Rayome (Jflo Trained) won by decision over Kaura Coles (Montana) (Dec 11-4)

3rd – Gigi Bragg (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club) won by decision over Lindsey Lopez (Victory Wrestling Club – VTC) (Dec 4-1)

5th – Kamdyn Saulter (Summit Wrestling Academy) won by fall over Reanah Utterback (Sebolt Wrestling Academy) (Fall 0:58)

7th – Bk Martinez (Ayala High School Wrestling) won by fall over Tessa Urias (ReZults Wrestling) (Fall 2:28)

120 pounds

1st – Sierra Chiesa (Bad Karma Wrestling Club) won by fall over Lexie Lopez (Victory Wrestling Club – VTC) (Fall 5:41)

3rd – Kailey Benson (Missouri) won by major decision over Aiyana Perkins (Oklahoma) (Maj 12-0)

5th – Kylee Kurszewski (Neenah Wrestling) won by decision over Izzy LeVine (Arizona Girls Wrestling) (Dec 10-5)

7th – Ariella Dobin (Toss Em Up Wrestling Academy) won by fall over Madalyn Deiter (North Montana Wrestling Club) (Fall 4:53)

125 pounds

1st – Kaylyn Harrill (The Best Wrestler) won by decision over Brissa Bernal (BullTrained Wrestling) (Dec 10-4)

3rd – Ava Milliner (Heart and Pride Wrestling Club) won in sudden victory – 1 over Dealya Collins (Mineral Point Wrestling Club) (SV-1 11-9)

5th – Jamie Laswell (Arizona Girls Wrestling) won by decision over Lindsey Rywolt (South Side Wrestling Club) (Dec 3-0)

7th – Arianna Ruiz (Golden Bears Wrestling Club) won by fall over Kate Doughty (Lockdown Wrestling Club) (Fall 1:48)

130 pounds

1st – Riley Hanrahan (Team Nazar Training Center) won by fall over Lilyana Balderas (Sunkist Kids Monster Garage) (Fall 5:44)

3rd – Lynn Horn (Oklahoma) won by fall over Camille Rainey (Warrior Trained Wrestling) (Fall 1:52)

5th – Landri VonGonten (Legacy Wrestling Club) won by medical forfeit over Samantha Sachs (Legacy Wrestling Center) (MFF)

7th – Regan Rosseter (The Best Wrestler) won by decision over Chloe Sanders (Big Game Wrestling Club) (Dec 10-6)

135 pounds

1st – Emma Chacon (Arizona Girls Wrestling) won by decision over Isabella Miller (Big Game Wrestling Club) (Dec 5-2)

3rd – Taylor Colangelo (Lions Wrestling Club) won by decision over Lyniann Gusick (Sebolt Women Wrestling Academy) (Dec 3-0)

5th – Dulce Bocanegra (Warrior Trained Wrestling) won by decision over Margaret Buurma (Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club) (Dec 5-1)

7th – Makenzee Neal (Montana) won by fall over Faith Vondy (Victory Wrestling Club – VTC) (Fall 3:37)

140 pounds

1st – Cassandra Gonzales (MN Elite Wrestling Club) won by decision over Gianna DiBenedetto (Swamp Monsters Wrestling Club) (Dec 5-0)

3rd – Harlow Skenandore (Askren Wrestling Academy) won by decision over Audrey Levendusky (Tennessee) (Dec 4-1)

5th – Alex Maday (Swamp Monsters Wrestling Club) won by fall over Hayden Bratland (Ubasa Wrestling Academy) (Fall 4:02)

7th – Kayden Sipp (2 Tuff Gym Wrestling Club) won by decision over Alyssa Keane (Natural Athlete Wrestling Club) (Dec 8-2)

145 pounds

1st – Gretchen Donally (Montana) won by decision over Mackenzie Pratt (Illinois) (Dec 7-0)

3rd – Olivia Davis (Premier Wrestling Club) won by decision over Brijatte Garcia (Spartan Mat Club) (Dec 9-2)

5th – Alyona Rik (Florida) won by fall over Cadie Percy (Colorado) (Fall 0:29)

7th – Hadyn Stine (Best Trained Wrestling) won by medical forfeit over Ciara Riner (West Virginia) (MFF)

155 pounds

1st – Eduarda Rodrigues (Team Thunder Wrestling Club) won by fall over Kaylee Davis (Prodigy Wrestling) (Fall 2:56)

3rd – Desza Munson (Betterman Elite Wrestling) won by decision over Haylee McGrew (Iowa) (Dec 4-0)

5th – Addeline Graser (Nebraska Wrestling Academy) won by fall over Emma Heaton (806 Elite Wrestling) (Fall 2:34)

7th – Grace Alagbo (Pinnacle Wrestling Club) won in sudden victory – 1 over Isabelle Olesen (Askren Wrestling Academy) (SV-1 6-4)

170 pounds

1st – Naomi Simon (Iowa City Wrestling Club) won by decision over Valerie Hamilton (SOT-C) (Dec 6-3)

3rd – KyLee Lindsley (Bozeman Wrestling Club) won by fall over Alison Evans (Betterman Elite Wrestling) (Fall 2:32)

5th – Alexandria Ray (Edmond North High School Wrestling) won by decision over Chloe Harris (Lawrence Elite Wrestling Club) (Dec 4-1)

7th – Sophia Bassino (Team Nazar Training Center) won by decision over Madison Ward (Midwest Xtreme Wrestling) (Dec 5-4)

190 pounds

1st – Libby Dix (Iowa) won by decision over Mariyah Brumley (Lebanon Yellowjacket Wrestling) (Dec 4-0)

3rd – Tirza Twoteeth (Kalispell Wrestling Club) won by fall over Juliana LeFort (Best Trained Wrestling) (Fall 3:56)

5th – Morgan Miller (Kansas) won by medical forfeit over Avey Mitchell (Texas) (MFF)

7th – Nicole Fernandez (Missouri) won by fall over Calise McCandless (Power Training Center) (Fall 3:48)

235 pounds

1st – Mia Cienega (Ascend Wrestling Academy) won by decision over Chloe Hoselton (SOT-C) (Dec 5-2)

3rd – Alexis Stinson (Victory Wrestling) won by fall over Kelbey Brewer (Darkhorse Wrestling Club) (Fall 1:36)

5th – Lorelei Hartman (Wolf Pack WC) won by fall over Ariana Chavez (Borger Youth Wrestling) (Fall 3:50)

7th – Caitlyn Sohm (Nebraska) won by fall over Reese Baxter (Ubasa Wrestling Academy) (Fall 2:38)