Nationals wrestling update: Clarke moves up a division, advances to semifinals
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – A Kelseyville High School wrestling star who this week won a national title is back on the mat and has scored another win.
Jasmin Clarke, 16, on Tuesday won the 2017 Women’s Freestyle Cadet Nationals title for the 200 pound weight class at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior and Cadet Nationals in North Dakota, as Lake County News has reported.
Clarke, her father John, Kelseyville High School teammate Alex Garcia and their coach Orlando Zarate made the trip this week to the tournament, the nation’s toughest for high school wrestlers, held at the FargoDome.
Garcia competed at the cadet level in Greco-Roman wrestling for the 140 pound weight class on Wednesday. He went 2-2 and did not place, Zarate said.
Clarke, a sophomore this past year, initially wrestled at the cadet level, which is for freshmen and sophomores.
However, thanks to her title win, Clarke was allowed to move up to the junior division, which is for juniors and seniors, and then moved into the 235-pound class, according to Zarate.
On Thursday she had her first match in the new division and weight class, Zarate said.
Zarate said Clarke beat Mariah Chanady from Illinois by a technical fall with the score 19-4 in the quarterfinals.
“She came out firing on all cylinders and got her takedowns early and even had two big throws for four points each,” Zarate said.
That win, said Zarate, puts Clarke in the semifinals.
Clarke will next wrestle Shamiia Wells from Tennessee in the semifinals on Friday, Zarate said.
If she's able to pull off that win, Zarate said Clarke will wrestle the winner of the match between Khadeja Ayers of New York and fellow California native Arianna Cabian of Pittsburg.
Footage of Clarke’s Thursday match isn’t yet available, but on Thursday USA Wrestling posted her previous matches at the cadet level.
Shown above is her second round match in the cadet division against Ryan Schlereth of Missouri. Clarke won the match – her quickest – with a pin in just 41 seconds.
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