Beat the Streets New York student-athletes shine at USA Wrestling National Championships

Nine BTSNY student-athletes claimed at least one victory at the tournament.

Twelve Beat the Streets New York student-athletes competed at the Junior and 16U USA Wrestling National Championships this past week at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

Nine BTSNY student-athletes claimed at least one victory in the tournament, which is regarded as the toughest high school competition in the country.

Xavier Giles (170 pounds) scored the most victories among BTSNY student-athletes with a 9-4 record as he competed in Junior Greco-Roman and freestyle. He had eight bonus-point wins, including six technical falls and two falls.

Eric Bocanegra Jr. (100) and Devone Bogie (160) also competed in Greco-Roman and freestyle, and each went 6-4. At U16, Bocanegra had three tech falls and one fall, while Bogie had five tech falls and one fall in the junior division.

Oumar Tounkara (100) had four tech falls in junior freestyle. Sulayman Bah (126) had a tech fall and fall, while Amir Avazov (138) had one tech fall. Bah will continue his wrestling career in the fall at Columbia University.

Firdavs Ahmadzoda (120) had one tech fall victory in 16U freestyle his first national tournament appearance.

Bilali Assounmanou (132, 16U Greco-Roman), Kimoni Giles (132, 16U freestyle) and Cristian Cruz (132, Junior Greco-Roman) also competed at the tournament.

BTSNY girls' results

Alessandra Elliott (144) and Isabella Lorenzana (225) each competed in junior women's freestyle.

Elliott, a 2021 16U national champion and 2022 junior All-American, went 3-2 with two victories by fall and one tech fall. Elliott will continue her wrestling career next fall at D'Youville University.

Lorenzana went 1-2 with a victory by fall in 36 seconds in her first national tournament showing.

Since being founded in 2005, Beat the Streets New York has pioneered a movement that now includes 150 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTSNY works to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and strengthen the New York City wrestling culture. We aim to make a lifelong impact on student-athletes through the lessons learned on the wrestling mat -- discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Discover how you can make a meaningful contribution to our work at btsny.org/donate.