Beat the Streets New York's Alessandra Elliott claims 5th place at nationals

The Tottenville rising senior earned All-American honors for a second straight year.

Alessandra Elliott claimed fifth place at 138 pounds in the junior division at USA Wrestling nationals Wednesday.

The Beat the Streets New York Academy member defeated Kryssceah Ravenelle of Rhode Island by forfeit in the fifth-place match at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

With her placement, Elliott earned All-American honors for a second straight year. She won the 138-pound title in the under-16 division in 2021.

The Tottenville (Staten Island) rising senior won her first five matches (three falls, two technical falls) to secure All-American honors.

Fellow BTSNY Academy member Beautiful Robinson went 2-2 at 122 pounds in her first nationals appearance. Both of her wins came by first-period fall.

BTSNY Academy members Angelina Caban (164), Shellby Luberisse (200) and Shamil Tavarez (180) also competed but dropped two bouts despite valiant efforts.

"What an incredible experience for all our BTS girls," BTS girls coach Becka Leathers said. "I'm happy for our seniors who got their first experience in the Fargodome and excited for the future from what I saw from our girls who will return next year. I'm proud of them all for representing BTSNY with leadership and respect."

BTSNY boys' results

Sulayman Bah (120), Xavier Giles (170) and Christian Solano (220) each picked up victories in freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Bah, an Academy member, had four wins in each style in the junior division: three tech falls and one fall in freestyle and four tech falls in Greco-Roman.

"Fargo was quite the experience, super tough tournament but helped me realize I can compete on the highest level with the best guys out there," Bah said. "I’m grateful for all my coaches and support I’ve received through the whole tournament and even before the tournament it was great to be apart of."

Giles, also in the junior division, recorded a fall in freestyle and a win by decision in Greco-Roman.

Solano, an Academy member, had two tech falls in freestyle then a fall and a tech fall in Greco-Roman in the U16 division.

Oumar Tounkara, an Academy member, (100) and Gus Harmon (126) competed in U16 and junior freestyle, respectively, but fell in two bouts. Academy members Davit Abjandadze (220), Botensky Bauzile (132) and Julian Szetela (170) each dropped two bouts in junior Greco-Roman.

"Our boys wrestled tough and dropped some close matches," BTSNY boys coach Barry Hart said. "Some calls went our way and others didn’t. Sulayman wrestled some of his best wrestling and I was proud of his effort. Overall, it was a good experience for everyone and we learned a lot. The focus going forward is to continue to develop the positive habits that will put us in a position to succeed."

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.