Six from Severance WC headed to Fargo: Bornhoft, Garcia, Carter, Wickam, Schultz and Gonzalez
- Jeremy Carter
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 14 hours ago
SEVERANCE, CO — In wrestling, there are tournaments, and then there’s Fargo.
Officially known as the USA Wrestling 16U & Junior National Championships, the weeklong event held in Fargo, North Dakota is the most prestigious amateur wrestling tournament in the country. Every July, the nation’s top high school talent descends on the Fargodome, chasing All-American honors, national titles, and in many cases, college attention that could change their athletic future.
This year, Severance Wrestling Club will see three of its athletes enter the tournament—Malia Bornhoft, Tatum Garcia, and Simon Carter—each of whom earned their spot through a grueling spring and summer slate of Greco-Roman and freestyle competition. Their styles are different, their stories unique, but they share one thing in common: they are legitimate threats to make noise on the biggest stage in youth wrestling.
Malia Bornhoft – 16U Girls Division (145 lbs)
At just 14 years old, Malia Bornhoft is the youngest of Severance’s Fargo qualifiers—but don’t mistake youth for inexperience. The incoming Severance High School freshman has already shown she’s got the motor, maturity, and mat IQ to compete with anyone in the country. And after a breakout spring capped by a state championship title, the 145-pounder is heading to Fargo with momentum—and confidence.
Bornhoft’s resume this season speaks volumes. She began her summer run at the Southern Plains Regional Championships—a key multi-state proving ground—and walked away with a 3rd-place medal, dispatching three opponents by fall or technical fall, including a final-period pin to claim bronze. She followed that performance with a commanding run at the 16U Girls Freestyle State Championship, scoring a lightning-fast fall in 38 seconds and winning a 10-7 decision over a seasoned opponent in the finals.
Malia’s physicality stands out. She’s explosive from neutral, calculated in transition, and possesses a calm aggression that belies her age. But what’s perhaps most remarkable is her leadership. Coaches describe her as one of the hardest-working and most positive wrestlers to ever enter the Severance room—a rising star whose presence will be a positive and uplifting force for the culture of the lady knights team for years to come.
Bornhoft helped lead the Severance Middle School Hawks during their strong 2024-25 campaign, emerging as both a tone-setter and a reliable competitor. Now, as she transitions to high school and takes her first shot at Fargo, she does so with an entire town behind her—and the potential to turn national heads.
Tatum Garcia – 16U Division (113 & 120 lbs)
If Fargo success is built in the offseason, then Tatum Garcia is already in midseason form.
After a 24-9 freshman year with the Severance High School varsity squad, Garcia doubled down—on the mat and in the weight room. And the results? Undeniable. Wrestling at both 113 and 120 pounds in the 16U division, Garcia has not only qualified for Fargo at both weights, he’s done so with a string of dominant performances that showcase a whole new level to his game.
At the Colorado National Team Qualifier, Garcia entered the 113-pound bracket—and put on a show. A tech fall in 21 seconds. A pin in 31. A pair of convincing decisions. First place, 113 pounds, and a Fargo bid secured. Then, just weeks later, he moved up to 120 for the COUSAW State Championships and collected three straight wins, including a 27-second pin and a gritty 7-4 semifinal victory, before falling in a hard-fought final to take 2nd place.
Garcia’s style is both relentless and refined. He pushes pace, controls ties, and has the horsepower to finish late in matches. But his success isn’t just physical - it’s mental. The offseason grind has forged a sharper edge, and he’s approaching Fargo not as a tourist, but as a contender.
With two qualified weights and a head of steam, Garcia’s biggest challenge might be choosing which bracket to dominate.
Simon Carter – Junior Division (100 & 106 lbs)
Few have wrestled a more ambitious offseason than Simon Carter. Following a stellar 31-8 freshman campaign, Carter wasted no time shifting into freestyle and Greco-Roman mode—entering national-level events, logging match after match, and establishing himself as one of the top Junior division competitors in the state.
The highlight? A Colorado State title in Greco-Roman at 100–106 pounds, where he dominated a three-match series against a top-ranked opponent with back-to-back tech falls. That title came on the heels of a pair of runner-up finishes in freestyle—one at the COUSAW State Championships and another at the Dual Team Qualifier, where he also won the 100-pound freestyle bracket with a clean run.
It’s not just his results—it’s who he’s faced. At the US Open in Las Vegas, Carter narrowly missed the freestyle podium, losing in the blood round, and his only losses being to the eventual third- and fourth-place finishers. In those matches, Carter showed he can hang with—and push—the nation’s best.
He now heads to Fargo qualified at both 100 and 106 pounds, bringing with him a rare combination of positional savvy, Greco explosiveness, and a relentless will to improve. For coaches and opponents alike, Carter is a tactical problem—and one with the potential to go deep in the bracket.
More Knights Marching to Fargo
While Bornhoft, Garcia, and Carter lead the charge, they’re not heading to Fargo alone. Severance Wrestling Club is sending a total of six athletes to this year’s National Championships—each with their own impressive journey and championship-caliber credentials.
Parker Wickam – 16U Division (126 lbs)
If there’s a name you don’t know yet—but should—it’s Parker Wickam.
Ranked among the Top 100 incoming freshmen in the nation and one of only two Coloradans on that list, Wickam is not just promising—he’s proven. He went undefeated in freestyle at the 16U National Duals, taking out nationally ranked opponents and anchoring Colorado’s success in the team competition. At the Southern Plains Regional Championships, Wickam cruised to a 1st place finish at 132 pounds, overpowering a deep field with pace, poise, and precision.
And he didn’t stop there. At the COUSAW State Championships, he did the double—first place in both freestyle and Greco at 132 pounds—showing versatility, control, and elite-level polish.
Wickam will enter the 126-pound bracket at Fargo armed with national-level experience and the kind of swagger that only comes from dominating everything in your path. He’s not just on the rise—he’s here.
Eila Shultz – Junior Girls Division (130 lbs)
Eila Shultz has already reached the top of the podium once—and she’s looking to do it again.
As a CHSAA state champion in her freshman season, Shultz burst onto the scene with aggressive offense and next-level instincts. Now entering her sophomore year at Severance High School, she’s one of the most decorated young women in Colorado wrestling—and her ceiling keeps rising.
Fargo offers the kind of challenge Shultz thrives on: elite talent, big moments, and no margin for error. She’s shown she can win when it matters most—and she’s aiming to do it on the national stage.
Alisa Gonzales – Junior Girls Division (170 lbs)
A mainstay in the Severance High School girls’ program, Alisa Gonzales brings toughness, experience, and steady leadership to the team heading to Fargo. She’s been a consistent contributor to the Lady Silver Knights, competing with grit and determination throughout the season.
Her journey reflects the deeper story behind Severance’s growth: a program built on development, community, and hard-nosed wrestling. Gonzales is part of the foundation—and she’s earned her shot to go head-to-head with the best in the country.
Six wrestlers. One club. One mission.
Fargo isn’t just about medals—it’s about measuring yourself against the very best. And for Bornhoft, Garcia, Carter, Wickam, Shultz, and Gonzales, that test is here.
Severance is more than ready.
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