Erin Delling almost saw her first trip to Fargo end early.
However, a win on criteria would ultimately spark the Parkway Central wrestlers to All-American honors at the 16U U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals.
The sophomore-to-be at Parkway Central reached the quarterfinals, where she lost to the eventual national champion in Taina Fernandez from Maryland. The two wrestled at Super 32 last year and Fernandez won that match as well.
“I knew she was going to win juniors and I knew she was going to win the 16s,” Delling said. “It was just kind of nice to say I love to the champion.”
Delling rallied and eventually took fourth place.
She needed a win against Savannah Camarata from Louisiana to stay alive and got that with an 8-1 decision.
Delling opened Day 2 facing Meadow Mahlmesiter from Billings, Montana. Delling was up 5-1 after the first period but fell behind 9-5 early in the second period. Scoring six points in 14 seconds to regain the lead.
Mahlmeister got it tied with 3 seconds left at 11-11, but Delling secured the win and stayed alive.
“I threw a head-and-arm and that is not my move, but I threw it and got four and ended up helping me to win the match on criteria,” said Delling, who went 47-8 this season for the Colts during the high school season.
The close win sent Delling into the blood-round match. She prevailed with a 9-5 decision over Brooke Deter from Utah.
All of Delling’s points came in the final 32 seconds, overcoming a deficit and earning a trip to the medal stand.
“I think my attitude afterwards didn’t even change at all after the loss against Fernandez,” she said. “I think it kind of got better after I lost to her, for some reason. I was nervous, obviously. I will train harder and the next time I see her, hopefully I’ll do better. But I just just the attitude afterward was different.”
Delling got a pin in 3:02 against Avery Fitzgerald from Texas in the consolation semifinals, leading 7-0 in the second period when the fall happened.
A medical forfeit against Oregon’s Paisley Morrison sent Delling into the third-place match. Delling lost by a pin against Chloe Wehry from Minnesota.
The match was tied 4-4 early in the second period before the fourth-place finisher at 130 pounds in Minnesota high school season got the pin late.
“I was honestly just hoping that I wasn’t going to go 0-2,” Delling said. “So I was really nervous, but with the coaching staff at camp was like, ‘you’re going to do great,’ then actually being able to do something that I know I can do and I did. It was just so self-reassuring that I proved to myself what I think about myself as a wrestler, I am.”
A first-time participant, she admitted she was a little overwhelmed being in the Fargodome. She said having her parents there helped, as well as familiar faces from Purler Wrestling Academy.
Coach Tanner Irwin from Purler helped do a little pre-scouting on opponents for Delling, which she said made a big difference when knowing what to defend.
She returned to the gym a day after returning from North Dakota.
“I don’t think it has seriously hit me yet that I’m an All-American,” she said. “Obviously, I’m super excited and I’m proud of it.”
