Attica wrestler Aubrey Bartkowiak pins self doubt and captures USA Folkstyle title
LAFAYETTE — Attica junior Aubrey Bartkowiak didn't ask who she would shake hands with before wrestling Friday and Saturday at the USA Junior Folkstyle National Championship in West Des Moines, Iowa..
The less she knew about her opponents, the better.
"I didn’t expect anything," Bartkowiak said. "I just wanted mat time and the goal was to get better at wrestling. I didn’t expect anything out of it.”
Practice and college exposure became a weekend of signatures wins for Bartkowiak who was crowned the 235-pound USA Folkstyle national champion in Iowa.
"I couldn’t be where I am without my teammates and coaches and especially the people in our small town," Bartkowiak said. "Their support has been amazing.”
Bartkowiak wrestled loose. In the process, she took down and earned pinfall wins against each of her opponents who are nationally ranked wrestlers.
Her first match included a pin over Sandra Takara of Omaha in the second period and pinned Alexis Stinson from Liberty, Missouri who has 100 career high school wins.
Bartkowiak dominated again with a second period win over 2024 Illinois state champion Chloe Hoselton from Fairbury and a 57-second pin over Jayden Moehrle of Grain Valley, Missouri who placed second at her state meet.
Redemption was on the mind of Bartkowiak, the No. 1 235-pounder from Indiana who was pinned in the IHSAA semifinal round in Indianapolis in January before she took third at state.
Two months later? Bartkowiak is a national champion. No pressure.
"I knew I freaked myself out at state," Bartkowiak said. "I got in my head and here I was focused on just having fun. That’s what I’m doing. I'm having fun."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Attica wrestler Aubrey Bartkowiak wins wrestling national title
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