Gilmer’s Taylor Schiesser continues to rack up wrestling accolades.
Schiesser, a Gilmer High junior, is now a five-time All-American in addition to being a national champion.
She earned the third All-American distinction of her career at the NHSCA High School Nationals March 24-26 in Virginia Beach, Va. She competed in the 235-pound division in a bracket of 32 wrestlers and placed fourth.
Schiesser then made her way to the Viper Pit Nationals Open April 1-2 where she was crowned a national champion. She won the 200-pound folkstyle title and also earned a runner-up finish in the freestyle portion of the event. Her placements added two more All-American honors to her resume.
“This means a lot because I know all of my hard work has finally paid off,” Schiesser said. “Instead of just competing at the high school level, this shows I can compete at the national level and do very well, too.”
At NHSCA, Schiesser pinned her first-round opponent in a mere 54 seconds. She then secured a 9-2 decision to advance to the semifinals against Maryland’s Kaylie Musard. Schiesser fell in the third period and was sent to the consolation bracket where she faced a pair from California.
Schiesser pinned Kyree Rubio before a 5-2 loss to Destiny Marquez in the consolation finals.
At the Viper Pit, Schiesser posted a 4-0 folkstyle record, and none of her first three matches lasted longer than 17 seconds. She got her fourth pin on the day versus Kiara Ganey in the finals, who is the No. 1 nationally ranked 225 pounder in the country.
During freestyle earlier in the day Schiesser went 8-1. Her eight victories set up the first finals meeting versus Ganey, who won, 10-0.
“I knew she was going to try and throw me if she could,” Schiesser said of her second match against Ganey. “I knew I had to get my ties on her and work my stuff first and be more aggressive. In our first match, I was really nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I was a little more prepared for our second match.”
Duals were held at the Viper Pit, and Schiesser teamed up with Charlie’s Angels. Schiesser posted a 6-0 record and helped Charlie’s Angels finish seventh out of 19 teams.
Gilmer’s Bregan Berry also attended the NHSCA event and competed in the junior division at 132 pounds. The full-loaded bracket contained 128 wrestlers, and he finished with a 3-2 record.
Berry started the tournament with a 6-1 victory before a loss by pin to the No. 2 seeded wrestler. In the consolation bracket, he secured a 6-2 decision versus South Carolina’s Carmine Keene. He then earned a 5-3 decision over Daniel Pierce of Pennsylvania.
Next up was Virginia’s Jayden Loveranes, and Berry was narrowly defeated, 6-5.