Rodriguez Wins 23U U.S. Marine Corps National Championship

Cristelle Rodriguez, a member of the Doane Women's Wrestling team and wrestling out of the Tiger Wrestling Club, continues to find success in 2025 after winning the NAIA National Championship at 124-lbs three weeks ago. On Saturday in Spokane, Washington, Rodriguez claimed another title as she won the 23U U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Women's Wrestling National Championship at 55-kg. Following the conclusion of the event, she was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet.

Action began on Friday with Rodriguez going 4-0 to advance to Saturday's best 2-of-3 championship round. The tournament began with a 10-0 victory in 33 seconds over Chloe Herrick, an NAIA national qualifier at 124-lbs this year for Missouri Baptist. In the second round, Rodriguez faced Annika Futch, a member of NCAA Division I Lehigh's (Pa.) wrestling club. She defeated Futch, 10-0, in 45 seconds.

In the quarterfinals, Ajayzee Zaballos stood across from Rodriguez. Zaballos was a 2024 NAIA All-American and a member of the Menlo (Calif.) national championship team. Rodriguez earned her third technical fall victory with a 10-0 win in 42 seconds. In the semifinals, she met Savannah Witt, a three-time high school state champion in Pennsylvania and the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the state at 118-lbs. As she had done all day, Rodriguez posted another 10-0 victory in 36 seconds.

Rodriguez rolled into the finals on Saturday, winning her four matches by a combined score of 40-0 in two minutes and 36 seconds of mat time. She would face Amani Jones in the best 2-of-3 finals. Jones went 3-0 with a first round bye, winning by a combined score of 27-0 in her three matches.

Jones is a two-time NCWWC champion at 124 from North Central (Ill.) and has won the past two USMC 23U Women's National Championships. Jones and Rodriguez are finalists for the USA Wrestling Women's Collegiate Wrestler of the Year award.

In the first match, Jones recorded the first takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Rodriguez followed with a takedown to tie the match and exposure points to take the lead, 5-2, after one period of action. In the second period, Rodriguez added four points only to have Jones counter with four points to bring the score to 9-6. Rodriguez added three more points before the period ended, posting a 12-6 victory.

In the second match, Rodriguez hit a four-point takedown 42 seconds into the match and would hold a 4-0 lead after three minutes of action. In the second period, Jones picked up a point for driving Rodriguez out-of-bounds and landed a takedown with 21 seconds remaining to pull within one point. Rodriguez quickly reversed the takedown and ran out the rest of the clock, posting a 5-3 victory to claim the championship.

For Rodriguez, it is her third straight USMC National Championship, winning back-to-back 20U titles in 2023 and 2024. Since September 2024, Rodriguez has won a 20U World Championship, an NAIA National Championship, was named the NAIA Wrestler of the Year for the second straight year, and now wins her first 23U National Championship.

Her next competition will be April 23-27 when she competes at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nevada.