- September 7, 2024
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Christina Borgmann and Mariah Mills have proven they are among the top high school girls wrestlers in the nation. Now they’ll get the chance to show what they can do on the international stage.
They both have been invited to wrestle for Team USA in the International School Sports Federation’s World School Sports Games in Manama, Bahrain this October.
On July 13-14, the two rising seniors competed in the 2024 U.S. Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals at Fargo, North Dakota, the world’s largest freestyle high school wrestling tournament with nearly 7,000 wrestlers competing.
Borgmann placed sixth in the Junior Women 130-pound class, achieving All-American honors. The Flagler Palm Coast High School rising senior won six of eight matches in the tournament, advancing to the consolation semifinals.
Borgmann entered the bracket as the No. 9 seed. Advancing as far she did was quite an accomplishment, FPC coach David Bossardet said.
“This is the tournament you want to win if you’re a high school athlete,” Bossardet said. “It’s the biggest and toughest tournament there is for high school kids.”
Borgmann was one of four FPC girls wrestlers who competed in the tournament. Joslyn Johnson, Alexa Calidonio and Alisha Vilar were the others. Bossardet did not make the trip to Fargo, instead staying home to lead Flagler Wrestling Club practices.
“Christina texted me five minutes after her last match,” Bossardet said. “She said she wasn’t satisfied. She wants to win every tournament. That’s what I like about her. I’m proud of the way she competed.”
Mills, who lives in Ormond Beach and competed at Matanzas High the past three seasons, went 4-2 in the Junior Women 115-pound class. Mills, who defeated three state champions in her bracket, was also disappointed with her final result.
Mills, however, is currently wrestling without a club team. She does not have much experience in freestyle wrestling and entered the tournament unseeded but defeated three seeded wrestlers. She trained as a guest with a variety of teams and coaches to prepare for the tournament.
“She’s been practicing so hard, going to different places, and it really showed,” said her father, Abe Mills.
She wrestled on the beach with former Matanzas coach Mike Fries and some of her former teammates. She traveled to Orlando, DeLand and FPC. Bossardet said Mills has been a positive addition to the FPC wrestling room when she’s there.
“When she’s around, she makes everyone better,” he said.
She went to practices at Lake Highland Prep in Orlando; drove with her mom to Venice, Florida, and back in one day for one practice; trained for a week at Wyoming Seminary Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. She was also invited to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes clinic where she trained with Jordan Burroughs, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist and six-time world champ in freestyle wrestling.
“It’s a sad situation that she didn’t have a home (base),” said Rachel Mills, Mariah’s mother. “But she didn’t sulk. She just took matters in her own hands. God opened so many doors for her. It’s pretty miraculous to see how many people reached out to her and helped her. She’s so resilient and just kept at it.”
Mariah Mills is now raising money for her trip to Bahrain. The fee for travel and competition is $2,800 and she is halfway there, Mariah posted on Facebook. Donations are accpeted on Venmo (@Abe-Mills), Cash App ($theabemills) and PayPal (@AbdullahMills).
Mills and FPC’s four wrestlers all competed with Team Florida at Fargo. FPC’s Johnson went 3-2 in the tournament, while Calidonio and Vilar were each 2-2.
