Canon-Mac’s Solomon aiming for trifecta at World Championships
Marlee Solomon has a sweet tooth, but she’s had to put aside any cravings while she’s traveled the globe the last couple of weeks for wrestling tournaments.
“I really like cake, but I want to win more,” Solomon said.
Lately winning has been a piece of cake for Solomon.
She won gold in her debut for Team USA at the U20 Pan-American Games in Brazil two weeks ago and followed that up by taking the girls junior freestyle national title in Fargo, N.D. last weekend.
Now Solomon will try to hit the trifecta.
Solomon, who will be a senior at Canon-McMillan, will compete at the U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event begins Monday, but the girls wrestling portion isn’t until Wednesday and runs through Friday.
Solomon is entered at 53 kg.
Mt Lebanon’s Isla Silva is also on the team. She’ll wrestle at 49 kg.
Solomon enters the World Championships with plenty of momentum.
She was the youngest competitor in her weight class at the Pan-Am Games, but blitzed through the competition.
A pin in 16 seconds got her out of the preliminary round and went on to outscore her opponents 31-0 on her way to gold.
She defeated Ariana Saenz Abanto of Peru via a 10-0 technical fall in the championship match to secure the 55 kg title.
“Even though the girls I wrestled were older than me, I did my best not to give them that edge,” Solomon said. “I feel like it doesn’t matter what age you are if you work just as hard then there’s no advantage to be had.
“I didn’t really know what to expect, because I had never wrestled internationally before, so it was nice to get (a pin in 16 seconds) to start. That showed me that my stuff was working pretty well.”
Following a quick trip home, it was back on a plane to Fargo, where Solomon earned a national title, which she had coveted for a long time.
She had been a runner-up in Fargo before, but never a champion and she’s glad she could add it to her ever-growing resume.
“It was a blessing,” Solomon said. “I had fallen short in that tournament for two years, so to win it was emotional for me. I always knew I had the skill to win it, but it was more of a mindset thing. I’m really proud of myself for strengthening my mindset to be able to win that tournament, especially because the bracket was super stacked. Going there after Pan-Am’s and going to Worlds right after seems like a lot, but I’m just really proud of myself to be able to do all of this.”
Solomon defeated Hailey Delgado of Texas by a 4-0 decision in the 120-pound championship. She hadn’t faced Delgado in the past but knew of her talents.
“In the world team trials (Delgado) got third place in my bracket, so I knew she was good,” Solomon said. “She had won Fargo before at a lighter weight class, so I guess I had a little bit of an advantage because I had wrestled at a heavier weight before. Honestly, I just think I wanted it more. I have been working really hard for it and have been doing a lot of things right, so I think that contributed to it. I just had to gain a lot more confidence, because being in a hard bracket with a bunch of other girls that want it, you can’t doubt yourself.”
Solomon said the U17 World Championships will be the toughest tournament she’s ever entered. She’s cutting weight to get to 53 kg, so no sweet treats this week, but she’s ready for the challenge that awaits.
“I’m really excited to represent my country and do my best to show who I am on the mat and have fun with it,” Solomon said. “It’s such a privilege to be there and compete. Making the team was really hard. It’s not something many girls get to do.”