Jun 30, 2026 By Jerin Steele 4 min read

Marlee Solomon conquered the state of Pennsylvania in girls wrestling twice.

Then she went to the USA Nationals and proved she’s one of the best in the country.

Now she’s ready to take on the world.

Solomon, who will be a senior at Canon-McMillan, will represent Team USA in the U20 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 9-12.

It’s the first of two world events she’ll participate in.

She’s also on the U.S. roster for the U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan from July 27 to August 2.

“I’m pretty excited to go,” Solomon said. “I’ve never been to Brazil or Azerbaijan, so it’s a really great opportunity for me. I’m grateful that wrestling has provided these opportunities for me.”

Mt. Lebanon’s Isla Silva also made the U.S roster for the U17 World Championships and will wrestle at 49 kgs.

Solomon earned her spot for both events during the USA National Championships in Spokane, Wash., in April.

She traveled there about a month after finishing off her second consecutive state title in Hershey.

At the USA National Championships, she placed second in the U20 55-kilogram finals and won the U17 53-kg championship to qualify.

“It was a really great experience,” Solomon said. “The U20 (result) wasn’t something I planned. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, because there were some really good girls in the bracket. Getting second was pretty good for me.

“I was really happy with the U17 win, because I had never made a world team before. It was my second year going to world team tryouts and I was really happy with the progress I made from getting third last year to getting first and a second in the older age bracket.”

At the U20 Pan-American games, almost every wrestler Solomon will face will be older than her. It’s a good test leading into the U17 World Championships, where she’ll wrestle against girls her own age.

“I’m really excited for it,” Solomon said. “I’ve wrestled some girls from Canada and Mexico that have come to the U.S. to train before going back and competing in their own countries, but other than that I’ve never really got a feel for wrestling against girls outside of the country. That’s why I’m looking forward to Brazil for the Pan-Am games before I go to the U17 Worlds, so it isn’t too much of a shock there.”

Along with making a pair of U.S. national teams, Solomon also made her college commitment in April. She committed to McKendree University, which is located in Lebanon, Ill., a suburb of St. Louis.

Most of McKendree’s athletic programs compete in NCAA Division II, and while it may not be a household name in many sports, it is a powerhouse in women’s wrestling.

The Bearcats beat Iowa last year for the NCAA women’s wrestling team title.

Solomon saw the talent McKendree had when she visited the school.

“I liked the environment a lot,” Solomon said. “In that room you have to sink or swim and that’s what I like about it. I wasn’t the best wrestler in that room and that’s one of the reasons I committed. I don’t want to be the best girl in there. You don’t get better that way. If your practice partner is better than you, that’s the best path to becoming the best.”

In the last couple months Solomon has competed in some dual events, most recently at the Women’s National Duals in Indiana June 17-20 where she went 6-0 with four tech falls, one pin and a decision.

Now she’s primed for step one of her two-part summer on the world stage.

“I’ve been training like normal and watching my diet a little bit,” Solomon said. “Just getting on track and focusing on my film. I’m trying to improve before the time comes for me to compete at these really important tournaments.”