Dreams are coming true for Piper Fowler on the wrestling mat.
Later this summer Fowler will proudly don the red, white and blue to represent the United States at the U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, from July 31-August 6.
The Cleveland High School sophomore claimed one of the 10 spots for Team USA this past weekend by winning her 160.9-pound bracket at the US Marine Corps Women’s Nationals held in Spokane, Washington. By doing so, she is the first girl in Tennessee history to win the tournament and earn a spot in the World Championships.
“It’s pretty awesome to accomplish something like this and to be able to do what I love at this level,” Fowler said. “I have dreams to be a four-time state champion in high school and one day hope to go to the Olympics. The only way I can make those things possible is by coming in the room ready to work every day. I am blessed to have the right people to train with and am surrounded by great people.”
Fowler has dominated the state scene from day one and even helped the Lady Blue Raiders win their first TSSAA traditional and dual state team titles in 2023.
She already has two TSSAA individual state championships and is 45-0 in her prep career with 44 of those wins coming by pin. Her head coach Josh Bosken — who was with her in Spokane and will accompany her to the World Championships this summer — says she is hands down the “best female wrestler in the Southeast”.
Fowler won all five of her matches at the USMC Women’s Nationals, which included a 10-2 and 5-1 victory over Michigan’s Mishell Rebisch — the country’s No. 3 wrestler at her weight class — in the best of three finals.
“This is the pinnacle of the sport for us,” Bosken said. “The age-level World Teams for USA are always something we have dreamed of having one of our wrestlers reach. What’s incredible is, Piper won the NHSCA national title three weeks ago and fractured her ankle in the final match.
“She hardly got any training in leading up to the World Championships. She was in a boot and just got it off (Sunday). She was still able to overcome and wrestle through that and accomplish a big dream of hers. She is really putting everything together.”
With the University of Iowa set to become the first Power Five school to offer a NCAA Division I women’s wrestling program in the 2023-24 season, many more well-known universities are expected to add the sport by the time Fowler is a senior in high school.
“If you look at Piper’s credentials and success to this point, she is the most decorated wrestler in Cleveland history already,” Bosken said. “She is the first to make a world team. That means you are the best there is. She is about to travel overseas and wrestle the best girls in the world.”
Now, Fowler will train with an even greater purpose to make her country proud.
“The emotions hit me after winning my final match Saturday and knowing I had secured my Team USA roster spot,” she said. “I am so thankful and appreciative to be in this spot and to have such a strong support system from my family to my coaches and wrestling partners.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Staff photo by Patrick MacCoon / Cleveland sophomore Piper Fowler became the first female wrestler in Tennessee history to make a Team USA wrestling roster. Fowler will take part in the U17 World Championships representing Team USA later this summer in Istanbul, Turkey.