Skip to main content
Iowa

Harlee Hiller puts pin in first Fargo title, leads four Iowa commits

by: Tanner Lafever07/18/25TannerLafever
25 OP: FARGO: WF: DAY 2: FINALS
In her final Fargo appearance, Harlee Hiller won her first Fargo title with a pin in the championship bout at 115 pounds. (Photo Credit: © 2025 Tony Rotundo/WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

The Gargantuan endeavor that is USMC Junior Nationals may not be over just yet, but action has wrapped up for a quartet of Iowa wrestling commits who were among the thousands of participants competing this week at the event affectionately known as ‘Fargo.’

Three of those four future Hawkeyes finished on the podium, which is nothing to scoff at for a prestigious tournament. But when one considers the sheer scale of this event – necessitating that brackets oftentimes began with ‘Round of 128’ or even ‘Round of 256’ matches – it’s even more impressive for any athlete to navigate their way to an All-American (top eight) finish.

But these weren’t merely podium finishes either. In fact, all three wrestlers placed fourth or better in their respective brackets – headlined by one Junior National Champion:

Harlee Hiller’s title at 115 pounds was accompanied by fellow 2025 Iowa women’s signee Libby Dix’s fourth-place finish at 190. Meanwhile, on the men’s side it was 2026 Hawkeye pledge Michael Mocco leading the way – taking third in a hellacious bracket at 285.

Owen McMullen (DNP at 150) rounded out the foursome, who’ll return home with plenty of hardware after five long days of competition at the Fargodome.

Here’s more on how each of them fared, starting with the champ.

Harlee Hiller (IL) – 115lbs *1st place JR division*

Seeded first in her bracket, Harlee Hiller was no stranger to the Fargo stage entering the week.

The Evanston (IL) native – who joined Iowa’s 2025 class in early May – placed eighth, second and third in three previous trips. As a graduating senior, she had one final opportunity to win a coveted ‘stop sign.’ Needless to say, she took advantage of it – though not without plenty of drama along the way.

In her very first match of the tournament Hiller found herself in trouble after being thrown to her back. Upon escaping the danger, she’d respond with a first-period pin – followed by two more to wrap up Day 1.

More adversity came in the quarterfinals, as Hiller trailed a familiar Team Illinois face – #8 Angelina Gochis – 5-2 in the second period after a questionable sequence and failed challenge resulted in five points on the board for Gochis.

After a review didn’t go her way, Hiller responded with a pair of dogged go-behind finishes to regain the lead. But danger cropped up again in the final moments, with Hiller forced to utilize her elite upper-body prowess (she’s a five-time age-level Judo World team member) to fend off a match-deciding takedown.

With the win, a semifinal matchup with Wisconsin’s Taylor Whiting awaited – and boy did it deliver.

To set the stage, Hiller and Whiting were well acquainted with each other, having met twice already this 2024-25 season. At Super 32 last fall, Whiting cruised to a 12-0 tech. fall victory. Then in April at U20 World Team Trials the two wrestled a 12-11 barnburner third-place bout with Whiting overcoming a six-point deficit and scoring the winning takedown in the final moments.

Entering Fargo, Whiting was ranked one spot ahead of Hiller in both the latest pound-for-pound (#22 vs. #23) and weight class rankings (#3 vs. #4 at 115 pounds) put out by USA Wrestling.

Things started poorly for the soon-to-be Hawkeye, who trailed 5-0 and was inches from giving up a step-out to extend the deficit. But a four-point throw on the edge pulled Hiller right back into the match prior to intermission.

Halfway through the second the score remained 5-4 until Hiller countered a Whiting shot with two beautiful exposures – emerging from the sequence with an 8-6 lead of her own. But a pair of subsequent Whiting takedowns flipped things back in her favor with short time remaining.

And then this happened:

Hiller’s dramatic, last-second score advanced her to the Fargo final, and she wouldn’t let it go to waste.

Standing opposite the incoming Iowa freshman was #2 seed Mackenzie Carder (OH). To that point, Carder had teched or pinned all six of her Fargo opponents to reach the championship stage.

Both the bonus and winning streaks would come to an end, however, as Hiller used a pair upper-body moves to take Carder to her back – the second of which she’d secure for the fall and her first Fargo title:

There really isn’t a much better way to conclude your high school career. And now, Hiller will arrive in Iowa City riding high and ready to take on the next challenge – which will include a practice room loaded with elite teammates to test her every single day.

Michael Mocco (FL) – 285lbs *3rd place JR division*

Iowa’s next highest placer was future heavyweight Michael Mocco.

The 2026 commit was looking for the third Fargo title of his young career after doubling up two years ago in the 16U division.

Standing in his way was a heavyweight field chock full of top talent.

Through four bouts that was of little consequence, as Mocco (seeded third) breezed past his competition. The Florida prep didn’t allow a single point while racking up a pin and three tech. falls – the last of which came against Jacob Levy, a 2023 16U Fargo champ himself.

Levy – ranked #9 nationally at heavyweight and headed to North Carolina this fall – had no chance, to put it mildly. The win also set up a juicy semifinal, and a potential future Cy-Hawk rivalry preview to boot:

Mocco and his opponent – California prep Coby Merrill – had met as recently as U20 World Team Trials in late May, where Merrill thoroughly controlled a 9-0 decision. Their latest encounter played out far differently, though the result was ultimately the same.

With 90 seconds to go Mocco held a 4-1 lead thanks to a trio of slick single legs that led to points:

Meanwhile, Merrill hadn’t sniffed an attack of his own, appearing content to hand fight and hang on Mocco’s head.

That persistence would pay off, however.

With 0:41 to go and the score 4-2, a tiring Mocco was cautioned for intentionally grounding himself on the edge of the mat. Two-and-a-half minutes later, following an officials’ conference plus what appeared to be concussion protocol testing for Mocco, the future Hawkeye was put down in par terre upon restart.

Merrill took full advantage, hitting a trio of gut wrenches to take a 9-4 lead that would stand up as the winning margin – all of it without scoring a single takedown.

Having fallen short of the final, Mocco responded with a pair of impressive wins on the backside. First, he teched fourth-ranked Lehigh commit Dean Bechtold, 10-0. And in his third-place bout he defeated 11th-ranked Mark Effendian – a 2026 Princeton pledge – via 5-2 decision.

His 2024-25 season now officially over, Mocco will have one more year to grow both technically and physically (he weighed in at 233.8 pounds this week) before he officially joins the Iowa men’s program.

Libby Dix (IA) – 190lbs *4th place JR division*

Ranked #5 in the country at 190 pounds in the latest high school rankings, Libby Dix was unseeded entering her first ever Fargo appearance.

How do those two things jive? Well, it’s because Fargo is a freestyle tournament – a style Dix had almost never competed in previously because of her multi-sport exploits at Mount Vernon.

And so, Iowa’s latest (and likely final) 2025 women’s recruit embarked on unfamiliar territory this week. As it turns out, she’d navigate the terrain pretty darn successfully.

(Photo Credit: Allyson Schwab/Strandberg Design)

Even so, Dix’s semifinal run was almost over as soon as it began.

1:30 into her opening bout against #4 seed Caroline Hattala the incoming Iowa freshman trailed 9-0 – one point from a technical fall defeat. But the 18-year-old kept her composure, countering and pinning Hattala with just four seconds left in the first period.

Bout two wasn’t as nervy. Dix hit a beautiful lateral drop for four points, and later a fireman’s carry that she converted into her second pin in as many matches. She teched her final opponent of the day (13-2) to punch her quarterfinal ticket.

In the quarters, an early four-point deficit to the #5 seed was of little deterrent for Dix – who responded with a pair of takedowns, locking up a cradle for the latter to secure the fall.

Her first/only championship run at Fargo would end in the semis, falling to eventual champion Mahalia Adams via 12-4 decision.

A clutch late score in the consolation semis earned Dix her third victory over a top six seed. And in the third-place bout she was thrown and pinned by reigning 16U champ (and #1 seed) Brooke Huffman.

All told, an impressive performance for the freestyle novice, who’ll be intriguing to watch develop as a full-time freestyler/Hawkeye.

Owen McMullen (PA) – 150lbs *DNP*

Iowa’s fourth Fargo competitor was also the first among them to commit to the Hawkeyes.

Owen McMullen entered Fargo as the #23 seed at 150 pounds – still seeking to make up for lost time after an injury cost him his 2024-25 high school season.

And after steamrolling through two matches (11-0 and 10-0) – including several mean head-pinches – a Round of 16 berth seemed probable.

McMullen held a 3-1 lead over #10 seed Brandon Dean midway through the second period. But with McMullen on the activity clock, Dean locked up a cradle from the front headlock position and racked up seven points during a prolonged sequence that completely swung the match.

Dean would then advance as far as the semifinals, where he’d lose a one-point bout.

McMullen, on the other hand, would drop to the consolations. There, he’d fall into an early 6-0 hole against nationally ranked Bentley Sly. And after clawing back to within a single point he was pinned with 0:47 left to end his Fargo run.

A senior season at Bishop McCort High School now awaits. We’ll see how much he can continue improving each month/match removed from his original injury.

You may also like