Corynne McNulty wins third place at Fargo

The third Team Massachusetts woman to place twice

By AJ Traub

Corynne McNulty stands victorious on the Fargodome's main stage

Her back to the mat while trying for her final turn, Corynne McNulty thought about trying to get back to her feet. Instead, she put her energy into completing that move.

Because she knew this was her match.

After a run of intense rounds, Corynne McNulty put away her 130-pound third place bout in 42 seconds, earning a 10-0 technical fall over Ohio’s Abigail Mozden and giving Team Massachusetts a placer in the women’s tournaments at Fargo nationals.

She is the third representing Team Mass (after Jackie Dehney and Samantha Bertini) and third from the Bay State (after Marisol Nugent and Bertini) to place twice at Fargo.

“It means a lot being able to represent Massachusetts,” she said. “Coming to this tournament, I wanted to prove it to myself, but I also wanted to do it for all the people around me who supported me and helped me through this process.”

Corynne McNulty with her "stop sign" plaque

McNulty, a folkstyle national champion and Ironman winner, finished second place at 136 pounds in the Fargodome. Though she is still 16, the age cutoff put her into the junior women’s bracket rather than the 16U.

She had trouble trying to not mentally put pressure on herself to repeat last year’s result, and she knew this would be a harder bracket, but said she felt she was able to get into a groove as the tournament went on.

“I’m really happy for Corynne to take third and All-American in her first year in juniors,” said coach Joe Nugent, who has known and coached her since she was in fourth grade. “She works hard and is so dedicated to being the best that she can be. There is no limit to what she can achieve.”

McNulty started her tournament with a pin in 1:15. Then, she gritted out a 6-4 decision before winning 13-4 in the quarterfinals. She fell in the semifinals, but came back with a pin in 4:31 to make the third place bout.

“I think what made [the consi-semi] really challenging was it was right after my loss, and I was still trying to recover and focus, getting the better headspace for that match,” she said. “I knew what she was doing. I just knew I needed to keep my stance low, but I also wanted to wrestle and not focus on what she was doing.”

On the raised stage for her final battle, McNulty planned to keep moving because she didn’t expect she could get under her shorter adversary.

She wasted no time recording a takedown. Twisting her opponent, she racked up points in pairs. The last two were tougher, with McNulty needing a second effort for one of them and spending moments mid-turn on the last.

“I felt her hand lift up and I felt the opening, so I just knew I had to go straight to it,” said McNulty, of her quick move. “I tried for the bar. I couldn’t get it, and I knew I have a good lace… I put everything in to get that lace.

“The last one, I was really scared. I didn’t think I was going to get it because she was giving me good defense, but I knew I needed to get it done now.”

From McNulty’s home state community, her wrestling companions in New Jersey, and all her coaches, she wanted that podium achievement for them.

For her parents who spent time and money into her career, this was especially for them too.

“I really wanted to do this for them as well, and show them that everything they’re doing is for a reason and how grateful I am,” she said.

“This is my way of saying thank you.”

Corynne McNulty stands third on the podium