Keeping up with what I’ve written this week of the male competitors you would want to compete with, and those that you would not, here are 10 female Challenge competitors you want as a partner.

10. Theresa Gonzalez (Fresh Meat 2)

She’s had to compete with Ryan Kehoe and Jasmine Reynaud in the past. The one time early on that she got a good partner, Camila, they had to go up against Laurel/Cara Maria in elimination, the better versions of themselves. Her one time with a truly good partner, Wes, he was past his physical prime. Regardless, they won the most daily challenges during their time there, were most built to win a final, and only lacked male brute strength.

Theresa showed to be the perfect partner. At 5'7 with long legs, she complemented her male counterparts, had killed endurance and a great running stride. In the water, she was a top tier female swimmer, and was able to do a good amount of puzzles. If you want to win, especially in a final, Theresa is your girl.

9. Diem Brown (Fresh Meat 1)

She would sometimes let her nerves take over her when doing heights Challenges, and would occasionally be too controlling, but there aren’t a lot of competitors with more heart than Diem. On 3 pair Challenges, she finished 4th place twice, and 2nd place on the original Exes season. Her and CT made for a killer duo, her brain and his brawn.

Diem is a distance runner built for finals, she is quite intelligent and had puzzle skills, while being adept at balance, swimming, and core strength.

Who wouldn’t want Diem as a partner?

8. Rachel Robinson (RR Campus Crawl)

Rachel is one of the most physically dominating specimen in Challenge history. She’s a two time champion who can hold her own in multiple areas and facets of the competition.

However, Rachel plays the game a little dirty. Each season, she is always focused on herself more a bit, which could be good as her partner, but it also means that if they get in a Bananas/Sarah choice decision, she might choose herself.

Getting Rachel as a partner means you have a good chance of winning.

7. Cara Maria Sorbello (Fresh Meat 2)

The reason you want Cara Maria as a partner is that she will listen to you. Give her direction and she will do exactly what you say. She’s not a natural when it comes to the daily missions, she’s a horseback rider, she is not a natural sporty athlete. Cara Maria has the physical tools to be one though. If you need an alpha to lead you, Cara is not the person you want.

After Rivals 2, Cara has had a hunger to win more than any other female competitor, not named, Sarah Rice. She is a beast, built for finals, built for endurance, and can almost carry the weight of a male competitor at this point. Never forget the endurance mission on Bloodlines where she’s running down the hill with the weighted sack over her head.

6. Paula Meronek (RW Key West)

Two time Challenge champion, and winner of both same sex Rivals seasons. Paula was lucky enough to get paired with 2 out of the 3 greatest females ever cast onto the Challenge, Evelyn and Emily. Was Paula carried to those wins? No, she held her own as an individual and was at no point dead-weight. In certain portions and events she was even the better player.

Paula is 5'6 with good size. Her endurance is up there with the best females ever on the Challenge, probably top 3. She is generally good at daily challenges, not a ringer, but she does adequately in most. Paula is intelligent enough to do most puzzles, and possibly the best eater in Challenge history. During the Rivals 2 final for the bizarre buffet, Paula was downing the crickets and pickled fish juice like it was beer and peanuts. Her performance on the eating portion was the reason they beat Cooke & Cara in the final.

You’re looking to win a game and have a fun time, Paula Walnuts is your gal.

5. Sarah Rice (RW Brooklyn)

This girl has a long history of bad partners. From Vinny to Katelynn to Vinny again to Trishelle, and then you have her trash Underdogs team from the Ruins, and her terrible Brooklyn team on Battle of the Seasons, Sarah has played with some total crap in this game. Once she got good partners in Jordan and Bananas, she won the seasons. Now, is it fair that once she got good partners that she won, or would most average girls win with those guys. In my opinion, Sarah is an incredible partner and Challenge player. One of the best, with a passion for the game.

On Exes 2, many were not fans of her throwing in Bananas to the final elimination, but I applauded it. Sarah played both sides of the Wes/Bananas fenced, and toed the lines perfectly, knowing she was playing her own game. So often we see guys dominate the politics, with girls almost never involving themselves in coed seasons. Sarah proved she can play the game with them and beat them.

She has good size at 5'6, is one of the best swimmers in Challenge history, and is strong with puzzles. Just be ready to be reminded of it.

4. Heather Cooke (RW Las Vegas 2)

The intensity and ferociousness of Cooke on Rivals 2 from a rookie was scary, and attractive. Even rookies like Laurel and Emily were more focused on proving themselves physically, letting their veterans focus on the political side for them, while Cooke was playing to WIN.

Cooke was competitive throughout the season with Emily Schromm, and was able to compete on the same level with the cross-fit legend. They finished second in a final where they had the lead until a major swing during the eating portion of the competition.

She’s 5'8, able to lift, able to hookup with either sex, and an alpha who can lead. What else do you want? A cookie?

One negative about her is that she is overly harsh. Cara Maria was the best available partner in the cast for someone as physically fit as Cooke, yet she treated her like garbage. Imagine if she had gotten Jemmye or Jasmine?

3. Evelyn Smith (Fresh Meat 1)

In my opinion, Evelyn is the greatest female Challenge competitor ever. She’s competed at the level of other male competitors despite being only 5'3. Evelyn was a natural athlete with big muscles and crazy upper body strength. In terms of athleticism, she was a top tier swimmer, sprinter, endurance runner, lifter, and puzzle person. Getting Evelyn as your partner is the physical equivalent of getting Landon as your partner.

The reason why Evelyn is not first, is that she is a bit rough to work with. She makes it a point to be better than you, Ev would prefer beating her teammate (especially if it is a guy), more than she would actually want to win.

2. Laurel Stucky (Fresh Meat 2)

This one seems easy. Laurel is the most dominant female competitor in Challenge history. It took 10 eliminations for Laurel to falter and lose. When being partnered, she has finished in second place twice. First with Kenny on Fresh Meat 2, and then with Cara Maria on Rivals 1.

Kenny had a long history of not being good at daily missions, or at least being average. During FM2, he won more than half of the challenges because of Laurel, sweeping the game en-route to a final and destroying the Wes-Evelyn alliance that was running the game.

Laurel is selfish, and has decidedly not done a pair season since Rivals 1, since she hates the idea of sharing money with someone when she thinks she deserves a larger share.

1 Emily Schromm (RW DC)

You get the best of both worlds with Emily. Laurel and Evelyn are dominating partners, while Emily is physically dominating, she is more than willing to work with her teammate. Occasionally she will get alpha and shout-y, but that’s only when pushed up against a wall.

During Cutthroat, she was more than willing to go into elimination for her team and for her veteran, Jenn. On Exes 1, she was given Ty Ruff as her partner, also known as a flop. She took him and won 3 eliminations in order to make it to the final for a strong 3rd place finish.

Once she got a good partner in Paula for Rivals 2, they won 6/10 of the daily missions on the season, and won the final. If you want a partner, at the end of the day, it is Emily Schromm.