It was a dominant weekend for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club women, as three of their four wrestlers came away with titles at USA Wrestling’s Women’s Freestyle Open held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two of the HWC’s champions will advance to the Final X series, which is the final step in the qualification process for the World Team berth.
Claiming titles and a spot in Final X was Alli Ragan (59 kg) and Forrest Molinari (65 kg). It will be the second straight Final X appearance for both wrestlers as both wrestlers claimed titles last summer at the event. Ragan ended up not being able to compete at the World Championships, but Molinari eventually went on to place fifth at the World tournament.
The final HWC wrestler capturing gold was Kayla Miracle who won her title at 62 kg. It was Miracle’s third straight US Open title and the reigning National Team member will continue her quest to make the Senior World Team next month at the World Team Trials. Miracle was second in the 2018 qualifying process.
Three other wrestlers will Iowa ties also competed this weekend in Vegas and those three also managed to come away with hardware and with that the opportunity to compete at the World Team Trials. Wrestling at 59 kg was HWC’s Lauren Louive, who finished fourth, and former Iowa prep Megan Black, who finished fifth. The duo squared off in the consolation semifinals, with Louive taking the match.
Also placing this weekend was another former Iowa prep standout, Rachel Watters who finished fifth at 72 kg. Watters has represented the U.S. five times on the youth level, and is seeking her first Senior World Team.
2019 SENIOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE U.S. OPEN
at South Point Hotel and Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
Finals results
50 kg
1st – Whitney Conder (Army WCAP) dec. Erin Golston (NYAC), 7-0
3rd – Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids) fall Haley Augello (Sunkist Kids), 0:24
5th – Amy Fearnside (TMWC) dec. Emily Shilson (TMWC), 12-3
7th – Alleida Martinez (TMWC) dec. Maria Vidales (Lions Wrestling Club), 8-0
53 kg
1st – Tiare Ikei (EAP) TF Katherine Shai (TMWC), 14-4
3rd – Gracie Figueroa (TMWC) win by forfeit Cody Pfau (TMWC)
5th – Peyton Prussin (Valkyrie) dec. Marissa Ritchie (Team JGold), 10-6
7th – Madison Angelito (Univ. of the Cumberlands) TF Kierstien Bush (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), 10-0
55 kg
1st – Jacarra Winchester (TMWC) TF Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP), 10-0
3rd – Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids) TF Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids), 10-0
5th – Shauna Isbell-Kemp (TMWC) dec. Alexandra Hedrick (TMWC), 4-3
7th – Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids) win by injury default Samantha Klingel (Army/WCAP)
57 kg
1st – Becka Leathers (TMWC) dec. Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP), 7-5
3rd – Cameron Guerin (TMWC) fall Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids), 0:57
5th – Allison Petix (Team Tornado) dec. Koral Sugiyama (Campbellsville Univ.), 8-8
7th – Dajan Treder (Univ. of Providence) TF Sierra Brown-Ton (Colorado Mesa), 12-2
59 kg
1st – Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids) TF Abigail Nette (Lion WC), 10-0
3rd – Lauren Mason (Burnaby Mountain WC) dec. Lauren Louive (NYAC), 2-2
5th – Megan Black (TMWC) fall Maya Porter (Journeymen WC), 1:52
7th – Daishea Jaime (Aries WC/OKRTC) TF Alayna Swilley (SWOCC), 10-0
62 kg
1st – Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) TF Desiree Zavala (Team Takedown), 10-0
3rd -Alexis Porter (NYAC) win by injury default Brenda Reyna (TMWC)
5th – Alexandria Liles (Army/WCAP) fall Amber Strong (Colorado Mesa), 1:22
7th – Natalia Hinojo (Aries WC/OKRTC) win by forfeit Bridgette Duty (Univ. of Cumberlands)
65 kg
1st – Forrest Molinari (TMWC) dec. Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids), 5-1
3rd – Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids) TF Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), 11-0
5th – Destiny Lyng (Aries WC/OKRTC) win by forfeit Julia Salata (NYAC)
7th – Gabrielle Garcia (Pounders) fall Melissa Jacobs N (Minnesota Storm), 1:56
68 kg
1st – Randi Beltz (Army WCAP) dec. Jayden Laurent (TMWC), 10-1
3rd – Ashlynn Ortega (Team Tornado) dec. Kayla Marano (Lions WC), 6-1
5th – Skylar Grote (NYAC) TF Anna Naylor (Univ. of Cumberlands), 10-0
7th – Marilyn Garcia (Unattached) TF Ophelia Lara (Lions WC), 12-2
72 kg
1st – Alyvia Fiske (TMWC) dec. Victoria Francis (TMWC), 5-4
3rd – Iman Kazem (Menlo College) TF Lena Flanagan (Team Takedown), 13-2
5th – Rachel Watters (NYAC/OKRTC) win by forfeit Alexis Gomez (Gomez Wrestling)
7th – Dymond Guilford (Missouri Baptist) TF Myranda Velazquez (Jamestown Taz WC), 10-0
76 kg
1st – Precious Bell (unattached) df. Hannah Gladden (Lion WC), fall
3rd – Korinahe Bullock (TMWC) dec. Nahiela Magee (Army/WCAP), 4-4
5th – Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville) win by forfeit Paige Baynes (Wayland Baptist)
7th – Payton Rigert (Univ. of Cumberlands) win by injury Leilani Camargo-Naone (C4 Wrestling)