Women's freestyle preview for 2017 U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas

Olympian Elena Pirozhkova returns to the mat in Las Vegas this  weekend at 69 kg. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

The women’s freestyle field at the U.S. Senior Nationals in Las Vegas will feature many of the top stars from around the nation. This competition holds great weight in determining the World Team Trials field for April as the top-seven placers in each weight class will qualify for the Trials.

This weekend’s champions in the Olympic weight classes will earn the automatic No. 1 seed at the same weight for the World Team Trials. 55 kg and 60 kg World Team representatives Sarah Hildebrandt and Alli Ragan have already earned to top seed at those weights for the Trials with Ragan advancing to the best-of-three finals courtesy of winning a World silver medal last week.

The U.S. Senior Nationals will serve as the largest qualifier for the World Team Trials with 56 berths up for grabs.

Wrestling on Saturday will be the 60 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg and 75 kg weight classes, followed by 48 kg, 53 kg, 55 kg and 58 kg on Sunday. Action will begin at 9 a.m. (PT) both days. Flowrestling will be broadcasting every match from Las Vegas.

Based upon the pre-registration for this weekend’s event, several weight classes will be highly competitive with an added potential of late entries crashing the party.

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Cody Pfau, Brush, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)

With Olympian Haley Augello not expected to compete this weekend in Las Vegas, Olympic Trials runner-up Victoria Anthony holds the torch as the prohibitive favorite in the talent-filled 48 kg weight class.

Anthony has captured six medals during international competition this year, four of which were gold. In her most recent outing, Anthony grabbed a bronze medal at the always-tough Golden Grand Prix Final held in Baku, Azerbaijan. She was a four-time WCWA national champion for Simon Fraser.

Defending U.S. Open champion Cody Pfau will return to the field in search of her second U.S. Open crown. Pfau finished in fifth place at the 2015 Junior World Championships and is a two-time WCWA national champion.

In last year’s championship bout, Pfau defeated three-time Junior World medalist Erin Golston in spectacular fashion, picking up a come-from-behind pin while trailing by eight points.

Golston is another savvy veteran that has proven capable of standing atop the podium this weekend. Earlier this year, Golston defeated Pfau by technical fall to win the University Nationals, and owns bronze medals from the Dave Schultz Memorial International and Bill Farrell International.

The talented Doi twins, Marina and Regina, both placed at the U.S. Open last December and are back for more. Marina won a bronze medal at the 2014 Junior World Championships and is a WCWA national champion, while Regina brought home a silver medal from the 2013 Cadet Worlds.

Additional All-American threats not currently registered in the field are Olympic Trials fourth-place finisher Nicole Woody, 2014 University World silver medalist Amy Fearnside and three-time WCWA All-American Sarah Allen.

53 kg/116.5 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Michaela Hutchison, Lebanon, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC)

Olympic champion Helen Maroulis clearly holds the top spot at 53 kg stateside, but will not be competing in Las Vegas.

Three-time World Team member Whitney Conder is clearly established atop the 53-kg weight class in this field. She was runner-up to Maroulis at the Olympic Trials at 53 kg and finished in second-place at the 55 kg World Team Trials held last month. She owns a plethora of international medals including a Pan American Games gold from 2015, a Military World Championships silver from 2014 and a Junior World title from 2007.

Jacarra Winchester is a bright, young talent that is most likely to give Conder a run for the U.S. Open title. Winchester finished in third place at the 55 kg World Team Trials and won gold at the Canada Cup this year. She is a 2014 University World bronze medalist.

Veteran Deanna Betterman wound up in fourth place at the U.S. Open last year and finished in fourth at the 2016 World Team Trials at 55 kg. Betterman finished in fifth place at the World Championships in 2008 and 2009.

Although taking the past couple years off from active competition, Shauna Kemp-Isbell is registered and expected to compete well this weekend. She has placed at this event four times before and will add some depth to the field.

Several perennial contenders, including defending champion Michaela Hutchison, are not currently registered to compete this time around. Hutchison won this event last season with a gritty 3-0 decision over eventual Olympian Haley Augello. Hutchison finished in fourth place at the Olympic Trials in April.

Multiple time National Team member Katherine Shai could prove dangerous should she elect to compete. She has not posted any results since finishing in third place at the Olympic Trials.

Past WCWA All-American’s Cady Chessin, Samantha Klingel and Shelby Morrison are highly-touted prospects in this weight class, but it is uncertain if they will compete this weekend.

55 kg/121.25 lbs.
Weight not contested in 2016

After earning her way onto the U.S. World Team at 55 kg last month, Sarah Hildebrandt established herself as the woman to beat in the weight class. She is fresh off a 10th place finish at the World Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, last week and will not compete at the U.S. Open.

2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell has dropped down from 58 kg where she won the Olympic Trials over four-time World Team member Alli Ragan who just earned a World silver medal at 60 kg. Campbell has been quite active internationally since winning the Olympic Trials, but was unable to qualify the weight class for Rio. Campbell just returned from an international tour in Azerbaijan and Russia and is seeking her first U.S. Open title since 2010.

The top contender to Campbell appears to be 2014 U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Brieana Delgado. Delgado has seen mixed results in recent years, but does hold high-end potential as is evident by her University World bronze medal in 2014. She was a four-time WCWA All-American in college for Oklahoma City University.

Beyond Campbell and Delgado, the list of contenders is relatively unproven on the Senior level.

College star at Oklahoma City, Rachel Archer is on the upswing after earning silver medals at the Bill Farrell International and University Nationals this season. She has placed at the U.S. Open twice before and broke through to All-American at the WCWA Women’s College Nationals in 2016.

Simon Fraser sophomore Dominique Parrish has impressed with high finishes at the University Nationals and WCWA Nationals this year. In 2015, Parrish won the Junior Folkstyle Nationals and finished in third place at both the Junior Freestyle Nationals and Body Bar Nationals.

Kelli Rasmussen last wrestled at the U.S. Open back in April of 2008 where she earned a sixth-place finish. She has registered and will shoot for All-American honors again after a nearly decade-long hiatus.

Although not currently registered, King University’s Megan Black has garnered plenty of experience against high-level competition and could prove trouble if she enters the field. Black finished in third place at the University Nationals, on top of a runner-up finish at the WCWA Nationals this year.

58 kg/128 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Teshya Alo, Honolulu, Hawaii (Titan Mercury WC)

The top two finishers from the Olympic Trials at 58 kg, Kelsey Campbell and Alli Ragan, have moved out of this division for the time being, leaving the door open for one of several talented women to emerge as a national champion this weekend.

Missouri Valley product Randi Beltz finished in third place at the Olympic Trials behind Campbell and Ragan. On her road to third in Iowa City she defeated nearly all of this weekend’s top contenders at 58 kg. In her two international competitions since April, Beltz finished in seventh place at the Grand Prix of Spain and won a silver medal at the Canada Cup.

Two-time Junior World bronze medalist Kayla Miracle finished in fourth-place at the Olympic Trials after coming within a takedown of making the finals. Miracle has won nearly every major women’s tournament there is in the U.S. save the U.S. Open and Team Trials events. She is a two-time WCWA national champion for Campbellsville with two years of college eligibility remaining.

Junior World bronze medalist and WCWA national champion Becka Leathers will most certainly be in contention. In her last two international outings, Leathers won a gold medal at the Bill Farrell International and a silver medal at the Grand Prix of Spain. She also made the trip to Rio as the primary training partner for Olympian Haley Augello.

Finishing in second place to Leathers at the recent Bill Farrell International was Hawkeye Wrestling Club’s Lauren Louive. She wrestled collegiately at the University of the Cumberlands where she earned All-American status in 2013. Louive has placed in the top-eight four times at this event.

Veteran Trinity Griffin will be a force for the younger talents to handle at 58 kg. Griffin has placed as high as second at the U.S. Open since her return to active competition in 2014.

Defending champion Teshya Alo won the U.S. Open as a senior in high school last December, earning her a spot at the Olympic Trials. Following a disappointing Trials in April, Alo went on to win her sixth Fargo title in July. We have not seen Alo take the mat since the Junior Nationals. She is currently not registered to compete in Las Vegas.

60 kg/132.25 lbs.
Weight not contested in 2016

The U.S. just won a World silver medal at 60 kg courtesy of Alli Ragan’s phenomenal performance at the World Championships last week. Ragan will sit out of this week’s competition, leaving space for a handful of contenders to reestablish themselves as World Team threats.

This year’s University Nationals champion at 69 kg, Jennifer Page will make her return to a more natural weight class following the Olympic year. Page fell in the 63 kg finals to Amanda Hendey in last year’s U.S. Open. She was Junior World bronze medalist in 2013 and has placed at the U.S. Open six times since 2010. Page appears to be the favorite heading into this weekend’s competition.

2014 World Team member Jenna Burkert is most certainly in title contention in Las Vegas. In her last competition at 60 kg, the 2015 U.S. Open, Burkert would up in second place behind World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes. She was a member of three U.S. Junior World Teams from 2011 to 2013.

Page and Burkert have gone back and forth in an extended rivalry that rarely disappoints. It is likely we see the two battle it out for the title.

Carla Ponce picked up the 58-kg bronze medal at the Bill Farrell International last month. She appears to be the most likely obstacle in the way of a Page-Burkert final. Also registered is 2016 Body Bar and U.S. Open placer Arian Carpio.

Young names like Francesca Giorgio and Koral Sugiyama are not registered to compete, but expect some hidden talents to emerge at 60 kg this weekend.

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)

Similar to the 58-kg field, 63 kg will feature a strong influx of young talent at the U.S. Open this weekend with several age-group World medalists entered.

Alexis Porter and Maya Nelson both won bronze medals at the Junior World Championships in Macon, France, this summer. Both displayed tremendous skill throughout their medal runs, Porter at 67 kg and Nelson at 63 kg. With defending U.S. Open champion Amanda Hendey currently not registered, Porter and Nelson emerge as serious national title threats.

2015 Cadet World bronze medalist Kayla Marano will also compete this weekend. Marano has posted a tremendous 2016 campaign that culminated with a Junior Nationals title in July.

Not to be outdone is powerhouse Mallory Velte who is fresh off a runner-up finish to Alli Ragan at the 60 kg World Team Trials. Velte finished in third place at the Olympic Trials with a win over Hendey in the bronze-medal match, and earned gold at the Canada Cup in June. She won her first WCWA national title for Simon Fraser in February.

Young talents Jessi Kee and Margaret Douma have competed well at the Junior and University levels, and will look to shoot up the Senior-level ranks in Las Vegas.

69 kg/152 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Tamyra Mensah, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)

Tamyra Mensah began her rise to the top of the 69-kg weight class in America this time last year by defeating Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller 5-2 to win her first U.S. Open. Mensah went on to win the Olympic Trials and six international medals so far in 2016. She will return to defend her U.S. Open crown this weekend.

A slight wrinkle at 69 kg sees two-time Olympian Elena Pirozhkova bumping up from 63 kg to give it a go at 69 kg. Pirozhkova has not competed since the Olympic Games where she finished in fifth place. Pirozhkova defeated Mensah in the 2015 World Team Trials finals at 69 kg in the last meeting between the two powers.

The last American to defeat Mensah was Julia Salata, who did so at the Canada Cup last June. Salata has been a perennial contender in the upper-weights in recent years, and has title-winning potential. She won a Pan American bronze in 2015, a University World bronze in 2014 and was a two-time WCWA national champion for King University.

Young talents Forrest Molinari and Rachel Watters finished in third place and fourth place, respectively, at the U.S. Open last year. Both Molinari and Watters qualified for the Olympic Trials. Molinari won the WCWA Nationals for King earlier this year. Watters is fresh off a silver medal win at the Bill Farrell International and has competed at two Junior World Championships.

75 kg/165 lbs.
2016 U.S. Open champion – Jackie Surber, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)

There are currently only three women registered to compete at 75 kg this weekend: Erin Clodgo, Alyssa Cantu and Yvette Garcia.

Clodgo stands alone in terms of credentials in this group as a former World Team member and Olympic Trials finalist at 69 kg. Clodgo is returning to the States after a fifth-place showing at the Open Cup of Russia. She is a two-time U.S. Open champion and has placed in the top three of the World and Olympic Trials nine times since 2008.

Both Cantu and Garcia earned All-American honors at the Girls Folkstyle Nationals in recent years, but that rounds out the list of their credentials.

Three-time World champion and Olympian Adeline Gray is the mainstay for the U.S. at 75 kg, but has elected not to compete this weekend. Gray did win gold at the Bill Farrell International last month in her first tournament back since Rio.

Expect a handful of top wrestlers at 75 kg to show up and compete for a U.S. Open crown. Some possible contenders include defending champion Jackie Surber, Olympic Trials runner-up Victoria Francis and returning All-Americans Niauni Hill, Brandy Lowe, Katerina Lobsinger and Nahiela Magee.

2016 U.S. OPEN
Women’s Freestyle Results

48 kg/105.5 lbs.
1st - Cody Pfau, Brush, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) pin Erin Golston, Lake In The Hills, Ill. (New York AC/OTC), 2:23
3rd - Breonnah Neal, Clemons, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Nicole Woody, Odenton, Mich. (Terrapin WC), 3-2
5th - Marina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) inj. dft over Regina Doi, Kingsburg, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC)
7th - Candace Workman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) pin Harmonie Roberts, Ukiah, Calif. (Running Eagles), 1:33

53 kg/116.5 lbs.
1st - Michaela Hutchison, Lebanon, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (NYAC/OTC), 3-0
3rd - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC) dec. Deanna Betterman, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids), 2-0
5th - Sharon Jacobson, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP) inj. dft. over Katherine Fulp-Allen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (NYAC/OTC)
7th - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Amy Fearnside, Morgan Hill, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC), 7-1

58 kg/128 lbs. 
1st - Teshya Alo, Honolulu, Hawaii (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Kelsey Campbell, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 8-1
3rd - Maya Nelson, Denver, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) dec. Randi Beltz, Chesterfield, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC), 8-4
5th - Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP) tech. fall Arian Carpio, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids), 10-0
7th - Becka Leathers, Choctaw, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) tech fall over Savanna Nobile, Richmond, Mo. (Richmond Youth WC), 10-0

63 kg/138.75 lbs.
1st - Amanda Hendey, San Gabriel, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) pin Jennifer Page, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC), 4:13
3rd - Erin Clodgo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids WC) tech fall Mallory Velte, Sacramento, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC), 10-0
5th - Alexis Porter, Ballston Lake, N.Y. (NYAC/MWC) pin Hannah Jewell, Grand Blanc, Mich. (King University), 2:08
7th - Leigh Jaynes-Provisor, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army (WCAP) pin Rachael McFarland, Dewitt, Mich. (Titan Mercury WC), 2:01

69 kg/152 lbs. 
1st - Tamyra Mensah, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP), 5-2
3rd - Forrest Molinari, Benicia, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Rachel Watters, Ankeny, Iowa (Gator/OKCU Women’s RTC), 4-4
5th - Veronica Carlson, Rock Hill, S.C. (NYAC) tech. fall Lisa Gonzalez, Rio Grande City, Texas (Lindenwood Women`s WC), 11-0
7th - Brittany David, St. Charles, Mo. (Lindenwood Women`s WC) tech. fall Yvonne Galindo, El Paso, Texas (Gator/OKCU Women’s RTC), 10-0

75 kg/165 lbs. 
1st- Jackie Surber, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Victoria Francis, Litchfield, Ill. (Titan Mercury WC), 8-4
3rd - Julia Salata, Canton, Mich. (NYAC/OTC) tech fall Niauni Hill, Oakland, Calif. (Lindenwood Women`s WC), 10-0
5th - Brandy Lowe, Paxico, Kan. (Bearcat WC) inj. dft. Katerina Lobsinger, Martinez, Calif. (Combat Sports Academy)
7th - Nahiela Magee, Lancaster, Calif. (Wayland Baptist) pin Christina Schmidt, Marietta, Ga. (Running Eagles), 1:22