EAP Vegas Update: Ikei wins Senior gold, Guerin and Kilty get bronze; EAP men alive in UWW Junior Freestyle
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Tiare Ikei of the Elite Accelerator Program poses with her U.S. Senior Open championship trophy in Las Vegas, Photo by John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program’s women’s freestyle wrestlers made a big impact at the U.S. Open Championships on Friday.
Winning a Senior gold medal at 53 kg was 17-year-old Tiare Ikei (Honolulu, Hawaii/EAP), who scored a stunning 14-4 technical fall over veteran star Katherine Shai of the Titan Mercury WC in the championship finals.
Ikei, a 2018 Cadet World bronze medalist, has been competing on the Senior level for the first time this season. She is still attending high school. She had bonus point wins in all three of her bouts, scoring a pair of technical falls and a pin on the way to the title. Ikei was named Outstanding Wrestler in the Senior women’s freestyle tournament for her amazing effort.
The Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) is a progressive developmental movement based at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., aimed at molding young wrestlers into World and Olympic Champions.
Two other EAP women athletes closed out their Senior U.S. Open with bronze medals, winning both of their bouts on Friday after suffering semifinal losses on Thursday night.
2018 Cadet World champion and 2018 Junior World silver medalist Macey Kilty (Stratford, Wis./Sunkist Kids/EAP) claimed the bronze medal at 65 kg. She had a pair of technical falls today, beating Destiny Lyng of the Aires WC 11-0 in the consolation semifinals, then stopping Nicole Joseph of Team Tornado, 11-0 in the bronze-medal bout. Kilty is also a high school student.
Taking the bronze medal at 57 kg was Cameron Guerin (Yakima, Wash./Titan Mercury WC/EAP) with two convincing wins. Guerin beat Allison Petix of Team Tornado 8-0 in the consolation semifinals, then pinned 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell of the Sunkist Kids in the bronze-medal bout. Guerin beat Campbell twice during this tournament.
The UWW Junior Freestyle National championships began on Friday, and all five EAP wrestlers have advanced to compete on Saturday, when the tournament concludes.
Four of the EAP men’s freestylers are undefeated so far, and have reached the round of 16: Junior World silver medalist Aaron Brooks, Hagerstown, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP) at 79 kg, plus Job Greenwood, Livermore, Colo. (EAP) at 61 kg, Gabe Tagg, Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP) at 61 kg and DJ Shannon, East St. Louis, Ill. (EAP) at 74 kg.
Still alive in the consolation rounds is Julian Tagg. Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP) at 57 kg, who had a 2-1 record on Friday.
U.S. OPEN
At Las Vegas, Nev.. April 26, 2019
EAP Women’s freestyle athletes at U.S. Senior Open
53 kg - Tiare Ikei, Honolulu, Hawaii (EAP), gold medal
WIN Kierstien Bush (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Cody Pfau (Titan Mercury WC), pin 5:16
WIN Katherine Shai (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall 14-4
57 kg - Cameron Guerin, Yakima, Wash. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP), bronze medal
WIN Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids), 6-4
LOSS Becka Leathers (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Allison Petix (Team Tornado), 8-0
WIN Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids), pin 0:57
65 kg - Macey Kilty, Stratford, Wis. (Sunkist Kids/EAP), bronze medal
WIN Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), 7-0
LOSS Forrest Molinari (Titan Mercury WC), 7-3
WIN Destiny Lyng (Aires WC), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), tech. fall 11-0
Men’s freestyle athletes in UWW Junior Championships
57 kg - Julian Tagg. Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP)
WIN McGuire Midkiff (Bison WC), 7-7
LOSS Kai Orine (Team Missouri Select), 9-8
WIN Gabriel Gray (Wayland Baptist), pin 3:55
Consolations - Vs. Jakob Camacho (Wolfpack WC)
61 kg - Job Greenwood, Livermore, Colo. (EAP)
WIN Jake Gilva (Minnesota Storm), 13-9
Round of 16 – Vs. Jaime Hernandez (Tarheel WC)
61 kg - Gabe Tagg, Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP)
WIN Cole Zebley (Tiger WC), tech. fall 10-0
Round of 16 – Vs. Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC)
74 kg - DJ Shannon, East St. Louis, Ill. (EAP)
WIN Austin Brenner (Bison WC), 12-8
WIN Gerrit Nijenhuis (Young Guns), 11-7
Round of 16 – Vs. Isaac Judge (Cyclone RTC)
79 kg - Aaron Brooks, Hagerstown, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP)
WIN Harlan Steffensmeier (Air Force RTC), tech. fall 14-2
WIN Luke Clark (Minnesota Storm), tech. fall 10-0
Round of 16 – Vs. Tate Battahi (Cyclone RTC)
EAP Greco-Roman athletes in UWW Junior Championships- completed Thursday
130 kg - Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/EAP), gold medal
WIN Spencer Trenary (SWIFT), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Trevor Piggot (Olivet WC), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Gavin Nye (CSU-Pueblo RTC), tech. fall 9-0
LOSS Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), pin 0:35
WIN Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), tech. fall, 9-0
WIN Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), tech. fall 8-0
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program’s women’s freestyle wrestlers made a big impact at the U.S. Open Championships on Friday.
Winning a Senior gold medal at 53 kg was 17-year-old Tiare Ikei (Honolulu, Hawaii/EAP), who scored a stunning 14-4 technical fall over veteran star Katherine Shai of the Titan Mercury WC in the championship finals.
Ikei, a 2018 Cadet World bronze medalist, has been competing on the Senior level for the first time this season. She is still attending high school. She had bonus point wins in all three of her bouts, scoring a pair of technical falls and a pin on the way to the title. Ikei was named Outstanding Wrestler in the Senior women’s freestyle tournament for her amazing effort.
The Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) is a progressive developmental movement based at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., aimed at molding young wrestlers into World and Olympic Champions.
Two other EAP women athletes closed out their Senior U.S. Open with bronze medals, winning both of their bouts on Friday after suffering semifinal losses on Thursday night.
2018 Cadet World champion and 2018 Junior World silver medalist Macey Kilty (Stratford, Wis./Sunkist Kids/EAP) claimed the bronze medal at 65 kg. She had a pair of technical falls today, beating Destiny Lyng of the Aires WC 11-0 in the consolation semifinals, then stopping Nicole Joseph of Team Tornado, 11-0 in the bronze-medal bout. Kilty is also a high school student.
Taking the bronze medal at 57 kg was Cameron Guerin (Yakima, Wash./Titan Mercury WC/EAP) with two convincing wins. Guerin beat Allison Petix of Team Tornado 8-0 in the consolation semifinals, then pinned 2012 Olympian Kelsey Campbell of the Sunkist Kids in the bronze-medal bout. Guerin beat Campbell twice during this tournament.
The UWW Junior Freestyle National championships began on Friday, and all five EAP wrestlers have advanced to compete on Saturday, when the tournament concludes.
Four of the EAP men’s freestylers are undefeated so far, and have reached the round of 16: Junior World silver medalist Aaron Brooks, Hagerstown, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP) at 79 kg, plus Job Greenwood, Livermore, Colo. (EAP) at 61 kg, Gabe Tagg, Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP) at 61 kg and DJ Shannon, East St. Louis, Ill. (EAP) at 74 kg.
Still alive in the consolation rounds is Julian Tagg. Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP) at 57 kg, who had a 2-1 record on Friday.
U.S. OPEN
At Las Vegas, Nev.. April 26, 2019
EAP Women’s freestyle athletes at U.S. Senior Open
53 kg - Tiare Ikei, Honolulu, Hawaii (EAP), gold medal
WIN Kierstien Bush (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Cody Pfau (Titan Mercury WC), pin 5:16
WIN Katherine Shai (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall 14-4
57 kg - Cameron Guerin, Yakima, Wash. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP), bronze medal
WIN Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids), 6-4
LOSS Becka Leathers (Titan Mercury WC), tech. fall 14-4
WIN Allison Petix (Team Tornado), 8-0
WIN Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids), pin 0:57
65 kg - Macey Kilty, Stratford, Wis. (Sunkist Kids/EAP), bronze medal
WIN Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), 7-0
LOSS Forrest Molinari (Titan Mercury WC), 7-3
WIN Destiny Lyng (Aires WC), tech. fall 11-0
WIN Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), tech. fall 11-0
Men’s freestyle athletes in UWW Junior Championships
57 kg - Julian Tagg. Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP)
WIN McGuire Midkiff (Bison WC), 7-7
LOSS Kai Orine (Team Missouri Select), 9-8
WIN Gabriel Gray (Wayland Baptist), pin 3:55
Consolations - Vs. Jakob Camacho (Wolfpack WC)
61 kg - Job Greenwood, Livermore, Colo. (EAP)
WIN Jake Gilva (Minnesota Storm), 13-9
Round of 16 – Vs. Jaime Hernandez (Tarheel WC)
61 kg - Gabe Tagg, Mayfield Heights, Ohio (EAP)
WIN Cole Zebley (Tiger WC), tech. fall 10-0
Round of 16 – Vs. Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC)
74 kg - DJ Shannon, East St. Louis, Ill. (EAP)
WIN Austin Brenner (Bison WC), 12-8
WIN Gerrit Nijenhuis (Young Guns), 11-7
Round of 16 – Vs. Isaac Judge (Cyclone RTC)
79 kg - Aaron Brooks, Hagerstown, Md. (Titan Mercury WC/EAP)
WIN Harlan Steffensmeier (Air Force RTC), tech. fall 14-2
WIN Luke Clark (Minnesota Storm), tech. fall 10-0
Round of 16 – Vs. Tate Battahi (Cyclone RTC)
EAP Greco-Roman athletes in UWW Junior Championships- completed Thursday
130 kg - Cohlton Schultz, Parker, Colo. (Sunkist Kids/EAP), gold medal
WIN Spencer Trenary (SWIFT), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Trevor Piggot (Olivet WC), tech. fall 10-0
WIN Gavin Nye (CSU-Pueblo RTC), tech. fall 9-0
LOSS Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), pin 0:35
WIN Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), tech. fall, 9-0
WIN Lee Herrington (Nebraska Golden Eagles WC), tech. fall 8-0
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