U.S. Senior athletes Sarah Hildebrandt and Mason Parris will be at Kids Folkstyle Nationals on January 27.
Hildebrandt, Parris to make special appearance at Kids Folkstyle Nationals
by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
FORT WAYNE, Indiana – Youth wrestlers, boys and girls alike, are preparing nationwide for the 2024 USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals set to be held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, January 26-28.
This exciting event not only promises thrilling matches on the wrestling mat but also offers a unique opportunity for young fans to meet successful Senior level athletes. Senior World Team members Mason Parris and Sarah Hildebrandt, both from Indiana, will be in attendance on January 27.
World bronze medalist Parris will be available to chat with and sign 2023 World Team posters at the event. The Lawrenceburg, Indiana, native was a three-time Indiana state high school champion and had a strong career at the University of Michigan, where he was a four-time NCAA All-American and 2023 NCAA Champion at heavyweight. Parris was also the 2023 Dan Hodge Trophy recipient as college wrestling's most dominant wrestler. In his most recent competition, Parris earned a bronze medal at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series Tournament in Croatia.
Olympic bronze medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, from Mishawaka, Indiana, will make an appearance at the event and be available to sign posters for fans. Hildebrandt is a four-time Senior World medalist and six-time U.S. World Team member. She has won gold at the Pan American Championships seven times and earned a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Hildebrandt is Team USA’s representative at 50 kg, and was a two-time WCWA national champion and four-time finalist for King University.
This is a new event, created by USA Wrestling after it decided to separate its youth age divisions from the high school age divisions at the national tournament level. The age divisions being contested at the event in Fort Wayne include 8U, 10U, 12U and 14U.
This event also brings boys and girls together for their Folkstyle National Championships for the very first time. In past years, the boys and girls competed in different events, held at different locations and dates.
This event is included in the prestigious USA Wrestling Triple Crown for both boys and girls at all four age levels. Future Olympian Ranking points can be earned at this event for 8U-14U age divisions for both Boys and Girls.
The top eight place winners in each weight class will reach the podium, receive awards and become USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle All-Americans. There will also be an Outstanding Wrestler award and a Team award for each of the standard USA Wrestling divisions.
Champions in each division will receive a custom USA Wrestling Champion Belt. This is a newly designed belt, which athletes and their families will take pride in bringing home with them. Watch USA Wrestling’s platforms for more on the new belts.
Register for the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals
https://usawrestlingevents.com/event/2400000902/registration
USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals website