Blades, Marsteller among group in action at Grand Prix of Spain, July 5-7 in Madrid

A group of 21 talented athletes, including 2024 U.S. Olympic Team member Kennedy Blades, will travel to Madrid, Spain, to compete in the Grand Prix of Spain, July 5-7. The U.S. will be represented in all three styles this weekend.

There are 15 women’s freestyle athletes that are set to compete at the Grand Prix of Spain, including 2024 U.S. Olympic team member Kennedy Blades and U23 World Team member Kylie Welker. Blades, a three-time age-group World medalist, will compete at 76 kg. In her most recent international tournament, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion earned bronze at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event in January.

Welker, a 2024 Senior National Team and U23 World Team member, joins the group heading to Spain. Welker was a 2024 NCWWC Nationals champion for the University of Iowa at 170 pounds. She was a 2021 U20 World champion, a 2023 U23 World bronze medalist and a 2019 U17 World bronze medalist, and also competed on the 2021 Senior World Team.

A trio of women’s freestyle athletes heading to Spain have earned medals at age-group World Championship events. At 53 kg, Cristelle Rodriguez is a 2019 U17 World Silver medalist. Alexis Janiak, a 2023 U20 World Bronze medalist, is entered in the 57 kg tournament. Jasmine Robinson, set to compete at 68 kg, is a two-time age-group World Team member and claimed bronze at the 2023 U17 World Championships. At 65 kg, Reese Larramendy joins the group and placed fifth at the 2022 U20 World Championships.

2024 U20 World Team members Anaya Falcon, Brianna Gonzalez, Caitlyn Davis, Carissa Qureshi and Naomi Simon will make their international debuts in Madrid. All ten athletes on the 2024 U20 World Team in women’s freestyle will travel to Spain this weekend, which includes Rodriguez, Janiak, Robinson, and Larramendy.

Cadence Diduch, a 2023 U17 Pan American Championships gold medalist, is registered to compete at 62 kg in Spain, and is also on the U20 World Team roster.

Skylar Grote is slated to wrestle at 72 kg. Grote has a myriad of international experience and most recently competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in late April.

Two 2024 U23 Nationals All-Americans, Ashley Whetzal and Aspen Barber, round out the U.S. women’s freestyle lineup in Madrid.

2023 Senior World Team member Chance Marsteller is slated to compete at 86 kg in Madrid. Marsteller made the move to 86 kg for the Olympic year, previously competing at the 2023 Senior World Championships at 79 kg. Earlier this year, Marsteller won gold at the Pan American Championships in Acapulco, Mexico, and claimed a bronze medal at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event in Croatia.

At 74 kg, Quincy Monday, a 2023 Bill Farrell Memorial International bronze medalist and seventh place finisher at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event in January, is a part of the group competing on Saturday. Monday also won the title at the 2023 Senior Nationals in December.

Two-time age-group World Team member Yahya Thomas is slated to compete at 70 kg in Spain this weekend. Thomas competed at the 2019 U20 World Championships and 2022 U23 World Championships.

Two men’s freestyle athletes are entered at 79 kg, Lennox Wolak and Kennedy Monday. Both athletes will be making their international debuts at the Grand Prix of Spain. Wolak is a 2024 NCAA DI All-American for Columbia and a 2023 U23 Nationals All-American.

There is one Greco-Roman athlete set to compete in Spain in Courtney Denzel Freeman. Freeman, competing at 130 kg, competed at the 2023 Grand Prix of Spain, placing first at the tournament. He most recently competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, reaching the semifinals of the challenge tournament. In December 2023, Freeman placed second in the challenge tournament at Senior Nationals.

The tournament begins on Friday, July 5 at 10 a.m. local time. The time in Madrid is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.

*Madrid, Spain is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern

Friday, July 5

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Qualification Rounds (Greco-Roman)

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Repechage, Medal matches (Greco-Roman)

Saturday, July 6

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Qualification Rounds (Women’s freestyle)

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Repechage, Medal matches (Women’s freestyle)

Sunday, July 7

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Qualification Rounds (Men’s freestyle)

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Repechage, Medal matches (Men’s freestyle)

130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Richlands, N.C.)

50 kg: Anaya Falcon (Yorba Linda, Calif./Walnut HS Wrestling)

50 kg: Brianna Gonzalez (Baldwin, Calif./Iowa Womens WC/Titan Mercury WC)

53 kg: Cristelle Rodriguez (Fresno, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg: Carissa Qureshi (Irvine, Calif./Surfside RTC)

57 kg: Ashley Whetzal (Virginia Beach, Va./Kellam Mat Rats WC)

57 kg: Alexis Janiak (Plainfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC)

62 kg: Cadence Diduch (Freeport, Ill./Alber Athletics WC)

65 kg: Reese Larramendy (Reno, Nev./Hawkeye WC)

68 kg: Jasmine Robinson (Allen, Texas/Army WCAP)

68 kg Caitlyn Davis (Hilton Head Island, S.C./Daughter of Zion Wrestling)

68 kg: Aspen Barber (Monument, Colo./Army WCAP)

72 kg: Skylar Grote (Newton, N.J./Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

72 kg: Kylie Welker (Franksville, Wis./Iowa Womens WC/Titan Mercury WC)

76 kg: Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Ill./Izzy Style Wrestling/Sunkist Kids WC)

76 kg: Naomi Simon (Decorah, Iowa/Northeast Iowa WC)

Coach: Jessica Medina (Monument, Colo.)

Coach: Paulina Biega (Shelton, Conn.)

Coach: Dana Vote (Denton, Neb.)

Coach: Israel Martinez (Sugar Grove, Ill.)

Coach: Tonya Verbeek (Iowa City, Iowa)

Coach: Dimitri Willis (Glendale Heights, Ill.)

70 kg: Yahya Thomas (Chicago, Ill./Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg: Quincy Monday (Princeton, N.J./New Jersey RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg: Lennox Wolak (Dublin, Ohio/New York City RTC)

79 kg: Kennedy Monday (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

86 kg: Chance Marsteller (Breinigsville, Pa./Titan Mercury WC)

Coach: Reece Humphrey (Pennington, N.J.)

Official: Leslie Tamayo (Des Moines, Iowa)

ATC: Rae Martin