Winchester, Kilty, Welker, Villaescusa make U.S. Senior World Team in women’s freestyle

OMAHA, Neb. – The four women freestyle wrestlers who will represent the United States at the 2024 Senior World Championships were determined during the best-of-three Championship Series on Sunday. The USA will have a team mixed with experience and youth in the four women’s freestyle weight classes.

The Senior World Championships will be held in Tirana, Albania, October 28-31, and will feature 12 World Championship weight classes that were not contested at the 2024 Olympic Games.

2019 World champion Jacarra Winchester was dominant in her two-match sweep over Michaela Beck at 59 kg. Winchester combined strong takedown attacks with the ability to score turns from the top, and beat Beck by 11-0 technical falls in both matches. Winchester won a 2023 World silver medal and was a member of the 2020 Olympic Team. This will be her fifth Senior World Championships.

2023 World silver medalist Macey Kilty also scored technical falls in both of her matches, at 65 kg, beating 2024 NCWWC Nationals runner-up Aine Drury in two straight. Kilty scored a 10-0 technical fall in bout one, and a 12-1 technical fall in bout two. Kilty heads to her second Senior Worlds. She has also won five age-group World medals.

2021 World Team member Kylie Welker beat long-time rival Yelena Makoyed in two straight matches in the 72 kg finals series. In the second match, Welker won the key positions for a 5-2 victory. In the opening match, leading 3-0, Welker hit a counter headlock and pinned Makoyed in 5:03. These two had wrestled over 10 times before, with Makoyed winning the previous encounter at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Welker is on her second Senior World Team, and also boasts three age-group World medals.

Kilty and Welker are teammates at the University of Iowa. Welker won a NCWWC national title for the Hawkeyes last year, and Kilty is in her first season there. Both also qualified for the U23 World Championships, which will be held in Tirana, Albania, October 21-23. Both Kilty and Welker plan to wrestle in both World Championships back-to-back.

There is a new World Team member at 55 kg, as Areana Villaescusa won her Championship Series in two straight matches over December 2023 Senior Nationals champion Amanda Martinez. Both matches were close. Villaescusa won the second match in an 11-8 shootout, scoring key points late for the win. The first match was a 4-3 win for Villaescusa, with a counter tilt as the key last score. Both athletes have been members of the Senior National Team, but it was Villaescusa who earned the first trip to the Senior Worlds.

2024 Senior World Team Trials

Sept. 15, Omaha, Neb.

Best-of-three championship series results in Women’s freestyle

55 kg

Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) defeats Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC) two matches to none

Round 1 – Villaescusa dec. Martinez, 4-3

Round 2 – Villaescusa dec. Martinez, 11-8

59 kg

Jacarra Winchester (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) defeats Michaela Beck (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) two matches to none

Round 1 – Winchester tech. fall Beck, 11-0

Round 2 – Winchester tech. fall Beck, 11-0

65 kg

Macey Kilty (Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC) defeats Aine Drury (Team Tornado WC/New York AC) two matches to none

Round 1 –Kilty tech. fall Drury, 10-0

Round 2 – Kilty tech. fall Drury, 12-1

72 kg

Kylie Welker (Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC) defeats Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC) two matches to none

Round 1 – Welker fall Makoyed, 5:03

Round 2 –Welker dec. Makoyed, 5-2

Women’s Freestyle third place matches

55 kg - Elena Ivaldi (California) dec. Felicity Taylor (TMWC), 12-12

59 kg - Xochitl Mota-pettis (Rise RTC) dec. Abigail Nette (WCAP), 9-3

65 kg - Claire Dicugno (Team Tornado Wrestling Club) dec. Savannah Cosme (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 7-4

72 kg - Skylar Grote (USOPTC/ TMWC) tech fall Gretchen Donally (Colorado Mesa Wrestling Club), 10-0 2:32