Leydecker, Alli, Rodriguez headline talented young U.S. women’s team at Klippan Lady Open in Sweden

The United States will bring a young but talented team to compete in one of the traditionally strong competitions in women’s freestyle wrestling, the Klippan Lady Open in Klippan, Sweden, Feb. 14-16.

The roster will feature 11 athletes, most who are eligible for the U20 age division, who will compete in the Senior division at the Klippan Cup. There are three U.S. athletes who will enter the U17 division there. The group is a nice mix of high school and post-high school wrestlers.

Among the stars competing in the Senior division is Everest Leydecker at 53 kg, who wrestled in the 2023 U17 World Championships and also qualified for the 2024 U17 World Championships. Leydecker currently holds a No. 1 ranking at 125 pounds in the current National Girls High School rankings.

There are two members of the USA Wrestling Elite Accelerator Program (EAP) wrestling in the Senior tournament, Alexandria Alli (72 kg) and Carissa Qureshi (53 kg). Alli, who is still in high school, is fresh off a victory in the Grand View Open, a major college competition.

Destiny Rodriguez, a 2022 U20 World Team member and 2018 U15 Pan American champion, will compete in the Senior division at 68 kg. Rodriguez, who is on the McKendree University roster, recently won the Adrian Open, a tough college tournament.

Savannah Cosme, a 2022 U20 World Team member and two-time age-group Pan American medalist, will wrestle in the Senior division at 62 kg. Cosme won the Copper/Oppenheim Doane Open, a college event in December.

Bella Williams, a past 16U Nationals champion and top high school star, will wrestle at 65 kg. Williams won the Viking Open, a college tournament in November.

The three emerging young talents who will wrestle in the U17 division are Natalie Radecki (43 kg), Reagan Mathers (49 kg) and Emma Grimes (53 kg).

The U17 division will begin on Friday, February 14 and conclude on Saturday morning, February 15. The Senior division starts on Saturday afternoon, February 15 and concludes on Sunday, February 16.

Klippan, Sweden is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone. In the past, the hosts in Sweden have streamed this event.

KLIPPAN LADY OPEN

At Klippan, Sweden, Feb. 14-16

U.S. Senior division roster

50 kg - Avery Steldt, Blue River, Wis. (Combat W.C. School of Wrestling)

50 kg - Amelia Murphy, Valparaiso, Ind. (Wyoming Seminary WC)

53 kg - Carissa Qureshi, Irvine, Calif. (Elite Accelerator Program)

53 kg - Everest Leydecker, Phoenix, Ariz. (Thorobred WC/Valiant Prep)

62 kg - Hannah Errthum, Mount Horeb, Wis. (Combat W.C. School of Wrestling)

62 kg - Savannah Cosme, Denver, Colo. (Atreus WC)

65 kg - Skylar Slade, Altoona, Iowa (Moen Wrestling Academy)

65 kg - Bella Williams, Cleveland, Tenn.

68 kg - Destiny Rodriguez, West Linn, Ore. (Army WCAP/Bearcat WC)

72 kg - Gretchen Donally, Ballantine, Montana (Colorado Mesa WC)

72 kg - Alexandra Alli, Ashley, Ohio (Elite Accelerator Program)

U.S. U17 division roster

43 kg - Natalie Radecki, Newark, Del.

49 kg - Reagan Mathers, Phoenix, Ariz. (Thorobred WC/Valiant Prep)

53 kg - Emma Grimes, Plains, Pa. (Wyoming Seminary WC)

USA Wrestling National Women's Developmental Coach - Jessica Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Personal Coach - Pete Escandon, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Personal Coach - Mike Douglas, Phoenix, Ariz.

Personal Coach - Randy Leydecker, Phoenix, Ariz.

Personal Coach - Alexis Slade, Altoona, Iowa

Personal Coach - Lucas Steldt , Blue River, Wis.

Medical - Taryn Pennington, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Referee - Annelis Presley, Madison, Ohio

Event Schedule (local time)

Klippan is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time

Friday, February 14

6:00 p.m. – U17 competition preliminaries

Saturday, February 15

9:00 a.m. – U17 competition to conclusion

1:00 p.m. – Senior competition

5:00 p.m. – Senior competition

Sunday, February 16

10:00 a.m. – Senior competition

1:00 p.m. – Senior finals