Sarah Hildebrandt named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week

Photo: Sarah Hildebrandt celebrates her finals victory at the 2023 Pan-American Championships. (Kadir Caliskan/United World Wrestling)

Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) was named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week on May 9, 2023.


Hildebrandt posted a banner performance for Team USA at the 2023 Pan-American Championships held at Tecnopolis in Buenos Aires, Argentina, over the weekend. She went a perfect 3-0 in the 50 kg women’s freestyle division to claim her seventh career gold medal at the event.


All three of Hildebrandt’s bouts were first period technical falls with 10-0 final scores. She defeated Thailia Oliveira De Freitas of Brazil, 2020 Olympian Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba and three-time Pan-American medalist Jacqueline Mollacana Eleno of Ecuador on her road to gold.


In the finals against Mollacana Eleno, Hildebrandt scored a takedown followed by four rapid leg laces to end things in 47 seconds. All told, Hildebrandt clocked just three minutes and 37 seconds of mat time in Buenos Aires, a blistering average of one minute and 12 seconds per match.


Hildebrandt won an Olympic bronze medal for the U.S. at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. She is a two-time World finalist and three-time World medalist. Her trophy case also features a gold medal from the 2019 Pan-American Games held in Lima, Peru.


As a returning Senior World medalist, Hildebrandt has secured her place at Final X where she will face U.S. Open champion Audrey Jimenez for the 50 kg spot on the 2023 U.S. World Team that will compete in Belgrade, Serbia, this summer. Final X is set for June 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.


To nominate a wrestler for this honor please email the athlete's name, wrestling program, weekly accomplishments, and career accolades to communications@usawrestling.org.