Blades beats Welker and wins OW at USMC U20 Nationals, Elor, Jimenez, Gomez, Nwachukwu repeat as champions

Kennedy Blades works for a pin against Kylie Welker in the 76 kg finals. Photo by AJ Grieves, Mat Focus

SPOKANE, Wash. – The championship finals series of the 2023 USMC U20 Women’s National Championships will loaded with talent and drama. When it was over, USA Wrestling had determined its 2023 U.S. U20 World Team compete at the U17 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, July 31 – August 6.

The 76 kg finals series met all expectation, as a pair of 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials runners-up, Kylie Welker of Wisconsin and Kennedy Blades of Illinois, battled for a chance to go for another U20 World title. Blades was a 2021 U20 World champion at 72 kg, while Welker won the 2021 U20 Worlds at 76 kg.

Welker is now at the University of Iowa, and Blades attends Arizona State with the Sunkist Kids RTC.

The first match was tight, with Welker taking a 6-4 lead into the break and holding the edge for most of the second period. With about six seconds left in the match, Blades scored a takedown and tilt to secure a stunning 8-6 victory. The second match was all Blades, who opened up her offense and was leading 8-0 when she was able to secure a pin at 2:22. Blades was named Outstanding Wrestler for her explosive performance.

Amit Elor of California, who won World titles on the Senior, U23 and U20 levels last year, was one of five returning U20 champions to earn a repeat trip to the U20 Worlds. Elor controlled Missouri high school star Haley Ward in the finals with a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

Along with Elor, returning U20 champions who have qualified for their second straight U20 World Team were Audrey Jimenez of Arizona (50 kg), Katie Gomez of California (53 kg) and Adaugo Nwachukwu of California (62 kg). In 2022, Jimenez won a U20 World silver medal, while Gomez and Nwachukwu won U20 World bronzes.

That means that five of the 10 2022 U20 World Team members are past U20 World medalists.

Jimenez, who made both the U20 and U17 World Teams last season, defeated 2022 U23 National champion and University of Iowa wrestler Nyla Valencia of California in two straight matches. Jimenez won the first match, 4-2, and closed out the victory with a 7-0 shutout. Jimenez is the No. 1 Pound-For-Pound high school wrestler in the nation.

Gomez, also a student at Arizona State, dispatched Maryland high school star Alexandra Szkotnicki in two straight technical falls, 13-2 and 12-0. Gomez was able to score on takedowns and turns in both dominant wins.

Nwachukwu defeated her teammate on the 2022 U20 World Team, SaVannah Cosme of Colorado. Last year, Cosme competed at 59 kg and Nwachukwu at 62 kg. Nwachukwu won the series in two straight, scoring a pair of technical falls, 13-0 and 10-0. Nwachukwu won two NAIA national titles for Iowa Wesleyan, while Cosme attends Arizona State.

The 59 kg finals series featured Alexis Janiak of Illinois, who was an NCWWC runner-up for Aurora University against Sarah Savidge of Colorado, an NAIA national runner-up for Life University. Janiak opened up her offense in this series, securing a 13-0 technical fall in bout one and a pin in 4:22 in bout two.

University of Iowa wrestler Isabella Mir of Nevada scored a pair of pins to win the 68 kg series against London Houston of Washington, who was third in the 2023 NCWWC Nationals for North Central. There were many points scored by both wrestlers in both matches. Mir secured first period pins, stopping the bout in 1:23 in match one and 1:54 in match two.

Amani Jones of Georgia, an NCWWC All-American for North Central, won two straight matches at 55 kg over Virginia Foard of Virginia, who competes in high school for Wyoming Seminary. Jones kept on the pressure and scored a number of techniques in an 11-1 technical fall in bout one. She closed it out with a 12-3 decision in bout two.

Two of the finals series went the full three matches.

Cristelle Rodriguez of California, who was third in the 2023 NAIA Nationals for Doane, dropped the first bout to 2022 U17 World Team member Shelby Moore of Washington, but powered back with two straight wins at 57 kg. Moore broke a 4-4 tie in the first match with two takedowns to secure an 8-6 win. In match two, Rodriguez had the edge in an 8-5 win. Rodriguez won a convincing 10-0 technical fall to win the deciding third match. Rodriguez won a U17 World silver medal in 2019.

Missouri high school star Maddie Kubicki, a Presbyterian College recruit, was pinned in her first match by University of Iowa wrestler Ella Schmit of Iowa in 4:41. Kubicki turned the tables in bout two with a pin in 4:45. It was all Kubicki in match three, a 13-4 victory which put her on her first age-group World Team.

USMC WOMEN’S U20 NATIONALS
At Spokane, Wash., April 16, 2023

50 kg - Audrey Jimenez (AZ) dec. Nyla Valencia (CA), two matches to none
Bout One – Jimenez dec. Valencia, 4-2
Bout Two – Jimenez dec. Valencia, 7-0
Jimenez qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Sage Mortimer (UT) won by decision over Mia Palumbo (IL) 5-5
5th - Clare Booe (FL) won by fall over Ava Bayless (PA) 4:20
7th - Jenavi Alejandro (NV) won by injury default over Valarie Solorio (PA) 0:00

53 kg - Katie Gomez (CA) dec. Alexandra Szkotnicki (MD), two matches to none
Bout One – Gomez tech fall Szkotnicki, 13-2
Bout Two – Gomez tech fall Szkotnicki, 10-0
Gomez qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Sydney Petzinger (NJ) won by decision over Alexis Montes (TX) (Dec 13-6)
5th - Avery Ashley (TX) won by fall over Angelina Vargas (MO) (Fall 1:59)
7th - Salyna Shotwell (WA) received a bye

55 kg - Amani Jones (GA) dec. Virginia Foard (VA), two matches to none
Bout One – Jones tech fall Foard, 11-1
Bout Two – Jones dec. Foard, 12-3
Jones qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Ella Jauregui (CA) won by decision over Alexandra Waitsman (CA) 7-1
5th - Olivia Moreno (TX) received a bye
7th - Jenna Beddow (WA) received a bye

57 kg - Cristelle Rodriguez (CA) dec. Shelby Moore (WA), two matches to one
Bout One – Moore dec. Rodriguez, 8-6
Bout Two – Rodriguez dec. Moore, 8-5
Bout Three – Rodriguez tech fall Moore, 10-0
Rodriguez qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Sofia Macaluso (NY) won by decision over Jennifer Soto (CA) 6-4
5th - Joanna Vanderwood (WA) won by decision over Jaclyn Dehney (NH) 10-6
7th - Sara Sterner (CA) won by fall over Rose Kaplan (IN) 0:49

59 kg- Alexis Janiak (IL) dec. Sarah Savidge (CO), two matches to none
Bout One – Janiak tech fall Savidge, 11-0
Bout Two – Janiak pin Savidge, 4:22
Janiak qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Skye Realin (HI) won by tech fall over Emily Frost (NY) 10-0
5th - Lily Sherer (PA) received a bye
7th - Charlotte Kouyoumtjian (MN) won by tech fall over Emma Grimm (IA) 10-0

62 kg - Adaugo Nwachukwu (CA) dec. SaVannah Cosme (AZ), two matches to none
Bout One – Nwachukwu tech fall Cosme, 13-0
Bout Two – Nwachukwu tech fall Cosme, 10-0
Nwachukwu qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Skylar Hattendorf (NH) won by fall over Lilly Luft (IA) 5:44
5th - Haley Vann (OR) won by tech fall over Netavia Wickson (IL) 13-0
7th - Alondra Morales (WA) won by fall over Allyssa Johnson (ND) 5:16

65 kg - Maddie Kubicki (MO) dec. Ella Schmit (IA), two matches to one
Bout One –Schmit pin Kubicki, 4:41
Bout Two –Kubicki pin Schmit, 4:45
Bout Three – Kubicki dec. Schmit 13-4
Kubicki qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Reese Larramendy (NV) won by tech fall over Grace Stem (PA) 16-5
5th - Claire DiCugno (WA) won by injury default over Janida Garcia (CO) 0:00
7th - Paige Wehrmeister (MO) won by tech fall over Makayla Munoz (NM) 10-0

68 kg - Isabella Mir (NV) dec. London Houston (WA), two matches to none
Bout One – Mir pin Houston, 1:23
Bout Two – Mir pin Houston, 1:54
Mir qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Nina Makem (MN) won by forfeit over Katerina Lange (MN)
5th - Love Daley (MD) won by fall over Liv Wieber (ID) 0:33
7th - Ruby Rios (WA) won by fall over Kaiulani Garcia (CA) 1:29

72 kg - Amit Elor (CA) dec. Haley Ward (MO), two matches to none
Bout One – Elor tech fall Ward, 10-0
Bout Two – Elor tech fall Ward, 10-0
Elor qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Rose Cassioppi (IL) won by tech fall over Noelle Gaffney (NJ) 10-0
5th - Alexandra Hofrichter (WI) won by forfeit over Stella Steigler (VA)
7th - Katelyn Lewis (WI) won by fall over Trinity Bouchal (AZ) 3:39

76 kg - Kennedy Blades (IL) dec. Kylie Welker (WI), two matches to none
Bout One – Blades dec. Welker, 8-6
Bout Two – Blades pin Welker, 2:22
Blades qualifies for the 2023 U20 World Championships

3rd - Brooklyn Hays (UT) won by decision over Sabrina Nauss (MI) 14-11
5th - Lily El-Masri (CA) won by fall over Autumn Perez (OR) 2:26
7th - Naomi Simon (IA) won by tech fall over Shenita Lawson (TX) 13-2