Six Senior National team members highlight group to compete at Poland Open, July 26-30

Photo: Senior National team members Kylie Welker (left) and Michael Macchiavello (right) are slated to compete at the Poland Open (Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Six Senior National team members and two U23 World team members highlight a strong group of athletes that are set to compete at the Ziolkowski, Pytlasinski, Poland Open this week. The United States will participate in Women’s freestyle and Men’s freestyle in the four-day event.

The event begins with Women’s freestyle action as the United States is sending nine athletes to compete. Three Senior National team members highlight the impressive roster in Amanda Martinez (57 kg), Maya Letona (65 kg) and Kylie Welker (76 kg). Martinez and Welker have experience on World teams, and Welker is a three-time World medalist, winning the U20 event in 2021.

Alex Hedrick (57 kg), 2019 Pan American gold medalist and four-time age-group World Team member, 2021 Pan American 20U champion Yelena Makoyed (76 kg) and Jaslynn Gallegos (50 kg), 2021 Pan American silver medalist and U20 World Team member, bring valuable experience to the women’s freestyle delegation.

Athletes with international experience in competition to round out the roster include Lauren Mason (53 kg), Marissa Gallegos (53 kg) and Marilyn Garcia (68 kg).

In men’s freestyle, seventeen athletes are slated to compete for the United States. Senior National team members Daton Fix (61 kg), Nahshon Garrett (61 kg) and Michael Macchiavello (92 kg) are registered for the event this week. Two athletes that are on the roster to compete at the U23 World Championships in Tampere, Finland in October are also registered for the event in Cooper Flynn (57 kg) and Dustin Plott (79 kg).

Indiana’s Derek Gilcher (74 kg) and D.J. Washington (79 kg) are registered for the event, along with Iowa’s Austin DeSanto (61 kg) and Pat Lugo (65 kg). Many of the athletes have experience on the international front, including 2018 Pan American gold medalist Andrew Alirez (65 kg).

The Ziolkowski, Pytlasinski, Poland Open action will begin at 11 a.m. local time each day with medal matches set for 6 p.m. Warsaw, Poland, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

Brackets and real-time results will be provided by United World Wrestling at UWW.org.

Ziolkowski, Pytlasinski, Poland Open
At Warsaw, Poland, July 26-30

Schedule of Events
(6 hours ahead of Eastern Time Zone)

Wednesday, July 26
Greco-Roman competition, No USA entries

Thursday, July 27
11:00 a.m. – Women’s freestyle (50 kg, 53 kg) qualification rounds and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Women’s freestyle (50 kg, 53 kg) finals

Friday, July 28
11:00 a.m. – Women’s freestyle (55 kg, 57 kg, 59 kg, 62 kg, 65kg, 68 kg) qualification rounds and repechage
6:00 p.m. – Women’s freestyle (55 kg, 57 kg, 59 kg, 62 kg, 65kg, 68 kg) finals

Saturday, July 29
11:00 a.m. – Women’s freestyle (72 kg, 76 kg), Men’s freestyle (86 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg) qualification rounds & repechage
6:00 p.m. – Women’s freestyle (72 kg, 76 kg), Men’s freestyle (86 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, 125 kg) finals

Sunday, July 30
11:00 a.m. – Men’s freestyle (57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg) qualification rounds & repechage
6:00 p.m. – Men’s freestyle (57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg) finals

U.S. delegation
Men’s freestyle roster
57 kg: Cooper Flynn (Seymour, Tenn./Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg: Daton Fix (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
61 kg: Nahshon Garrett (Bethlehem, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
61 kg: Austin DeSanto (Reading, Pa./Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
65 kg: Pat Lugo (Homestead, Fla./Hawkeye WC)
65 kg: Andrew Alirez (Greeley, Colo./Northern Colorado WC)
70 kg: Doug Zapf (Downingtown, Pa./Pennsylvania RTC)
74 kg: Derek Gilcher (West Bloomfield, Mich./Indiana RTC)
79 kg: Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla./Cowboy RTC)
79 kg: DJ Washington (Portage, Ind./Indiana RTC)
79 kg: David McFadden (Blacksburg, Va., Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
86 kg: Dylan Fishback (Aurora, Ohio/Wolfpack WC)
86 kg: Braden Thompson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC)
92 kg: Nikolas Stemmet (Yorkville, Ill./California RTC)
92 kg: Michael Macchiavello (TOWN, Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)
97 kg: Morgan Smith (Lynnwood, Wash./Lehigh Valley WC)
125 kg: Nick Gwiazdowski (Raleigh, N.C./Titan Mercury WC)

Women’s freestyle roster
50 kg: Jaslynn Gallegos (Brighton, Colo./Cardinal WC)
53 kg: Lauren Mason (Auburn, Calif./Brunson UVRTC)
53 kg: Marissa Gallegos (Denver, Colo./Colorado Mesa WC/Titan Mercury WC)
57 kg: Alex Hedrick (Fair Oaks, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)
57 kg: Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)
65 kg: Maya Letona (Santa Cruz, Calif./New York City RTC)
68 kg: Marilyn Garcia (Van Nuys, Calif./Victory School of Wrestling)
76 kg: Kylie Welker (Franksville, Wis./Iowa Women's WC/ Titan Mercury WC)
76 kg: Yelena Makoyed (Orangevale, Calif./Cardinal WC)

NGB staff
Coach: Joe Russell
Coach: Angel Escobedo
Coach: Kerry McCoy (LVWC)
Coach: Derek Fix (Cowboy RTC)
Coach: Eric Guerrero (Cowboy RTC)
Coach: Daniel Dennis (Hawkeye WC)
Coach: Troy Nickerson (Northern Colorado RTC)
Coach: Mike Grey (Spartan RTC)
Coach: Orlando Gallegos
Coach: Cleo Lane (Titan Mercury WC)
Medical (ATC): Matt Johnson
Official: Joshua Grube
Team Leader: Paul Kieblesz