Walker, Kilty, Figueroa, Ortega receive women's freestyle draws at Cadet Worlds

Cadet World Team member Macey Kilty after winning the 2016 Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com.

TBILISI, Georgia – The first four U.S. women in action at the 2016 Cadet World Championships have weighed in and received their draws for Thursday’s competition at New Sport Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia.


Representing the U.S. tomorrow will be Caitlyn Walker (Hartboro, Pa.), Macey Kilty (Stratford, Wisc.), Gracie Figueroa (Selma, Calif.) and Ashlynn Ortega (Pueblo, Colo.).


“We have a really good, strong group,” U.S. coach Jacquelyn Davis said post weigh-ins. “They all have a little bit of tough draws in the first round, but watching them today making weight, and this whole week getting prepared, they look like they’re strong and they’re ready.”


Competing at 38 kg/83.5 lbs., Walker will kick things off against two-time Cadet Asian medalist Manisha Manisha of India. Walker won the USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in freestyle and folkstyle this year.


Kilty, a 2016 Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion, is set to face 2015 Cadet Asian bronze medalist Aktenge Keunimjaeva of Uzbekistan in the first round at 49 kg/108 lbs.


Budding U.S. star Figueroa takes the mat against 2015 Junior European champion Anastasia Nichita of Moldova in her first bout at 56 kg/123.25 lbs. Figueroa was a member of the U.S. Cadet World Team in 2015 and has won both the Cadet and Junior Freestyle Nationals in Fargo, N.D. the past two years.


In her second trip to the Cadet Worlds, Ortega opens against 2014 Cadet World champion and 2016 Junior European bronze medalist Khanum Velieva of Russia. Ortega has posted a fourth place finish at the Cadet Klippan Lady Open and runner-up finish at the Junior Freestyle Nationals this year. She is a two-time Cadet Freestyle Nationals champion.


“I think they’re all excited. They’ve been really excited. Job one, make weight, done. Job two, bring home gold medals, we’ll do it,” added Davis.


Marijah Morales (Selma, Calif.) was slated to compete at 43 kg/94.75 lbs., but was unable to make weight and will not wrestle tomorrow.


The women’s freestyle competition at the Cadet World Championships begins tomorrow with the qualification and repechage rounds at 2 a.m. (ET) followed by the medal matches at 10 a.m. (ET).


Flowrestling will provide a live stream and archived matches of the 2016 Cadet World Championships to U.S. spectators at Flowrestling.org. A Flo Pro membership is required to view the competition. 


Complete brackets and match-by-match results can be viewed at unitedworldwrestling.org.

2016 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sept. 13-18 at Tbilisi, Georgia

U.S. women’s freestyle draws for Thursday

38 kg/83.5 lbs. – Caitlyn Walker, Hartboro, Pa.

Vs. Manisha Manisha (India), 2016 Cadet Asian silver, 2015 Cadet Asian bronze


49 kg/108 lbs. – Macey Kilty, Stratford, Wisc.

Vs. Aktenge Keunimjaeva (Uzbekistan), 2015 Cadet Asian bronze, Fifth in 2016 Cadet Asian Championships


56 kg/123.25 lbs. – Gracie Figueroa, Selma, Calif. 

Vs. Anastasia Nichita (Moldova), 2016 Junior European champion, 2015 Cadet European champion


65 kg/143.25 lbs. – Ashlynn Ortega, Pueblo, Colo. 

Vs. Khanum Velieva (Russia), 2014 Cadet World champion, 2014 Cadet European champion, 2016 Junior European bronze