World Team Trials preview at 75 kg/165 lbs. in women’s freestyle
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Erin Clodgo, shown at the 2016 Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Texas, moved up to 75 kg this year and won the U.S. Open. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
Early this season, future Hall of Famer and three-time World champion Adeline Gray announced that she would not be competing during the 2017 season, to recover from injuries which required surgery. A 2016 Olympian and five-time World medalist, Gray did not retire from the sport, just planning to take this season to heal up and make some decisions on the next direction with her competitive career. At least for this year, with Gray in the stands rather than on the mat, this weight class becomes a wide-open opportunity for somebody new.
The 2017 U.S. Open champion was Erin Clodgo, who has jumped up two weight classes from 63 kg after making the 2015 World Team and placing second at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials there. Clodgo has been on the Senior national scene going back a decade, when she first made noise as a high school student. Early in her career, Clodgo wrestled at the higher weight classes, and has some solid success on the national scene. A three-time U.S. Open champion and eight-time Women’s National Team member, Clodgo brings extensive experience and talent to a new field of opponents. The major question is whether she has gained enough size and strength to make the World Team and compete for a medal at the World Championships.
Placing second behind Gray in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials was Victoria Francis, who was a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist for the United States. Francis won two WCWA College National titles for Lindenwood, and is now a full-time U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Francis, who wrestles a powerful style, has the size and strength to compete with anybody in the world here. She boasts a pair of University National titles, and has a solid amount of international experience.
If she chooses to stay at 75 kg, Julia Salata has been successful at this weight this year. Salata was second behind Clodgo at the U.S. Open, and beat Francis in the finals of the 2017 University Nationals. Bouncing back and forth between 69 kg and 75 kg, Salata has a long list of achievements. She was a two-time WCWA national champion and four-time All-American for King University, where she now serves as an assistant coach. She has competed on U.S. World Teams at both the UWW Junior and University levels. She has made a pair of Senior National Teams, including a runner-up finish at the 2014 World Team Trials. Her recent win over Francis gives her strong momentum coming into the tournament in Las Vegas.
Many of those who will battle in the World Team Trials come from the college ranks. Brandy Lowe, who wrestles for McKendree, was third at the U.S. Open in December. Nahiela Magee, also at McKendree, placed fifth, while Brittany Marshall from Wayland Baptist placed sixth.
Lowe is a two-time WCWA All-American, placing third for McKendree in 2017 and second for Ottawa in 2015. She was also fifth at the 2016 U.S. Open. Magee was a two-time WCWA Nationals All-American when she was at Wayland Baptist, before transferring to McKendree. Magee was also fourth at 2017 University Nationals and seventh in the 2016 U.S. Open. Marshall, who was fourth at 2017 WCWA Nationals, followed up by taking fifth at 2017 University Nationals.
One of the current college stars who could do very well in Las Vegas is 2017 WCWA national champion Jessika Rottier of the University of the Cumberlands, who won her WCWA title at 170 pounds. Competing at 75 kg, she was fourth at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial, falling to Clodgo in the bronze-medal bout. She was also third at the UWW Junior Nationals last season at 72 kg. Rottier has a long list of achievements in USA Wrestling’s age-group programs.
Other members of the 2016 Junior National Team could also be factors, Nadine Fiege, Kacie Moorehouse and Nkechinyer Nwankwo. Fiege won the UWW Juniors at 79.5 kg, with Moorehouse in second and Nwankwo in third.
Fiege now competes at Life University, Moorehouse at Grays Harbor CC, while Nwankwo is finishing her senior year at Richmond Foster High School in Texas. Fiege was fourth in 2017 WCWA Nationals at 191 pounds, and sixth at 170 pounds in 2016. Moorehouse was eighth in the 2017 WCWA Nationals at 170 pounds and sixth at 2017 University Nationals. Nwankwo also brings a third place at the 2016 Junior Nationals to her credit.
Two WCWA All-Americans at 191 pounds this year, Paige Baynes of Lindenwood who placed second and Monica Mason of Oklahoma City, who placed third, are also qualifiers. The question is whether they would drop in weight for the Trials or not. Another qualifier is Maria Saurez, who won a medal at the Bill Farrell International this fall. There is a lot of opportunity at this weight class in 2017, and it will be very interesting to see who steps up and runs with it. USA Wrestling is now hosting SuperGirl camps for the wrestlers at the highest weight classes, looking to develop depth and identify the future stars for the program, especially when UWW increases to 10 weight classes for the World Championships.
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 75 kg/165 lbs.
’16 Olympian – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
’16 Junior National team – Nadine Fiege, Jacksonville, Fla. (Life Running Eagles)
’16 Junior National team – Kacie Moorehouse, Bellevue, Wash. (Bandit Wrestling Academy)
’16 Junior National team – Nkechinyere Nwankwo, Richmond, Texas (3 Style Wrestling)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Brandy Lowe, Paxico, Kan. (Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Yvette Garcia, West Covina, Calif. (AAJJ)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Nahiela Magee, Lancaster, Calif. (Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Brittany Marshall, Lewisville, Texas (Wayland Baptist)
’16 Bill Farrell medalist – Maria Suarez, Cliffside Park, N.J. (New York AC)
’17 WCWA Nationals runner-up (191 lbs.) – Paige Baynes, St. Charles, Mo. (Lindenwood)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place (191 lbs.) – Monica Mason, Marion, N.Y. (Oklahoma City Univ.)
’17 University National Championships finalist – Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
2017 U.S. Open results at 75 kg/165 lbs.
1st – Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Julia Salata (New York AC), 5-2
3rd – Brandy Lowe (Bearcat WC) tech. fall Yvette Garcia (AAJJ), 10-0
5th – Nahiela Magee (Bearcat WC) dec. Brittany Marshall (Wayland Baptist), 11-10
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials results at 75 kg/165 lbs.
1st – Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) dec.Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC), two matches to none
Gray technical fall Francis, 11-0
Gray technical fall Francis, 10-0
Challenge Tournament
1st - Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jackie Surber (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC), 10-2
3rd – Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) pin Niauni Hill (Oakland, Calif./Lindenwood Belleville), 3:51
Early this season, future Hall of Famer and three-time World champion Adeline Gray announced that she would not be competing during the 2017 season, to recover from injuries which required surgery. A 2016 Olympian and five-time World medalist, Gray did not retire from the sport, just planning to take this season to heal up and make some decisions on the next direction with her competitive career. At least for this year, with Gray in the stands rather than on the mat, this weight class becomes a wide-open opportunity for somebody new.
The 2017 U.S. Open champion was Erin Clodgo, who has jumped up two weight classes from 63 kg after making the 2015 World Team and placing second at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials there. Clodgo has been on the Senior national scene going back a decade, when she first made noise as a high school student. Early in her career, Clodgo wrestled at the higher weight classes, and has some solid success on the national scene. A three-time U.S. Open champion and eight-time Women’s National Team member, Clodgo brings extensive experience and talent to a new field of opponents. The major question is whether she has gained enough size and strength to make the World Team and compete for a medal at the World Championships.
Placing second behind Gray in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials was Victoria Francis, who was a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist for the United States. Francis won two WCWA College National titles for Lindenwood, and is now a full-time U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Francis, who wrestles a powerful style, has the size and strength to compete with anybody in the world here. She boasts a pair of University National titles, and has a solid amount of international experience.
If she chooses to stay at 75 kg, Julia Salata has been successful at this weight this year. Salata was second behind Clodgo at the U.S. Open, and beat Francis in the finals of the 2017 University Nationals. Bouncing back and forth between 69 kg and 75 kg, Salata has a long list of achievements. She was a two-time WCWA national champion and four-time All-American for King University, where she now serves as an assistant coach. She has competed on U.S. World Teams at both the UWW Junior and University levels. She has made a pair of Senior National Teams, including a runner-up finish at the 2014 World Team Trials. Her recent win over Francis gives her strong momentum coming into the tournament in Las Vegas.
Many of those who will battle in the World Team Trials come from the college ranks. Brandy Lowe, who wrestles for McKendree, was third at the U.S. Open in December. Nahiela Magee, also at McKendree, placed fifth, while Brittany Marshall from Wayland Baptist placed sixth.
Lowe is a two-time WCWA All-American, placing third for McKendree in 2017 and second for Ottawa in 2015. She was also fifth at the 2016 U.S. Open. Magee was a two-time WCWA Nationals All-American when she was at Wayland Baptist, before transferring to McKendree. Magee was also fourth at 2017 University Nationals and seventh in the 2016 U.S. Open. Marshall, who was fourth at 2017 WCWA Nationals, followed up by taking fifth at 2017 University Nationals.
One of the current college stars who could do very well in Las Vegas is 2017 WCWA national champion Jessika Rottier of the University of the Cumberlands, who won her WCWA title at 170 pounds. Competing at 75 kg, she was fourth at the 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial, falling to Clodgo in the bronze-medal bout. She was also third at the UWW Junior Nationals last season at 72 kg. Rottier has a long list of achievements in USA Wrestling’s age-group programs.
Other members of the 2016 Junior National Team could also be factors, Nadine Fiege, Kacie Moorehouse and Nkechinyer Nwankwo. Fiege won the UWW Juniors at 79.5 kg, with Moorehouse in second and Nwankwo in third.
Fiege now competes at Life University, Moorehouse at Grays Harbor CC, while Nwankwo is finishing her senior year at Richmond Foster High School in Texas. Fiege was fourth in 2017 WCWA Nationals at 191 pounds, and sixth at 170 pounds in 2016. Moorehouse was eighth in the 2017 WCWA Nationals at 170 pounds and sixth at 2017 University Nationals. Nwankwo also brings a third place at the 2016 Junior Nationals to her credit.
Two WCWA All-Americans at 191 pounds this year, Paige Baynes of Lindenwood who placed second and Monica Mason of Oklahoma City, who placed third, are also qualifiers. The question is whether they would drop in weight for the Trials or not. Another qualifier is Maria Saurez, who won a medal at the Bill Farrell International this fall. There is a lot of opportunity at this weight class in 2017, and it will be very interesting to see who steps up and runs with it. USA Wrestling is now hosting SuperGirl camps for the wrestlers at the highest weight classes, looking to develop depth and identify the future stars for the program, especially when UWW increases to 10 weight classes for the World Championships.
2017 World Team Trials Qualifiers at 75 kg/165 lbs.
’16 Olympian – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
’16 Junior National team – Nadine Fiege, Jacksonville, Fla. (Life Running Eagles)
’16 Junior National team – Kacie Moorehouse, Bellevue, Wash. (Bandit Wrestling Academy)
’16 Junior National team – Nkechinyere Nwankwo, Richmond, Texas (3 Style Wrestling)
’17 Senior Nationals runner-up – Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC)
’17 Senior Nationals third place – Brandy Lowe, Paxico, Kan. (Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals fourth place – Yvette Garcia, West Covina, Calif. (AAJJ)
’17 Senior Nationals fifth place – Nahiela Magee, Lancaster, Calif. (Bearcat WC)
’17 Senior Nationals sixth place – Brittany Marshall, Lewisville, Texas (Wayland Baptist)
’16 Bill Farrell medalist – Maria Suarez, Cliffside Park, N.J. (New York AC)
’17 WCWA Nationals runner-up (191 lbs.) – Paige Baynes, St. Charles, Mo. (Lindenwood)
’17 WCWA Nationals third place (191 lbs.) – Monica Mason, Marion, N.Y. (Oklahoma City Univ.)
’17 University National Championships finalist – Victoria Francis, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC)
2017 U.S. Open results at 75 kg/165 lbs.
1st – Erin Clodgo (Sunkist Kids) dec. Julia Salata (New York AC), 5-2
3rd – Brandy Lowe (Bearcat WC) tech. fall Yvette Garcia (AAJJ), 10-0
5th – Nahiela Magee (Bearcat WC) dec. Brittany Marshall (Wayland Baptist), 11-10
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials results at 75 kg/165 lbs.
1st – Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) dec.Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC), two matches to none
Gray technical fall Francis, 11-0
Gray technical fall Francis, 10-0
Challenge Tournament
1st - Victoria Francis (Litchfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) dec. Jackie Surber (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury WC), 10-2
3rd – Forrest Molinari (Benicia, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) pin Niauni Hill (Oakland, Calif./Lindenwood Belleville), 3:51
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