Nelson, Watters and Campbell repeat as UWW Junior World Team Trials champions

Maya Nelson defeated Teshya Alo in the 63 kg finals of the UWW Junior World Team Trials. Photo Ray Shoaf, Wrestling Texas.

The finals series at 63 kg/139 lbs. had the entire arena buzzing as 2016 Junior World bronze medalist and Senior National Team member Maya Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids WC) took on 2014 Cadet World champion and 2013 Cadet World bronze medalist Teshya Alo (Honolulu, Hawaii/Titan Mercury WC).

In the exciting first bout, Nelson led 2-1 at the break with a late takedown. Alo took over in the second period with a pair of takedowns and led Nelson 6-4 with less than 30 seconds left. Nelson responded with a big four-pointer to swing the score in her favor and tacked on another takedown as the buzzer sounded to secure a 10-6 win.

The second bout saw a similar situation with Alo leading 3-0 at the break. Nelson pushed the pace for most of the second period, scoring nine points, which included another four-pointer late in the match.

“I knew it was going to be tough from the beginning,” Nelson said. “Once I saw she was in my bracket, I thought, ‘This is going to be a tough tournament. I had a lot of other good opponents in my bracket. The girls are growing and getting stronger. It’s just fun to come out and compete. That’s all I’ve been waiting for.”

Nelson has earned her second-straight bid to the Junior World Championships and will look to improve on last year’s Junior World bronze.

Rachel Watters (Ankeny, Iowa/Aries WC) will make her third trip to the Junior World Championships after winning in two-straight bout in the 72 kg/158.4 lbs. finals.

Watters dominated in both matches against Andrea Sennett (Wheeling, Ill./McKendree Bearcat WC), securing a 10-0 tech fall and a 12-3 decision.

At 48 kg/105.6 lbs., McKayla Campbell punched her ticket to a third age-group World Championships. Campbell took out Kateri Rowell (Aberdeen, Wash./Choker WC) with a 10-0 tech fall and a 55-second pin.

A 2015 Cadet World champion and 2016 Cadet silver medalist Ronna Heaton (Brookings, S.D./Sunkist Kids WC) dominated her way through the 55 kg bracket to meet up with Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Humble, Texas/Spring Klein WC) in the finals, who she picked off with two 10-0 tech falls.

Heaton makes her second trip to Junior Worlds, after filling in for Becka Leathers, who was not able to compete in 2016.

2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Gracie Figueroa (Selma, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) made USA Wrestling history, becoming the first women’s freestyle wrestler to win both the Cadet and Junior World Team Trials in the same weekend. She defeated King wrestler Nicole Joseph in two matches, 9-2 and 12-2, respectively.

“I’m kind of shocked because for Juniors, I went up a weight and I ended up making it to the finals and winning it,” Figueroa said. “I had to just stay calm and keep the pace going because they’re bigger and I just had to keep that fast motion going.”

For her performance, Figueroa was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler.

Also returning to the finals for the second time this weekend was Cameron Guerin (Yakima,Wash./Team Takedown), who took second at Cadet trials but broke through in the Junior tournament. Guerin defeated Vayle Baker (Benton, Pa./Team Pennsylvania), who won the Cadet World Team spot at 49 kg yesterday. Guerin won with a pair of 10-0 technical falls.

Also earning spots on the Junior World Team were Asia Ray (Arlington, Texas/Arlington Storm WC) at 44 kg and Alexandria Glaude (West Sacramento, Calif./McKendree Bearcat WC) at 67 kg.

The 2017 UWW Junior World Championships are set for Aug. 1-6 in Tampere, Finland.

At the non-World weight, 79.5 kg/175 lbs., Mariah Harris won the championship in a one-match final over Dymond Guilford with an 11-1 technical fall.

The Junior tournament grew from 156 participants last year to 183 competitors this year. In fact, each of the five divisions that were wrestled at this weekend’s Women’s Nationals increased in participants from last year. Overall, there were 135 more wrestlers this weekend compared to 2016’s tournament.

2017 UWW JUNIOR WOMEN’S WORLD TEAM TRIALS

May 21, 2017 at Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas

Best-of-three UWW Junior championship results
44 kg/88 lbs.: Asia Ray (Arlington, Texas/Arlington Storm WC) dec. Charlie Hamer (The Colony, Texas/Warrior WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Ray tech. fall Hamer, 10-0
Bout two – Ray tech. fall Hamer, 10-0

48 kg/105.6 lbs.: Mckayla Campbell (Wauseon, Ohio/Ohio National Team) dec. Kateri Rowell (Aberdeen, Wash./Choker WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Campbell tech. fall Rowell, 10-0
Bout two – Campbell fall Rowell, 0:55

51 kg/112.2 lbs.: Cameron Guerin (Yakima,Wash./Team Takedown) dec. Vayle Baker (Benton, Pa./Team Pennsylvania), two matches to none
Bout one – Guerin tech. fall Baker, 10-0
Bout two – Guerin tech. fall Baker, 10-0

55 kg/121 lbs.: Ronna Heaton (Brookings, S.D./Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Humble, Texas/Spring Klein WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Heaton tech. fall Mota-Pettis, 10-0
Bout two – Heaton tech. fall Mota-Pettis, 10-0

59 kg/130 lbs.: Gracie Figueroa (Selma, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) dec. Nicole Joseph (Camarillo, Calif./King Univ.), two matches to none
Bout one – Figueroa dec. Joseph, 9-2
Bout two – Figueroa tech. fall Joseph, 12-2

63 kg/139 lbs.: Maya Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Teshya Alo (Honolulu, Hawaii/Titan Mercury WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Nelson dec. Alo, 10-6
Bout two – Nelson dec. Alo, 9-5

67 kg/147 lbs.: Alexandria Glaude (West Sacramento, Calif./McKendree Bearcat WC) dec. Jayden Laurent (Denmark, Wisc./Team Wisconsin), two matches to one
Bout one – Laurent dec. Glaude, 9-6
Bout two – Glaude dec. Laurent, 3-3
Bout three – Glaude dec. Laurent, 6-0

72 kg/158.4 lbs.: Rachel Watters (Ankeny, Iowa/Aries WC) vs. Andrea Sennett (Wheeling, Ill./McKendree Bearcat WC), two matches to none
Bout one – Watters tech. fall Sennett, 10-0
Bout two – Watters dec. Sennett, 12-3

Junior Nationals non-World weight finals results
79.5 kg/175 lbs.: Mariah Harris (Johnstown, Pa./Campbellsville) TF Dymond Guilford (Lancaster, Calif./Somar WC), 11-1

Junior medal matches

UWW Junior - 44 KG
3rd Place Match - Genae Sampract (Team Illinois) won by fall over Lizzette Ramos (Tokay High School Wrestling) (Fall 1:03)
5th Place Match - Esthela Trevino (3SW Academy) won by tech fall over Alisha Elizalde (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 10-0)
7th Place Match - Zopouled David (TEAM NY) won by tech fall over Tory Marrufo (Tech-Fall Wrestling) (TF 10-0)

UWW Junior - 48 KG
3rd Place Match - Aleeah Gould (King University) won by tech fall over Angel Rios (TNWC) (TF 13-2)
5th Place Match - Katlyn Pizzo (Michigan Womens Wrestling) won by fall over Leah Olsen (Vandit Wrestling Academy) (Fall 3:56)
7th Place Match - Angelina Gomez (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) won by tech fall over Katie Brock (Campbellsville University) (TF 14-2)

UWW Junior - 51 KG
3rd Place Match - Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville University) won by tech fall over Autumn Gordon (Lancaster) (TF 10-0)
5th Place Match - Vanessa Ramirez (McKendree Bearcat WR Club) won by injury default over Theresa Rankin (McKendree Bearcat WR Club) (Inj. 0:00)
7th Place Match - Kasey Baynon (Team Georgia) won by fall over Ashlyn White (Somerset Wrestling Club) (Fall 2:16)

UWW Junior - 55 KG
3rd Place Match - Brenda Reyna (Vandit Wrestling Academy) won by tech fall over Jathiya Isaac (Wayland Baptist University) (TF 12-2)
5th Place Match - Lauren Mason (Burnaby Mountain WC) won by decision over Amanda Walker (Team Pennsylvania) (Dec 18-11)
7th Place Match - Sierra Powell (Virginia Women`s National Team) won by fall over Rory Coscia (Team Lone Wolf) (Fall 4:42)

UWW Junior - 59 KG
3rd Place Match - Emma Bruntil (Choker Wrestling Club) won by tech fall over Teniya Alo (Unattached) (TF 12-1)
5th Place Match - Alexia Ward (McKendree Bearcat WR Club) won by tech fall over Koral Sugiyama (Campbellsville University) (TF 10-0)
7th Place Match - Breanna Douglas (Team Kansas) won by fall over Abigail Nette (Lions Wrestling Club) (Fall 0:45)

UWW Junior - 63 KG
3rd Place Match - Gladdys Palma (Southern Oregon Universty) won by decision over Alexandria Liles (Best Trained Wrestling) (Dec 8-1)
5th Place Match - Elissa Douglass (Scots Wrestling Club) won by fall over Brooke Pagan (New York) (Fall 1:39)
7th Place Match - Cara J Broadus (KT Kidz Wrestling Club) won by tech fall over Marlee Smith (New Jersey) (TF 10-0)

UWW Junior - 67 KG
3rd Place Match - Desiree Zavala (Southern Oregon Universty) won by tech fall over Rachael Butler (North Coast Grapplers) (TF 15-5)
5th Place Match - Lena Flanagan (Team Washington) won by fall over Ashlynn Ortega (Colorado) (Fall 1:56)
7th Place Match - Jerzie Estrada (SOT Academy) won by fall over Brooke Logan (Grindhouse Wrestling Club) (Fall 2:31)

UWW Junior - 72 KG
3rd Place Match - Alyvia Fiske (Napa Sheriff`s Wrestling Club) won by fall over Morgan Becker (Campbellsville University) (Fall 1:29)
5th Place Match - Brooke Holt (Team Illinois) won by decision over Sydnee Kimber (907 Wrestling) (Dec 9-2)
7th Place Match - Agatha Andrews (907 Wrestling) won by tech fall over Lacey Jung (Team Wisconsin) (TF 10-0)

UWW Junior - 79.5 KG
3rd Place Match - Olivia Toth (McKendree Bearcat WR Club) won by fall over Kenya-Lee Sloan (TN Girls USA Wrestling) (Fall 6:00)
5th Place Match - Nicole Diaz (Delta Wrestling Club) won by injury default over Nkechinyere Nwankwo (3SW Academy) (Inj. 0:00)
7th Place Match - Korinahe Bullock (Team Illinois) won by tech fall over Shania Gowan (Florida Jets) (TF 10-0)