U.S. women's freestyle team released for Senior Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru, May 3-6

After an exciting few days of competition at last weekend’s 2018 U.S. Open, the 2018 U.S. women’s freestyle Pan Am team has been determined for next week’s Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru, May 3-6.

Headlining the squad is three-time World champion Adeline Gray (New York, N.Y./New York AC) at 76 kg/167 lbs. Gray is coming off a hot streak, where she dominated the competition at the U.S. Open en route to the 76 kg title and her fourth overall national title in Las Vegas.

In addition to being a three-time World champion, Gray has won two other World medals. She was also the USA’s representative at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Next week will mark Gray’s first Pan American Championships. In 2015, she competed at the Pan American Games and won gold.

Another World medalist making the lineup is 2017 Senior World bronze medalist Becka Leathers (Choctaw, Okla./Titan Mercury WC), who will wrestle at 55 kg. Leathers, who won this year’s U23 World Team Trials, competed at the 2017 Pan Am Championships, where she won the crown.

Leathers did not compete at the 2018 U.S. Open as she had already secured a spot in the Final X series.

Four U.S. Open champions from last week will make the trip to Peru, including Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP), Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC), Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) and Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids).

Conder, a three-time World Team member, will take the spot at 50 kg/110 lbs. Conder has a history of success on the international level as a 2007 Junior World champion and a 2014 CISM Military World silver medalist. Similar to Gray, she won the 2015 Pan Am Games and will compete in her first Pan American Championships next week.

2016 U.S. World Team member Hildebrandt will aim for her third Pan Am title, wrestling for the U.S. at 53 kg/117 lbs. She won the event in 2013 and 2015. Back after an injury ended her season last year, Hildebrandt won the 53 kg title in Vegas last weekend and was named the Outstanding Wrestler.

Fresh off her fourth U.S. Open title, Campbell, a 2012 Olympian, was awarded the spot at 59 kg/130 lbs. Campbell is a two-time Pan Am champion, winning in 2011 and 2016, and a two-time U.S. World Team member. She also won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but the weight was not qualified for the Olympic Games.

Four-time WCWA national champion and two-time Junior World bronze medalist Miracle is coming off a big win at the U.S. Open, where she defeated 2017 Senior World Teamer Mallory Velte in the 62 kg finals for her second-consecutive national title. Recently, Miracle was on the 2017 U.S. U23 World Team and took fifth in the world at the inaugural event. Since then, she has moved up to 62 kg, where she has continued her dominance. Next week will be Miracle’s second-straight trip to the Pan Am Championships. Last year, she secured a bronze medal.

2018 U.S. Open runners-up Michaela Beck (New York, N.Y./New York AC), Forrest Molinari (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury) and Randi Beltz (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) have also been named to the squad.

Beck, who competed in Pan Ams at the Cadet level last year, will hold the spot down for the U.S. at 57 kg/125 lbs.

Two-time U23 World Team member Molinari will seek her second Pan Am medal in just as many years, wrestling at 65 kg/143 lbs. She won bronze at last year’s event.

Wrestling at 68 kg/150 lbs. is Beltz, who won a Junior Pan Am gold in 2009 and a Senior Pan Am silver in 2012. This will mark her second trip to Pan Ams at the Senior level.

Hannah Gladden (Gadsden, Ala./Lions WC) finished third at the U.S. Open and will represent the United States at 72 kg/158 lbs. in Lima.

The women’s freestyle tournament will be held on May 4-5. Greco-Roman will compete on May 3-4, and men’s freestyle will wrap up the tournament on May 5-6. For all four days, the tournament will begin at 10 a.m. local time with the qualification rounds and repechage. The finals are set for 6 p.m. local time each day. Lima, Peru, is situated one hour behind U.S. Eastern Time.

The tournament will serves two big purposes. First, it is a ranking tournament for the 2018 Senior World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where the points go to the individual, not the country. Also it is a qualifier for the 2019 Pan American Games. The top three at each weight will qualify their country for the next Pan Am Games. Since this event will have two bronze winners, those two will face off for true-third to qualify their nation.

The competition will take place in the Sports Center of the National Sports Town, located in Av. Del Aire Block 08, District of San Luis.

United World Wrestling will provide a live stream of the event and complete results to those residing in the U.S. through Trackwrestling.com, which is requires a paid subscription. UWW season passes are available for $49.99.

2018 SENIOR PAN AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Lima, Peru, May 3-6

Women’s freestyle roster
50 kg/110 lbs. – Whitney Conder (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)
53 kg/117 lbs. – Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC)
55 kg/121 lbs. – Becka Leathers (Choctaw, Okla./Titan Mercury WC)
57 kg/125 lbs. – Michaela Beck (New York, N.Y./New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids)
62 kg/136 lbs. – Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville, Ky./Sunkist Kids)
65 kg/143 lbs. – Forrest Molinari (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury)
68 kg/150 lbs. – Randi Beltz (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)
72 kg/158 lbs. – Hannah Gladden (Gadsden, Ala./Lions WC)
76 kg/167 lbs. – Adeline Gray (New York, N.Y./New York AC)

Coach – Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Coach – Chris Pendleton (Tempe, Ariz.)
Coach – Izzy Silva (Fresno, Calif.)

Schedule

Thursday, May 3

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. – Greco-Roman Medical Examination & Weigh-in (55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 97, 130 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds and Repechage (55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 97, 130 kg)

5:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremony

6:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Medal Matches (55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 97, 130 kg)

Friday, May 4

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. – Greco-Roman Medical Examination & Weigh-in (77, 82, 87kg) and Women’s Freestyle Medical Examination & Weigh-in (55, 59, 65 kg)

10:00 a.m. – Greco-Roman Qualification Rounds and Repechage (77, 82, 87kg) and Women’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (55, 59, 65 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Greco-Roman Medal Matches (77, 82, 87kg) and Women’s Freestyle Medal Matches (55, 59, 65 kg)

Saturday, May 5

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. – Women’s Freestyle Medical Examination & Weigh-in (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg) Men’s Freestyle Medical Examination & Weigh-in (79, 92 kg)

10:00 a.m. –Women’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg) and Men’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (79, 92 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Women Freestyle Medal Matches (50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg) and Men’s Freestyle Medal Matches (79, 92 kg)

Sunday, May 6

8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. – Men’s Freestyle Medical Examination & Weigh-in (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)

10:00 a.m. –Men’s Freestyle Qualification Rounds and Repechage (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)

6:00 p.m. – Men’s Freestyle Medal Matches (57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)