Final X Preview: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz, 68 kg women

Image of Tamyra Stock by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors. Image of Randyll Beltz by FloWrestling.
Who: Tamyra Stock vs. Randyll Beltz
What: Final X
Where: Lincoln, Neb.
When: June 9
Why: Women’s freestyle World Team spot at 68 kg
Tickets: FinalX.tv
Tamyra Stock
How she got to Final X:
This was a weight class that did have a 2018 World medalist. Stock reached Final X by winning the U.S. Open at 68 kg, her second career Senior National title.
Background:
A Texas native, Tamyra has competed under her maiden name Mensah until recently married and is now competing as Tamyra Stock. A high school state champion in Texas, she chose to compete at Wayland Baptist, the only women’s varsity team in Texas at the time. She thrived in college quickly not only becoming one of the best on the college scene but also highly competitive on the Senior level.
She was a two-time WCWA champion for Wayland Baptist, winning in 2014 and 2017 and finishing with four All-American honors. In between, she was doing a lot of international freestyle, including an Olympic redshirt year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. A highly skilled athlete, Stock’s performances improved as she expanded her technical and tactical abilities. She won a University World silver medal in 2014 and by 2015 had reached the No. 2 spot on the Senior Women’s National Team with a runner-up finish at the World Team Trials.
In 2016, Stock took the next step, winning a U.S. Open title and going on to capture the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa City. Her weight class was not qualified for Rio at the time, and she just missed getting it done in the final two Olympic Qualifiers, meaning she did not get to wrestle in the Olympics.
Focused on moving forward, she made her first U.S. Senior World Team in 2017 but fell short of the medals in Paris. Stock has beaten many of the top stars in her weight class worldwide but is still seeking to put it all together at the right time. In January, she became the first U.S. wrestler to win two Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix titles in Russia in back-to-back years, a feat that Kyle Snyder matched the next day. Stock is seeking a return trip to the Worlds and the chance to take the next step in her development.
Stock’s World Championship experience:
2014 University World Championships in Pecs, Hungary - SILVER
2017 Senior World Championships in Paris, France – NINTH
Randyll Beltz

How she got to Final X:
Beltz claimed the title at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minn. to capture her spot in Final X.
Background:
Randyll Beltz is a tough competitor, who has paid her dues within USA Wrestling’s program and continues to put herself in a position to succeed. She worked her way into the sport as a high school wrestler in Missouri, who was competitive against the boys and was a Junior Nationals freestyle champion in 2007 and a Junior Nationals folkstyle champion in 2008, wrestling against the girls.
Her college career was at Missouri Valley, where she finished as high as third at the 2013 WCWA Nationals. While at the college level, Beltz was already making an impact on the international scene, claiming a Pan American Junior gold medal in 2009 and a Pan American Senior silver medal in 2012. Her first All-American honor on the Senior level came in 2010, when she was sixth at the U.S. Open. Since then, she has been a consistent contender on the national level, placing at the U.S. Open seven times and earning a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team two times.
Beltz made a big move this year by joining the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program and moving up in weight. In the past, Beltz has competed anywhere between 58 kg and 62 kg but came into 2018 up at 68 kg. She won a bronze at the Dave Schultz Memorial in November 2017 at her new weight class then reached the finals at the U.S. Open, losing to Stock but earning her highest placement ever at the event. She dominated at the Freestyle World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, winning her finals series over Yvonne Galindo with a pair of technical falls.

Beltz’s World Championship experience
None
Notes
• Beltz and Stock have been competing at different weight classes over the years. Their most recent meeting was in the 2018 U.S. Open finals in Vegas, where Stock scored a 10-0 technical fall in the finals.
• Stock has often competed in college and on the national scene alongside her sister Tarkyia, who has won two University Nationals titles and earned three WCWA All-American honors at Wayland Baptist.
• Beltz is one of three U.S. Army WCAP women to qualify for Final X, joining Jenna Burkert at 59 kg and three-time World Team member Whitney Conder at 50 kg. Burkert is also competing in Final X in Lincoln, while Conder makes her run at Final X in Lehigh.
• If you do a web search for past results for Beltz, you should use Randi as her first name. She did not start using her birth name Randyll on the wrestling scene until this year, while representing the U.S. Army. Her UWW bio also shows the first name Randyll. The Army WCAP enters its athletes with their name on their birth certificate, which is how Harry Lester started competing as Justin Lester on the Greco side, for example.
• Follow Stock on Instagram @mensahtamyrastock. You can still find some of her postings at her old Instagram handle @tamyramensah
• Follow Beltz on Instagram @randyllb and on Twitter @BeltzRandyll
68 kg/149.5 lbs. WOMEN
Tamyra Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
College: Wayland Baptist High School: Katy, Texas (Morgan Ranch) Born: Oct. 11, 1992
• 2016 and 2018 U.S. Open champion
• 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion
• 2017 U.S. World Team Trials champion
• 2017 and 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix champion (Russia)
• First American athlete to win back-to-back Yarygin golds
• Second in 2015 World Team Trials
• Second in 2017 U.S. Open
• Third in 2016 Olympic Test Event (Brazil)
• 2015 University Nationals champion
• 2014 and 2017 WCWA Nationals champion for Wayland Baptist
Randyll Beltz, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
College: Missouri Valley High School: St. Clair (Mo.) Born: April 30, 1990
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• Third in 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
• Second at 2018 U.S. Open
• Third in 2010, 2015 and 2017 U.S. Open
• Third in 2015 World Team Trials
• Second in 2016 Canada Cup
• Second in 2012 Pan American Championships
• Second in 2016 Dave Schultz Memorial International
• Second in 2010 and 2011 University Nationals
• Third in the 2013 WCWA Nationals for Missouri Valley