UWW Junior women's finals to feature Beck and Hedrick in U.S. Open finals rematch

IRVING, Texas – The best-of-three finals series to determine the 2018 U.S. Junior Women’s Freestyle World Team has been set after a full morning of wrestling at the Irving Convention Center in Irving, Texas, on Friday.

Highlighting the lineup of bouts is a rematch from the 2018 Senior U.S. Open, where U.S. Open champion Alex Hedrick will meet up with U.S. Open runner-up Michaela Beck in the 57 kg finals. Both are looking to make their first age-group World Team.

The last time these two met, just a couple of weeks ago, Hedrick walked away with a victory by fall in the first period.

Four past age-group World medalists advanced to the Junior Trials finals, including 2015 World champ and 2016 World silver medalist Ronna Heaton, 2015 World silver and 2016 bronze medalist Alleida Martinez and Cadet World bronze winners Macey Kilty and Kayla Marano.

Tomorrow’s finals include a head-to-head matchup between two of those medalists, Kilty and Marano, who will battle for the World Team spot at 68 kg. Both won their World medals at the 2016 Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.

At 50 kg, Martinez will battle Felicity Taylor, who knocked off two-time WCWA champion and 2018 U23 World Team member Charlotte Fowler in the semifinals, while Heaton, a past World champion, will go up against 2017 Cadet World Team member Cameron Guerin at 55 kg.

Other past World Teamers who advanced to the finals are Vayle Baker, Alisha Howk, Brenda Reyna and Alex Liles.

Baker and Howk were teammates on the 2017 Cadet World Team and will go at it for the slot at 53 kg tomorrow.

Reyna, who took eighth at the 2016 Junior World Championships, sits in tomorrow’s finals at 59 kg, where she will face 2015 Junior freestyle national champion Teniya Alo.

Two-time Cadet World Team member Liles will be challenged by 2018 Bill Farrell International bronze winner Brianna Csontos in the finals at 62 kg.

At 76 kg, it will be a battle of WCWA All-Americans as Mariah Harris of Campbellsville will meet up with Dymond Guilford of Missouri Baptist. The two met in the 2018 WCWA quarterfinals, where Harris pulled out a tight 4-3 win.

Andrea Sennett and Alyvia Fiske navigated their ways through a talented 72 kg bracket and will fight for the World Team spot tomorrow.

The best-of-three finals series is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. CT live on Flowrestling.org

2018 WOMEN’S NATIONALS

at Irving, Texas, May 11-13

Best-of-three finals matchups
50: Felicity Taylor (Team Iowa) vs. Alleida Martinez (Team California)
53: Vayle Baker (Team Pennsylvania) vs. Alisha Howk (Team Wisconsin)
55: Ronna Heaton (Team South Dakota) vs. Cameron Guerin (Team Washington)
57: Alexandra Hedrick (Team California) vs. Michaela Beck (Team New York)
59: Brenda Reyna (Team Illinois) vs. Teniya Alo (Team Hawaii)
62: Alexandria Liles (Team Texas) vs. Brianna Csontos (Team Virginia)
65: Jayden Laurent (Team Wisconsin) vs. Ashlynn Ortega (Team Pennsylvania)
68: Macey Kilty (Team Wisconsin) vs. Kayla Marano (Team Georgia)
72: Andrea Sennett (Team Illinois) vs. Alyvia Fiske (Team California)
76: Mariah Harris (Team Kentucky) vs. Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri)

Semifinals results
50 kg
Felicity Taylor (Team Iowa) dec. Charlotte Fowler (Team Kentucky), 11-3
Alleida Martinez (Team California) TF Brooke Thurber (Team Wisconsin), 12-0

53 kg
Vayle Baker (Team Pennsylvania) TF Kierstien Bush (Team California), 10-0
Alisha Howk (Team Wisconsin) fall Sierra Powell (Team Virginia), 0:42

55 kg
Ronna Heaton (Team South Dakota) fall Andrea Schlabach (Team Ohio), 1:29
Cameron Guerin (Team Washington) TF Amanda Walker (Team Pennsylvania), 10-0

57 kg
Alexandra Hedrick (Team California) TF Ainslie Lane (Team Oklahoma), 10-0
Michaela Beck (Team New York) dec. Xochitl Mota-pettis (Team Texas), 6-5

59 kg
Brenda Reyna (Team Illinois) TF Kaylee Moore (Team Washington), 13-0
Teniya Alo (Team Hawaii) TF Allison Petix (Team Tennessee), 14-1

62 kg
Alexandria Liles (Team Texas) fall Abnelis Yambo (Team Florida), 1:21
Brianna Csontos (Team Virginia) TF Marlee Smith (Team Pennsylvania), 10-0

65 kg
Jayden Laurent (Team Wisconsin) TF Cierra Foster (Team Oklahoma), 10-0
Ashlynn Ortega (Team Pennsylvania) fall Hannah Ramos (Team Wisconsin), 2:23

68 kg
Macey Kilty (Team Wisconsin) TF Alexia Foca (Team Kentucky), 10-0
Kayla Marano (Team Georgia) fall Lena Flanagan (Team Washington), 2:01

72 kg
Andrea Sennett (Team Illinois) fall Jerzie Estrada (Team Colorado), 2:59
Alyvia Fiske (Team California) TF Kelani Corbett (Team Hawaii), 10-0

76 kg
Mariah Harris (Team Kentucky) fall Elisa Robinson (Team Kansas), 1:38
Dymond Guilford (Team Missouri) TF Hailey Cancelleri (Team New York), 10-0