Kilty caps off impressive summer with silver at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Slovakia

TRNAVA, Slovakia – Macey Kilty collected a silver medal at the 2018 Junior World Championships, after making her second World finals appearance of the summer.

“I think throughout this year, I’ve made a big jump in my wrestling and my training,” Kilty said. “Just the pressure I put on my opponents and staying in good position has jumped levels for me, even since Croatia. I’ve seen a big difference. I’m just grateful for the opportunities I’ve had this summer and getting to compete.”

Kilty, who won a Cadet World title in July in Zagreb, Croatia, faced off against reining Junior World champion and two-time Cadet World champion Khanum Velieva of Russia in the 68 kg finals.

Velieva scored first on a takedown, but moments later picked up a takedown on the edge to take a 3-0 lead into the break over the American.

In the second period, the three-time World champion scored on a throw-by for a takedown. Her final two points came in the form of a step out and a caution and one to take the gold medal with a 7-0 victory.

Kilty wrapped up her first Junior World tournament with her third-career World medal. The Wisconsin native won Cadet World bronze in 2016 and added Cadet World gold this summer.

The 2018 Junior World Championships continue tomorrow with the start of men’s freestyle competition at 10:30 a.m. local time (4:30 a.m. ET), followed by women’s medal matches at 6 p.m. (12 p.m. ET). Fans can watch all the action live on Trackwrestling.com.

2018 JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Trnava, Slovakia

Team standings
1. Japan - 100
2. Russia - 85
3. China – 68
4. Ukraine – 50
5. India – 37
6. USA – 36
7. Kazakhstan – 35
8. Mongolia – 30
9. Moldova – 25
10. Korea - 24

Finals results

50 kg
GOLD - Yui Susaki of JAPAN
SILVER - Ellen Riesterer of GERMANY
BRONZE - Veronika Gurskaya of RUSSIA
BRONZE - Marina Zakshevskaya of KAZAKHSTAN

1st - Yui Susaki (JAPAN) TF Ellen Riesterer (GERMANY), 10-0
3rd - Veronika Gurskaya (RUSSIA) fall Yumei Zhong (CHINA), 2:49
3rd - Marina Zakshevskaya (KAZAKHSTAN) TF Emanuela Liuzzi (ITALY), 12-0

55 kg
1st Place - Saki Igarashi of JAPAN
2nd Place - Khaliunaa Bayaraa of MONGOLIA
3rd Place - Jiajing Hou of CHINA
3rd Place - Ekaterina Verbina of RUSSIA

1st - Saki Igarashi (JAPAN) TF Khaliunaa Bayaraa (MONGOLIA), 10-0
3rd - Jiajing Hou (CHINA) dec. Eunyoung Park (KOREA), 7-4
3rd - Ekaterina Verbina (RUSSIA) TF Anju Anju (INDIA), 12-2

59 kg
GOLD - Anastasia Nichita of MOLDOVA
SILVER - Sae Nanjo of JAPAN
BRONZE - Anshu Anshu of INDIA
BRONZE - Tetiana Rizhko of UKRAINE

1st - Anastasia Nichita (MOLDOVA) dec. Sae Nanjo (JAPAN), 5-4
3rd - Anshu Anshu (INDIA) dec. Alina Kazymova (RUSSIA), 11-5
3rd - Tetiana Rizhko (UKRAINE) TF Yekaterina Firstova (KAZAKHSTAN), 13-0

68 kg
GOLD - Khanum Velieva of RUSSIA
SILVER - Macey Ellen Kilty of UNITED STATES
BRONZE - Alina Rudnytska Levytska of UKRAINE
BRONZE - Miwa Morikawa of JAPAN

1st - Khanum Velieva (RUSSIA) dec. Macey Ellen Kilty (UNITED STATES), 7-0
3rd - Alina Rudnytska Levytska (UKRAINE) TF Yan Wang (CHINA), fall 3:42
3rd - Miwa Morikawa (JAPAN) won by tech fall over Hyeonyeong Park (KOREA), 10-0

76 kg
GOLD - Yuanyuan Huang of CHINA
SILVER - Elmira Khalaeva of RUSSIA
BRONZE - Denise Sabina Makota Stroem of SWEDEN
BRONZE - Yasuha Matsuyuki of JAPAN

1st - Yuanyuan Huang (CHINA) fall Elmira Khalaeva (RUSSIA), fall 1:33
3rd - Denise Stroem (SWEDEN) TF Inkara Zhanatayeva (KAZAKHSTAN), 10-0
3rd - Yasuha Matsuyuki (JAPAN) TF Anna Tislichenko (UKRAINE),10-0

U.S. women’s freestyle results

50 kg: Alleida Martinez (Selma, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) - SEVENTH
WIN Yazaman Majidli (Azerbaijan), fall 4:57
WIN Victoria Apalonik (Belarus), fall 2:34
LOSS Marina Zakshevskaya (Kazakhstan), fall 1:41

55 kg: Ronna Heaton (Brookings, S.D./Sunkist Kids) – SEVENTH
WIN Anne Nuernberger (Germany), 8-2
LOSS Ekaterina Verbina (Russia), 11-4

59 kg: Brenda Reyna (Mount Vernon, Wash/Bearcat WC) – 11th
LOSS Hwan Sung (Korea), 6-6

68 kg: Macey Kilty (River Falls, Wisc./Sunkist Kids WC) – SILVER
WIN Tindra Sjoeberg (Sweden), 12-0
WIN Alina Rudnytska (Ukraine), fall 0:50
WIN Yan Wang (China), 11-0
LOSS Khanum Velieva (Russia), 7-0

76 kg: Dymond Guilford (Lancaster, Calif./Missouri Baptist) – 11th
LOSS Yahua Matsuyaki (Japan), fall 4:54