Several hammers go down in session one of Senior women's freestyle action at the US Open

LAS VEGAS – The semifinals for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Freestyle Nationals have been set for Thursday evening at the South Point Hotel and Arena in Las Vegas.

The semifinals will begin at 6 p.m. PT live on Flowrestling.org. 

Notable semifinals matchups

• Both of the semifinals at 65 kg are attention-getting.
  

• 2018 Senior and U23 World Team member Forrest Molinari will take on 2018 Cadet World champion and Junior World silver medalist Macey Kilty.
• 2017 Junior World champion Maya Nelson returns to competition after a year off due to injury. Tonight, she will face reigning U.S. Open champion and Final X runner-up Julia Salata.

• The 50 kg matchups feature some exciting names.
  • Ranked No. 1 in the most recent national rankings, Erin Golston, who recently won silver at the Pan American Championships last week, will challenge 2016 Olympian Haley Augello. After competing up a weight class for the last two years, this is Augello’s first tournament back down.
  • On the other side, we’ll see a rematch of the 2018 Final X series as Final X champ Whitney Conder takes on Final X runner-up Victoria Anthony. Both are multiple-time World Team members.
• 2017 Senior World Team member Victoria Francis will take on five-time age-group World Team member and Final X runner-up Rachel Watters in the 72 kg semis.
• Other past World Team members in the semifinals are two-time World silver medalist Alli Raga at 59 kg, 2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers at 57 kg and 2018 World Team members Jacarra Winchester at 55 kg and Jenna Burkert at 57 kg.

Notable upsets

• 55 kg had several upsets in the first session of the event
  • Areana Villaescusa entered the tournament unseeded at 55 kg and defeated No. 2 seed and two-time Senior National Team member Dominique Parrish in the first round, 5-5. Parrish was recently named the Miranda Medal winner for her outstanding college performance this past season.
  • Junior-aged athlete and No. 5 seed Alisha Howk picked up a decisive win against No. 4 Sam Klingel in the quarters.
  • No. 6 Shauna Isbell-Kemp edged out returning U.S. Open champion Alex Hedrick in the quarters, 7-5.
• Things got shaken up at 76 kg.
  • Precious Bell, ranked No. 5, dominated No. 4 Nahiela Magee with a 10-0 tech fall.
  • Sixth-seeded Hannah Gladden edged out No. 3 Kori Bullock on criteria, 2-2. Both Gladden and Bullock are National Team members but at different weights.
  • Kenya-Lee Sloan entered the event unseeded and pinned the No. 2 seed Leilani Camargo-Naone in the quarterfinals. Sloan led 10-2 at the time of the pin.
• Unseeded Alexis Gomez knocked off 2019 WCWA champion and 2018 Junior World Team member Dymond Guilford, the No. 1 seed, 10-9, in the quarterfinals at 72 kg.
• EAP athlete Cameron Guerin, the No. 7 seed, defeated 2012 Olympian and second-seeded Kelsey Campbell, 6-4.
• No. 5 Lauren Mason pinned 2017 U23 World Team member and fourth-seed Megan Black in the first minute of the 59 kg quarters.
• No. 6 Desiree Zavala shut out No. 3 Alexis Porter in a 7-0 win in the 62 kg quarters.
• At 72 kg, No. 5 Alyvia Fiske avenged a WCWA Championships loss to No. 4 Iman Kazem with a 4-0 decision.

Semifinal matchups

50 kg
Erin Golston (NYAC) vs. Haley Augello (Sunkist Kids)
Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids) vs. Whitney Conder (Army WCAP)

53 kg
Cody Pfau (TMWC) vs. Tiare Ikei (EAP)
Katherine Shai (TMWC) vs. Gracie Figueroa (TMWC)

55 kg
Jacarra Winchester (TMWC) vs. Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids)
Shauna Isbell-Kemp (TMWC) vs. Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP)

57 kg
Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) vs. Koral Sugiyama (Campbellsville)
Becka Leathers (TMWC) vs. Cameron Guerin (TMWC)

59 kg
Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids) vs. Lauren Mason (Burnaby Mountain WC)
Abigail Nette (Lion WC) vs. Lauren Louive (New York AC)

62 kg
Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alex Liles (Army WCAP)
Desiree Zavala (Team Takedown) vs. Brenda Reyna (TMWC)

65 kg
Forrest Molinari (TMWC) vs. Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids)
Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids) vs. Julia Salata (NYAC)

68 kg
Randi Beltz (Army WCAP) vs. Kayla Marano (Lion WC)
Ashlynn Ortega (Team Tornado) vs. Jayden Laurent (TMWC)

72 kg
Alexis Gomez (Gomez Wrestling) vs. Alyvia Fiske (TMWC)
Victoria Francis (TMWC) vs. Rachel Watter (NYAC)

76 kg
Paige Baynes (Wayland Baptist) vs. Precious Bell (unattached)
Hannah Gladden (Lion WC) vs. Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville)

Quarterfinal results

50 kg
Erin Golston (NYAC) dec. Maria Vidales (Lions Wrestling Club), 14-5
Haley Augello (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Amy Fearnside (TMWC), 2-1
Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) TF Alleida Martinez (TMWC), 10-0
Whitney Conder (Army/WCAP) TF Emily Shilson (TMWC), 10-0

53 kg
Cody Pfau (TMWC) fall Marissa Ritchie (Team JGold), 0:47
Tiare Ikei (Elite Accelerator Program) TF Kierstien Bush (Sanderson Wrestling Academy), 10-0
Katherine Shai (TMWC) TF Madison Angelito (University of the Cumberlands), 11-0
Gracie Figueroa (TMWC) TF Peyton Prussin (Valkyrie), 11-0

55 kg
Jacarra Winchester (TMWC) TF Kailyn Ramos (Aries Wrestling Club/OKRTC), 10-0
Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Samantha Klingel (Army/WCAP), 8-4
Shauna Isbell-Kemp (TMWC) dec. Alexandra Hedrick (TMWC), 7-5
Areana Villaescusa (Army/WCAP) dec. Ronna Heaton (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-2

57 kg
Jenna Burkert (Army/WCAP) TF Sierra Brown-Ton (Colorado Mesa), 11-0
Koral Sugiyama (Campbellsville University) dec. Allison Petix (Team Tornado), 6-6
Becka Leathers (TMWC) TF Dajan Treder (University of Providence), 10-0
Cameron Guerin (TMWC) dec. Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 6-4

59 kg
Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) TF Daishea Jaime (Aries Wrestling Club/OKRTC), 10-0
Lauren Mason (Burnaby Mountain WC) fall Megan Black (TMWC), 0:50
Abby Nette (Lions Wrestling Club) TF Kairah Cantillo (Ocg), 10-0
Lauren Louive (NYAC) TF Jen Pitassi (U.S. Army), 10-0

62 kg
Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) TF Amber Strong (Colorado Mesa), 10-0
Alexandria Liles (Army/WCAP) dec. Brianna Csontos (TMWC), 9-3
Desiree Zavala (Team Takedown) dec. Alexis Porter (NYAC), 7-0
Brenda Reyna (TMWC) TF Natalia Hinojo (Aries Wrestling Club/OKRTC), 12-0

65 kg
Forrest Molinari (TMWC) fall Melissa Jacobs (Minnesota Storm), 1:47
Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) dec. Nicole Joseph (Team Tornado), 7-0
Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) TF Destiny Lyng (Aries Wrestling Club/OKRTC), 10-0
Julia Salata (NYAC) fall Gabrielle Garcia (Pounders), 1:56

68 kg
Randi Beltz (Army/WCAP) TF Anna Naylor (University of the Cumberlands), 10-0
Kayla Marano (Lions Wrestling Club) fall Marilyn Garcia (Unattached), 3:28
Ashlynn Ortega (Team Tornado) dec. Skylar Grote (NYAC), 7-3
Jayden Laurent (TMWC) TF Ophelia Lara (Lions Wrestling Club), 10-0

72 kg
Alexis Gomez (Gomez Wrestling) dec. Dymond Guilford (Missouri Baptist), 10-9
Alyvia Fiske (TMWC) dec. Iman Kazem (Menlo College), 4-0
Victoria Francis (TMWC) TF Myranda Velazquez (Jamestown Taz WC), 12-2
Rachel Watters (NYAC/OKRTC) dec. Chloe Rogers (Burnaby Mountain WC), 4-1

76 kg
Paige Baynes (Wayland Baptist) TF Payton Rigert (University of the Cumberlands), 10-0
Precious Bell (Unattached) TF Nahiela Magee (Army/WCAP), 10-0
Hannah Gladden (Lions Wrestling Club) dec. Korinahe Bullock (TMWC), 2-2
Kenya-lee Sloan (Campbellsville University) fall Leilani Camargo-Naone (C4 Wrestling), 10-2