Golston takes down Olympian Augello, U.S. Open women's freestyle finals set for Friday

LAS VEGAS – In an extremely talented field of athletes, 20 women’s freestylers have emerged to make up the 2019 U.S. Open finals after an exciting semifinals session on Thursday night inside the South Point Arena in Las Vegas.

There were several highlights from the night, but starting it off was an impressive last-second win for Erin Golston at 50 kg.

Trailing 4-2 with only 15 seconds left, Golston shot a blast double and ran it down for a takedown and a 4-4 win on criteria over 2016 Olympian and 2017 World Team member Haley Augello.

“So in the last 15 seconds, I thought about my training practice,” Golston said. “After the practice we do 20-second-goes and you’re down, so I just knew I couldn’t be hesitant. I couldn’t get caught up in the tie. I just had to fire them off, and I knew eventually I was fast enough and I’d be able to get it.”

In the finals, Golston will face 2018 World Team member and reigning U.S. Open champion Whitney Conder, who also picked up a 4-4 victory in her semis over Victoria Anthony.

One of several exciting matchups tomorrow comes at 57 kg, where 2017 World bronze medalist Becka Leathers will take on 2018 World Team member Jenna Burkert for the U.S. Open title.

Both wrestlers were dominant in day-one action, each registering technical falls in the semifinals.

In addition to Leathers and Burkert, there are many other past World Team members who make up the finals lineup.

At 59 kg, two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan aims for her third U.S. Open title and first since 2014 after advancing with a 12-2 tech fall over Lauren Mason in the semifinals.

Tomorrow, Ragan will go against 2018 U23 World Team member Abigail Nette for gold.

2018 Senior World Team members Jacarra Winchester and Forrest Molinari, who both finished fifth in the world, moved on to the finals of their respective weights on Thursday night.

Wrestling at 55 kg, Winchester will face Areana Villaescusa. Winchester won her semi by 10-0 tech, while Villaescusa won by fall.

Molinari, who wrestles at 65 kg, took down 2018 Cadet World champion and Junior World silver medalist Macey Kilty in the semis, 7-3. Molinari is set to face 2017 Junior World champion Maya Nelson in the title bout.

In her semis, Nelson knocked off returning U.S. Open champion and Final X runner-up Julia Salata with a decisive 6-0 win.

“We have such a tough bracket right now, and I was actually so excited to be able to wrestle against the best,” Nelson said. “I wrestle against the best every day at the Olympic Training Center and now I get to show everybody I didn’t fall of the face of the planet. I’m still here, guys.”

2017 World Team member Victoria Francis is back after missing last season, and in her first competition, she advanced to the U.S. Open finals at 72 kg.

To get to the gold match, Francis defeated 2018 U.S. Open runner-up and Final X runner-up Rachel Watters in a 5-4 war.

Francis will take on 2018 Junior World Team member Alyvia Fiske for the title.

Seven-time age-group World Team member Kayla Miracle cruised to the 62 kg finals after a 10-0 tech fall against Cadet and Junior World Team member Alex Liles.

Miracle, a 2017 U.S. Open champ, will face off against Desiree Zavala in the finals. The last time they wrestled was in the 2018 WCWA finals, where Miracle won by fall.

At 53 kg, EAP athlete Tiare Ikei stormed back to defeat Senior National Team member Cody Pfau to earn her spot in the finals. Pfau went up 10-2 early in the bout, but Ikei remained composed and battled her way back to a 12-10 lead before securing a pin in 5:16.

Ikei will take on Katherine Shai in tomorrow’s finals, who recently returned to competition after taking some time off.

At 68 kg, 2018 U.S. Open runner-up Randi Beltz edged out 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist Kayla Marano with a 10-9 decision. Tomorrow, she’ll face Senior National Team member and 2019 WCWA champion Jayden Laurent.

Three-time WCWA All-American Hannah Gladden earned a bid to the finals at 76 kg with a win by fall in the semis. Tomorrow, Gladden will take on two-time WCWA All-American Precious Bell, who defeated WCWA champion Paige Baynes in the semis with a 12-2 tech fall.

Tomorrow’s action begins with back-side placement matches. The finals will take place Friday night at 7 p.m. PT live on Flowrestling.org.

2019 SENIOR WOMEN’S FREESTYLE U.S. OPEN

at South Point Hotel and Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.

Finals results
50 kg: Erin Golston (NYAC) vs. Whitney Conder (Army WCAP)
53 kg: Tiare Ikei (EAP) vs. Katherine Shai (TMWC)
55 kg: Jacarra Winchester (TMWC) vs. Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP)
57 kg: Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) vs. Becka Leathers (TMWC)
59 kg: Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids) vs. Abigail Nette (Lion WC)
62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) vs. Desiree Zavala (Team Takedown)
65 kg: Forrest Molinari (TMWC) vs. Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids)
68 kg: Randi Beltz (Army WCAP) vs. Jayden Laurent (TMWC)
72 kg: Alyvia Fiske (TMWC) vs. Victoria Francis (TMWC)
76 kg: Precious Bell (unattached) vs. Hannah Gladden (Lion WC)

Semifinal results

50 kg
Erin Golston (NYAC) dec. Haley Augello (Sunkist Kids), 4-4
Whitney Conder (Army WCAP) dec. Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids), 4-4

53 kg
Tiare Ikei (EAP) df. Cody Pfau (TMWC), fall 5:16
Katherine Shai (TMWC) dec. Gracie Figueroa (TMWC), 9-6

55 kg
Jacarra Winchester (TMWC) TF Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids), 10-0
Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) df. Shauna Isbell-Kemp (TMWC), fall 5:32

57 kg
Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) TF Koral Sugiyama (Campbellsville), 13-0
Becka Leathers (TMWC) TF Cameron Guerin (TMWC), 14-4

59 kg
Alli Ragan (Sunkist Kids) TF Lauren Mason (Burnaby Mountain WC), 12-2
Abigail Nette (Lion WC) TF Lauren Louive (New York AC), 10-0

62 kg
Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) TF Alexandria Liles (Army WCAP), 10-0
Desiree Zavala (Team Takedown) df. Brenda Reyna (TMWC), fall 0:53

65 kg
Forrest Molinari (TMWC) dec. Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids), 7-3
Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids) dec. Julia Salata (NYAC), 6-0

68 kg
Randi Beltz (Army WCAP) dec. Kayla Marano (Lion WC), 10-9
Jayden Laurent (TMWC) dec. Ashlynn Ortega (Team Tornado), 4-2

72 kg
Alyvia Fiske (TMWC) dec. Alexis Gomez (Gomez Wrestling), 14-6
Victoria Francis (TMWC) dec. Rachel Watters (NYAC), 5-4

76 kg
Precious Bell (unattached) TF Paige Baynes (Wayland Baptist), 12-2
Hannah Gladden (Lion WC) df. Kenya-Lee Sloan (Campbellsville), fall