Szkotnicki, Rodriguez, Hattendorf, Freitas and Blades receive draws for 2019 Cadet World Championships

SOFIA, Bulgaria – The first five U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers have received their draws for Wednesday’s action of the 2019 Cadet World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Competing for the USA tomorrow is Alex Szkotnicki at 43 kg, Cristelle Rodriguez at 49 kg, Skylar Hattendorf at 57 kg, Lillian Freitas at 65 kg and Kennedy Blades at 73 kg.

Szkotnicki prepares to compete in her second World Championships of the summer. In June, she won a gold medal at the inaugural U15 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Tomorrow, she will face Nagisa Harada of Japan in the first round at 43 kg. Harada has no international results.

2018 Cadet Pan American champion and three-time Fargo champion Kennedy Blades will make her World Championships debut tomorrow at 73 kg. She drew Daria Klimovich of Belarus, who was 13th at the 2018 Cadet Worlds, in the first round.

Rodriguez, Hattendorf and Freitas will be competing in their first international tournaments.

Rodriguez will begin her day taking on Antim Antim of India, who won silver at the 2018 U15 Asian Championships and took fifth at the 2019 Cadet Asian Championships.

At 57 kg, Hattendorf faces Alina Kasabieva of Russia in her first bout. Kasabieva recently claimed bronze at the European Youth Olympic Festival and also owns a bronze medal from the 2017 U15 European Championships.

Freitas will open her tournament at 65 kg against two-time Cadet Pan American silver medalist and 2016 U15 Pan American silver medalist Sandra Escamilla Menchaca from Mexico.

Wrestling begins Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET) live on Trackwrestling. Follow @USAWrestling on Twitter for live updates.

2019 CADET WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Sofia, Bulgaria, July 28-Aug. 4

Women’s freestyle draws

43 kg: Alexandra Szkotnicki (Riva, Md./Southern Maryland WC Wolfpack)
vs. Nagisa Harada (Japan), no credentials

49 kg: Cristelle Rodriguez (Fresno, Calif./Red Wave Wrestling)
vs. Antim Antim (India), 2018 U15 Asian silver medalist, 5th at 2019 Cadet Asian Championships

57 kg: Skylar Hattendorf (Hooksett, N.H./Maine Trappers)
vs. Alina Kasabieva (Russia), 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival bronze medalist, 2017 U15 European bronze medalist

65 kg: Lillian Freitas (Modesto, Calif./Pitman Wrestling)
vs. Sandra Escamilla Menchaca (Mexico), 2018 and 2019 Cadet Pan American silver medalist, 2016 U15 Pan Am silver medalist

73 kg: Kennedy Blades (Broadview, Ill./Izzy Style WC/Wyoming Seminary)
vs. Daria Klimovich (Belarus), 13th at 2018 Cadet Worlds