Field for Final X in women's freestyle is completed after World Team Trials Challenge Tournament

RALEIGH, N.C. – The field is completed for Final X in women’s freestyle as the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with the best-of-three finals series inside Reynolds Coliseum on North Carolina State’s campus.

In one of the most anticipated matchups, 2017 Junior World champion Maya Nelson face 2018 Cadet World champion and Junior World runner-up Macey Kilty.

Nelson took the series at 65 kg in two-straight matches, recording 5-0 and 11-3 decisions. Nelson and Kilty will be teammates at the U23 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, this fall at 65 kg and 68 kg, respectively.

Waiting for Nelson in Final X at Rutgers on June 8 is 2018 Senior World Team member and 2019 U.S. Open champion Forrest Molinari. It’ll be a rematch of the 2019 U.S. Open finals, where Molinari won 5-1.

Emerging from the 62 kg bracket to take the Final X bid was eight-time age-group World Team member Kayla Miracle, who dominated in Sunday’s best-of-three finals, defeating Desiree Zavala with a pin and a 10-0 tech fall.

At Final X Lincoln on June 15, Miracle will take on Mallory Velte in a rematch of last year’s Final X, where the series went to three matches. Ultimately, Velte won the spot and went on to win a World bronze medal.

Another 2018 Final X rematch that we’ll be treated to this summer is at 50 kg, where Victoria Anthony won the remaining bid with two decisive wins over Erin Golston in the Trials Challenge Tournament finals.

Anthony will go head-to-head with four-time World Team member and 2018 Final X champion Whitney Conder on June 8. That battle also went to three matches with Conder winning the first and third.

The 57 kg weight class sets up for an intriguing Final X matchup as it’s a 2019 U.S. Open finals rematch between Becka Leathers and Jenna Burkert.

Defeating Arian Carpio with two-straight wins today, Burkert punched her ticket to Final X at Rutgers.

Burkert was the 2018 Final X runner-up at 59 kg and eventually was given the nod to represent the USA at the World Championships. Leathers, a 2017 World bronze medalist, was the 2018 Final X runner-up at 55 kg.

In just a few short weeks, they will meet in the middle for the 57 kg World Team spot.

Another U.S. Open finals rematch will happen at 72 kg, where 2017 Senior World Team member Victoria Francis, who won the tournament on Sunday, will challenge 2019 U.S. Open champion Alyvia Fiske for the right to represent the U.S. at the 2019 Worlds in Astana, Kazakhstan.

In the Trials Challenge Tournament, Francis breezed past 2019 WCWA champion Iman Kazem with a technical fall, followed by a pin.

This weekend, the Hawkeye Wrestling Club proved to own the 59 kg weight class as two Iowa City residents, Lauren Louive and Michaela Beck met up in the best-of-three Trials Challenge finals. Louive eventually took the series, winning the second and third matches.

At Final X in Lincoln, Louive will face yet another Hawkeye Wrestling Club teammate in two-time World silver medalist and 2018 Final X champ Alli Ragan.

Others who won Final X bids on Sunday included Katherine Shai at 53 kg, Dominique Parrish at 55 kg, Alex Glaude at 68 kg and Precious Bell at 76 kg.

Shai avenged a U.S. Open finals loss to Tiare Ikei in the best-of-three finals, recording a tech and a pin. She’ll go to Final X in Lincoln to face 2018 World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt.

Three-time U23 World Team member Parrish will also travel to Final X in Lincoln, where she’ll take on U.S. Open champion Jacarra Winchester, who was fifth at the 2018 World Championships.

Glaude forced her series against Randi Beltz to three matches on Sunday and won the 68 kg bracket to secure a spot in Final X Rutgers, wher 2018 World bronze medalist Tamyra Mensas-Stock will be waiting.

At 76 kg, 2019 U.S. Open champion Bell got a first-period pin, followed by a 9-0 victory over Hannah Gladden to get a chance to face four-time World champion Adeline Gray for the World Team spot at Final X Lincoln.

Final X has two locations this year, June 8 in Piscataway, N.J., and June 15 in Lincoln, Neb. Fans can buy tickets now at FinalX.tv.

2019 WORLD TEAM TRIALS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT

at Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, N.C.), May 18-19

Final X Rutgers matchups
50: Whitney Conder vs. Victoria Anthony
57: Becka Leathers vs. Jenna Burkert
65: Forrest Molinari vs. Maya Nelson
68: Tamyra Mensah-Stock vs. Alex Glaude
72: Alyvia Fiske vs. Victoria Francis

Final X Lincoln matchups
53: Sarah Hildebrandt vs. Katherine Shai
55: Jacarra Winchester vs. Dominique Parrish
59: Alli Ragan vs. Lauren Louive
62: Mallory Velte vs. Kayla Miracle
76: Adeline Gray vs. Precious Bell

Women’s freestyle results
50 kg
1st - Victoria Anthony (Sunkist Kids) df. Erin Golston (New York AC), two matches to none
Round one: Anthony dec. Golston, 8-2
Round two: Anthony dec. Golston, 4-3

True 2nd – Amy Fearnside (Titan Mercury) dec. Erin Golston (New York AC), 3-2

53 kg
1st - Katherine Shai (TMWC) df. Tiare Ikei (EAP), two matches to none
Round one: Shai TF Ikei, 10-0
Round two: Shai df. Ikei, fall 1:54

True 2nd – Haley Augello (Sunkist Kids) TF Tiare Ikei (EAP), 12-0

55 kg
1st - Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids) df. Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP), two matches to none
Round one: Parrish dec. Villaescusa, 6-0
Round two: Parrish dec. Villaescusa, 4-1

3rd – Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids)

57 kg
1st - Jenna Burkert (Army WCAP) df. Arian Carpio (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Round one: Burkert dec. Carpio, 11-2
Round two: Burkert TF Carpio, 10-0

True 2nd – Kelsey Campbell (Sunkist Kids) dec. Arian Carpio (Sunkist Kids), 4-0

59 kg
1st - Lauren Louive (NYAC/Hawkeye WC) df. Michaela Beck (NYAC/Hawkeye WC), two matches to one
Round one: Beck dec. Louive, 8-3
Round two: Louive dec. Beck, 4-4
Round three: Louvie dec. Beck, 5-4

True 2nd – Abigail Nette (Lion WC) TF Michaela Beck (Hawkeye WC), 11-0

62 kg
1st - Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids) df. Desiree Zavala (Choker WC), two matches to none
Round one: Miracle df. Zavala, fall 1:15
Round two: Miracle TF Zavala, 10-0

3rd – Alexis Porter (New York AC) df. Bri Csontos (TMWC), 3:28

65 kg
1st - Maya Nelson (Sunkist Kids) df. Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids), two matches to none
Round one: Nelson dec. Kilty, 5-0
Round two: Nelson dec. Kilty, 11-3

3rd – Julia Salata (New York AC)

68 kg
1st – Alex Glaude (TMWC) df. Randi Beltz (Army WCAP), two matches to one
Round one: Beltz df. Glaude, fall 2:59
Round two: Glaude dec. Beltz, 6-2
Round three: Glaude dec. Beltz, 6-1

True 2nd – Jayden Laurent (TMWC) dec. Randi Beltz (Army WCAP), 10-4

72 kg
1st - Victoria Francis (TMWC) df. Iman Kazem (unattached), two matches to none
Round one: Francis TF Iman, 14-3
Round two: Francis df. Kazem, fall 1:47

True 2nd – Iman Kazem (unattached) TF Nahiela Magee (unattached), 10-0

76 kg
1st – Precious Bell (unattached) df. Hannah Gladden (Lion WC), two matches to none
Round one: Bell df. Gladden, fall 2:53
Round two: Bell dec. Gladden, 9-0

3rd – Destane Garrick (McKendree Bearcat WC)