Four World medalists lead women's team into U23 World Championships in Budapest

The United States is sending a strong, experienced women’s freestyle team to the U23 World Team Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 25-Nov. 3.

Of the 10 women’s athletes, four Americans combine for 11 age-group World medals. 

Leading the pack is Kayla Miracle, who will represent the USA on the World stage at 62 kg for the second time this fall. Miracle is fresh off her Senior World debut, which she made in September in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

A multiple-time Senior National Team member, Miracle has been a star for the USA for several years. In 2012, Miracle claimed her first World medal, a silver, at the Cadet World Championships. She added Junior World bronze medals in 2014 and 2016.

Over the last couple of years, Miracle has been on the rise on the Senior level, domestically and internationally. She won the U.S. Open in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and also made Final X appearances, taking second in 2018 and winning the World Team spot in 2019.

Internationally, Miracle has won multiple tournaments, including 2019 Pan American Games, 2018 Klippan Lady Open and 2018 Grand Prix of Spain. She also collected a bronze medal at the 2018 Pan American Championships.

Next week, she will enter her third-straight U23 World Championships. In 2017 and 2018, she put together fifth-place finishes.

Wrestling one weight class above Miracle is Maya Nelson, who is a 2017 Junior World champion and a 2016 Junior World bronze medalist.

Nelson, a two-time U23 World Team member, is back on the mat for the USA after taking a year off due to injury in 2018.

In her return, Nelson has made a splash this season, winning the U23 World Team Trials as well as the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament to earn a spot at Final X. Additionally, she picked up an international gold at the Dave Schultz Memorial International.

Nelson also turned in runner-up finishes at this year’s U.S. Open and Final X. With her Final X finish, Nelson earned a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team for the second year.

Bringing four World medals to Budapest is Macey Kilty, who will suit up for the United States at 68 kg.

Kilty has wrestled her way to a spot in the finals in her last three World tournament appearances: 2018 Cadet Worlds, 2018 Junior Worlds and 2019 Junior Worlds. Overall, she has medaled at all four World Championships she competed in.

At the 2018 Cadet World Championships, Kilty dominated to a gold medal, and at the 2018 and 2019 Junior World Championships, she was stopped just short of her goal, walking away with a pair of silver medals. Kilty also owns a bronze medal from the 2016 Cadet Worlds.

At only 18 years old, Kilty earned a spot on the U.S. Senior National Team as the No. 3 wrestler at 65 kg. She also finished third at the U.S. Open.

Next week will mark her first international event at the U23 level.

Rounding out the group of World medalists is 2018 Cadet World champion Emily Shilson, who is slated to compete at 50 kg.

Like Kilty, Shilson is a just 18 years old and a rising American talent.

After a silver-medal finish at the 2017 Cadet World Championships, Shilson bounced back to top the Cadet World podium in 2018. Shortly after, she became the first American, male or female, to win a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games.

In addition to her World medals, Shilson is a two-time Cadet Pan American champion and a 2019 Junior Pan Am silver medalist.

This past season, Shilson tried her hand at the Senior level, winning bronze at the Dave Schultz Memorial International and taking sixth at the U.S. Open.

Dominique Parrish and Abby Nette return to the U23 World Championships. Parrish is going to her third-consecutive U23 Worlds, and Nette will make her second-straight appearance.

At the 2018 U23 Worlds, Parrish finished fifth in the World, while Nette took 12th.

Parrish, who will compete at 55 kg, is a three-time Senior National Team member and a two-time WCWA Nationals champion. Earlier this year, she was a Final X runner-up to secure her third National Team bid.

Nette, wrestling at 59 kg, made her first National Team this year, when she took second at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament. In February, Nette won a WCWA title, wrestling for Emmanuel College. She has since transferred to Campbellsville, where she will finish out her collegiate career.

Two other Final X runners-up will represent the USA in Budapest, including Alyvia Fiske at 72 kg and Precious Bell at 76 kg.

Fiske is a two-time Junior World Team member, taking fifth at the 2019 Junior World Championships. She scored two big tournament wins this year, claiming gold at the Dave Schultz Memorial International and the U.S. Open.

Bell, who is relatively new to the sport, has exploded onto the Senior scene. This year alone, she won the U.S. Open, Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament and the U23 World Team Trials.

Fiske and Bell both compete collegiately. Fiske is a junior for Simon Fraser University, and Bell is a senior at Menlo College.

Rounding out the U23 Women’s Freestyle World Team is Felicity Taylor at 53 kg and Arian Carpio at 57 kg.

Taylor is a 2018 WCWA runner-up for McKendree. She also competed at the Junior Pan American Championships last summer.

Carpio boasts three international medals, a silver from 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International, a silver from 2013 Cadet Pan Ams and a bronze from 2014 Cadet Pan Ams.

Women’s freestyle action will take place Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Budapest, Hungary. Fans can watch the action live on Trackwrestling.com.

2019 U23 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Budapest, Hungary (Oct. 28-Nov. 3)

U.S. women’s freestyle roster
50 kg: Emily Shilson (Maple Grove, Minn./Titan Mercury WC)
53 kg: Felicity Taylor (Spillville, Iowa/McKendree Bearcat WC)
55 kg: Dominique Parrish (Scotts Valley, Calif./Sunkist Kids)
57 kg: Arian Carpio (Federal Way, Wash./Sunkist Kids)
59 kg: Abby Nette (Saint Rose, La.)
62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Iowa City, Iowa/Sunkist Kids)
65 kg: Maya Nelson (Denver, Colo./Sunkist Kids)
68 kg: Macey Kilty (Stratford, Wisc./Sunkist Kids)
72 kg: Alyvia Fiske (Napa, Calif./Titan Mercury)
76 kg: Precious Bell (Lancaster, Calif./Titan Mercury)

U.S. Women’s Freestyle National Head Coach – Terry Steiner, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach – Nicole Tyson, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Team Leader – Paul Kieblesz, New York, N.Y.

Medical – Dr. Mike Mattin
Medical – Warren Flautt, Williamsburg, Va.

Referee – Jason Babi, Centennial, Colo.          
Referee – Tim Piesron, Virginia Beach, Va.
Referee – Brock Zollinger, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Communications – Taylor Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Schedule (Budapest is six hours ahead of U.S. ET)
Monday, Oct. 28
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 97 kg)

Tuesday, Oct. 29
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (MFS 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 97 kg)
4:45 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies
5:15 p.m. – Semifinals (MFS 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)
6 p.m. - (MFS 57 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 79 kg, 97 kg)

Wednesday, Oct. 30
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (MFS 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)
5:15 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (MFS 61 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 125 kg)

Thursday, Oct. 31
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg)
5:15 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 50 kg, 55 kg, 59 kg, 68 kg, 76 kg)

Friday, Nov. 1
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 130kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg)
5:15 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 130kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 72 kg)

Saturday, Nov. 2
10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (GR 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg)
10:30 a.m. – Repechage (GR 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 130kg)
5:15 p.m. – Semifinals (GR 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg)
6 p.m. – Finals (GR 55 kg, 63 kg, 77 kg, 87 kg, 130kg)

Sunday, Nov. 3
3:30 p.m. – Repechage (GR 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg)
5 p.m. – Finals (GR 60 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg)