#WomensWednesday: Coach Medina helps preview Welker vs. Hattendorf in the Who’s #1 battle on October 3
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Wrestling fans really enjoy one-on-one battles between top stars in the sport, especially when they are part of an all-star card of competitors. FloWrestling gives us a really great matchup when it paired Cadet World teammates Skylar Hattendorf of New Hampshire and Kylie Welker of Wisconsin at Who’s #1 on October 3.
Both are entering their junior seasons in high school, and are coming together from different weight classes. In the final National Girls High School Rankings last season, Hattendorf was No. 1 at 132 pounds, while Welker was No. 1 at 144 pounds. At the 2019 Cadet World Championships, Hattendorf won a World silver medal at 57 kg, while Welker won a World bronze medal at 61 kg.
You have a wrestler from the Northeast against somebody from the Midwest. Hattendorf is also a World-class athlete in judo, and her wrestling style shows it. Welker, who has some great all-around wrestling skills, trained last year at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center as part of USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP). They are the definition of elite and world-class.
Although they were in different weight classes in the past, this will not be the first time they have wrestled. For more perspective, we spoke with National Women’s Developmental Coach Jessica Medina, who has worked with them both extensively as part of the USA Wrestling Women’s Cadet National Team.
“I know them pretty well. Kylie was out here (in Colorado Springs) with us, and Skylar was on every trip with us this past year. Between the two of them, they are extremely competitive and very aggressive,” said Medina.
As much as they are similar in their competitive nature, each has a little bit of their own style and flair when it comes to competition.
“Skylar is a brawler. She has heavy hands. If she were a boxer, I feel like she would do great. She beats people up. She is still learning and progressing. Since she has that judo background, she is vicious when she is able to get her throws or get into that front head lock position. She is dangerous in those areas.”
“Kylie turns on another mode. When it is competition day, she is like a different person. She shows up and is all business,” said Medina.
Hattendorf draws upon her judo background and mixes in her wrestling training to control matches. There is a tradition of judo athletes making a big impact in women’s wrestling in our nation. Sandra Bacher is the best example, having made three U.S. Olympic judo teams, then winning three World medals in wrestling, including a 1999 World title. World wrestling champions Kristie Davis and Clarissa Chun also were talented in judo, as are many others.
“At Cadet Worlds last year, that was her edge. Being a first-year Cadet, she was in there, putting people in front headlocks, trips, throws. She was not afraid to get her hips in a position where a lot of our wrestlers don’t feel comfortable. That is 80% of her wrestling. That surprised people. I believe that is the way that she made her way to the Cadet World finals. She surprised people with how aggressive her judo style is,” said Medina.
Medina doesn’t worry that Hattendorf might give up her wrestling to focus only on judo. She has been bitten by the wrestling bug.
“This girl has been through a lot, and she has a lot to fight for. She loves wrestling. She is wrestling all the way. If she had to pick, she’s said she would pick wrestling,” she said.
Welker brings a different level of experience, after leaving home in Wisconsin to train full-time with the nation’s best Olympic-caliber Senior athletes at the USOPTC.
“Her mindset is a lot more mature than almost anyone of her age. She is one of five kids, and she really had to step it up at home. When we offered her a spot, it was an easy transition for her. She had a really rigorous schedule at home, between training, helping with her siblings, cooking, cleaning and school. She was home-schooled, so even her transition to online school helped her be a great student. She was always on top of her stuff, and we never had to worry about that,” said Medina.
Medina was impressed with how Welker not only handled the challenges of being on her own and away from home, but also how she was able to develop in a room full of Senior-level stars.
“In her training, she was definitely able to handle the schedule of a Senior athlete. She was getting her butt kicked around. But, I don’t think there are a lot of 15- and 16-year olds who can come out and train with World champions and not want to quit or go home. That maturity has helped her grow in this last year. She is a great technical athlete. Learning the other pieces of being a Senior athlete has helped her tremendously,” said Medina.
After seeing them training together, and also competing at the highest level around the world, Medina has a good idea how their match could play out.
“It should be a really physical match. They have wrestled each other so much during the developmental camps and the tours, and they know how the other wrestles. It is going to be really aggressive and really physical. It will be interesting, since Skylar is moving up a few weight classes. They have never had to compete against each other. With it being Kylie’s weight class, I would be interested in seeing what Skylar is going to do to mix it up,” she said.
While Medina won’t pick a winner of this battle, she is really looking forward to both young stars having a showcase to display their talent for the nation to watch.
“I am really excited for this one, because I worked closely with both of them. I know their styles and their matchups. I am interested to see how they change that, since they have wrestled so many times on tours. I anticipate a good match. I am waiting to see who is going to pull the trigger. On top of that, being competitors, and also being pretty close friends, that’s an interesting dynamic. I think both of them will put that aside, come to the mat as competitors and put on a show,” said Medina.
Both are entering their junior seasons in high school, and are coming together from different weight classes. In the final National Girls High School Rankings last season, Hattendorf was No. 1 at 132 pounds, while Welker was No. 1 at 144 pounds. At the 2019 Cadet World Championships, Hattendorf won a World silver medal at 57 kg, while Welker won a World bronze medal at 61 kg.
You have a wrestler from the Northeast against somebody from the Midwest. Hattendorf is also a World-class athlete in judo, and her wrestling style shows it. Welker, who has some great all-around wrestling skills, trained last year at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center as part of USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP). They are the definition of elite and world-class.
Although they were in different weight classes in the past, this will not be the first time they have wrestled. For more perspective, we spoke with National Women’s Developmental Coach Jessica Medina, who has worked with them both extensively as part of the USA Wrestling Women’s Cadet National Team.
“I know them pretty well. Kylie was out here (in Colorado Springs) with us, and Skylar was on every trip with us this past year. Between the two of them, they are extremely competitive and very aggressive,” said Medina.
As much as they are similar in their competitive nature, each has a little bit of their own style and flair when it comes to competition.
“Skylar is a brawler. She has heavy hands. If she were a boxer, I feel like she would do great. She beats people up. She is still learning and progressing. Since she has that judo background, she is vicious when she is able to get her throws or get into that front head lock position. She is dangerous in those areas.”
“Kylie turns on another mode. When it is competition day, she is like a different person. She shows up and is all business,” said Medina.
Hattendorf draws upon her judo background and mixes in her wrestling training to control matches. There is a tradition of judo athletes making a big impact in women’s wrestling in our nation. Sandra Bacher is the best example, having made three U.S. Olympic judo teams, then winning three World medals in wrestling, including a 1999 World title. World wrestling champions Kristie Davis and Clarissa Chun also were talented in judo, as are many others.
“At Cadet Worlds last year, that was her edge. Being a first-year Cadet, she was in there, putting people in front headlocks, trips, throws. She was not afraid to get her hips in a position where a lot of our wrestlers don’t feel comfortable. That is 80% of her wrestling. That surprised people. I believe that is the way that she made her way to the Cadet World finals. She surprised people with how aggressive her judo style is,” said Medina.
Medina doesn’t worry that Hattendorf might give up her wrestling to focus only on judo. She has been bitten by the wrestling bug.
“This girl has been through a lot, and she has a lot to fight for. She loves wrestling. She is wrestling all the way. If she had to pick, she’s said she would pick wrestling,” she said.
Welker brings a different level of experience, after leaving home in Wisconsin to train full-time with the nation’s best Olympic-caliber Senior athletes at the USOPTC.
“Her mindset is a lot more mature than almost anyone of her age. She is one of five kids, and she really had to step it up at home. When we offered her a spot, it was an easy transition for her. She had a really rigorous schedule at home, between training, helping with her siblings, cooking, cleaning and school. She was home-schooled, so even her transition to online school helped her be a great student. She was always on top of her stuff, and we never had to worry about that,” said Medina.
Medina was impressed with how Welker not only handled the challenges of being on her own and away from home, but also how she was able to develop in a room full of Senior-level stars.
“In her training, she was definitely able to handle the schedule of a Senior athlete. She was getting her butt kicked around. But, I don’t think there are a lot of 15- and 16-year olds who can come out and train with World champions and not want to quit or go home. That maturity has helped her grow in this last year. She is a great technical athlete. Learning the other pieces of being a Senior athlete has helped her tremendously,” said Medina.
After seeing them training together, and also competing at the highest level around the world, Medina has a good idea how their match could play out.
“It should be a really physical match. They have wrestled each other so much during the developmental camps and the tours, and they know how the other wrestles. It is going to be really aggressive and really physical. It will be interesting, since Skylar is moving up a few weight classes. They have never had to compete against each other. With it being Kylie’s weight class, I would be interested in seeing what Skylar is going to do to mix it up,” she said.
While Medina won’t pick a winner of this battle, she is really looking forward to both young stars having a showcase to display their talent for the nation to watch.
“I am really excited for this one, because I worked closely with both of them. I know their styles and their matchups. I am interested to see how they change that, since they have wrestled so many times on tours. I anticipate a good match. I am waiting to see who is going to pull the trigger. On top of that, being competitors, and also being pretty close friends, that’s an interesting dynamic. I think both of them will put that aside, come to the mat as competitors and put on a show,” said Medina.
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