U.S. team seeks more medals at U17 and U20 Beach World Championships in Constanta, Romania, Sept. 9-10
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
The United States will have 14 entries in the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships, set for Neversea Beach in Constanta, Romania, Sept. 9-10. This is the second year in a row that Constanta has hosted the UWW age-group Beach World Championships.
The United States is aiming to bring home some more medals from Constanta, after winning four age-group Beach World medals in 2022. None of the U.S. athletes competing this year have won a previous World Beach medal.
The U.S. U20 women’s team is led by Senior Beach Nationals champion Eliana Bommarito at Over 70 kg. Two 2023 U20 Beach Nationals champions will also compete, Halley Wheeler at 50 kg and Katelyn Lewis at Over 70 kg. There are two U20 Beach Nationals runners-up on the women’s roster, Josephine Wearmouth at 60 kg and Kaylee Anderson at 70 kg. Two other wrestlers who were third at the U20 Beach Nationals are also entered, Taylor Colangelo at 60 kg and Maura White at 70 kg.
Bommarito, Wheeler, Lewis, Wearmouth and Colangelo will also compete in the Senior-level Beach World Series event in Constanta, September 7-8.
The U.S. U20 men’s team has three entries, led by Kane Foley (70 kg), who was a 2023 U17 Pan American Beach Championships silver medalist and placed 10th in the 2022 U17 Beach World Championships. Connor Reese, a 2023 U17 Beach Nationals champion, is entered at 80 kg in the U20 Beach Worlds. Also wrestling is Alejandro Alston at 70 kg.
Foley will be the only U.S. men’s entry in the U17 Beach World Championships, also at 70 kg.
Three U.S. women will compete in the U17 Beach World Championships. Kennedie Snow, a U17 Beach Nationals champion, will wrestle at 60 kg. Also competing is U17 Beach Nationals runner-up Lilly Reese at 70 kg. Both Snow and Reese placed fourth at the 2023 U17 Pan American Beach Championships. Also entered at 60 kg is Isla June Pyles-Treser, who was third at the 2023 U17 Beach Nationals at 60 kg.
The U17 Beach World Championships will be held on Saturday, September 9, with session times of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Constanta is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
The U20 Beach World Championships will be held on Sunday, September 10, with session times of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Constanta is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time.
The United States has won seven medals at the UWW age-group Beach World Championships. The only gold medalist was Amit Elor of California, a U17 Beach World champion in 2019. Elor was a 2022 Senior World champion, and has won six UWW women’s freestyle World titles in her career.
U17/U20 BEACH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Constanta, Romania, Sept. 9-10
United States rosters
U17 Women
50kg: Isla June Pyles-Treser, Dayton, Ohio
60kg: Kennedie Snow, Havelock, N.C.
70kg: Lilly Reese, Asheville, N.C.
U17 Men
70kg: Kane Foley, New Bern, N.C.
U20 Women
50kg: Halley Wheeler, Bakersville, N.C.
60kg: Josephine Wearmouth, Saint Charles, Iowa
60kg: Taylor Colangelo, Peoria, Ariz.
70kg: Kaylee Anderson, Berryville, Va.
70kg: Maura White, Jefferson, N.J.
+70kg: Katelyn Lewis, Great Falls, Montana
+70kg: Eliana Bommarito, Brighton, Mich.
U20 Men
70kg: Kane Foley, New Bern, N.C.
70kg: Alejandro Alston, Raleigh, N.C.
80kg: Connor Reese, Asheville, N.C. .
Coaches:
Gabe Beauperthuy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ed Duncan, Spruce Pine, N.C.
Cheryl Baynard, Naples, N.C.
Steve Baynard, Naples, N.C.
Team Leader: Tim Box, Oceanside, Calif.
Referee: Scott Cutbirth, Blue Springs, Mo.
NF Delegate: Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M.
Event Schedule
Saturday, September 9
10:00 a.m. – noon – U17 Worlds Group Rounds
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – U17 Worlds elimination rounds and finals
Sunday, September 10
10:00 a.m. – noon – U20 Worlds Group Rounds
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – U20 Worlds elimination rounds and finals
UWW Age-Group Beach World Medals from the USA
(Age-Group World Championships held, 2019-present)
Women
Amit Elor, Walnut Creek, Calif. (2019 U17 Worlds Gold at Over 50 kg)
Alessandra Elliott, Staten Island, N.Y. (2022 U17 Silver, 60 kg)
Kristal Betanzo, Hillsborough, Calif. (2019 U20 Worlds, Bronze at 50 kg)
Ciara Riner, Huntington, W.Va. (2022 U17 Bronze, 60 kg)
Men
Thor Michaelson, Bremerton, Wash. (2022 U20 Bronze, 80 kg)
Caspian Grabowski, Pacifica, Calif. (2019 U17 Worlds, Bronze at Over 70 kg)
Lars Michaelson, Bremerton, Wash. (2022 U17 Bronze, 80 kg)