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U.S. women’s freestyle draws set for 2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial

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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

Helen Maroulis battles Amanda Martinez at 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.

Helen Maroulis battles Amanda Martinez at 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.

BUDAPEST, Hungary – The U.S. women’s freestyle team competing at the 2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial, the fourth UWW Ranking Series event of the season, has received its draws for this week’s competition in Hungary.

 

Two Olympic medalists are in the field for Team USA—2016 Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medalist Helen Maroulis at 57 kg and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades at 68 kg.

 

Maroulis has drawn fellow American Amanda Martinez in the first round, a rematch of the Final X series won by Maroulis last month in Newark, N.J. The winner advances to the quarterfinals against three-time World medalist and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Iryna Kurachkina (UWW).

 

Blades starts her day with a solid test in the form of 2024 U20 World champion Alina Shevchenko (UWW). She is seeking her second UWW Ranking Series event win of the season after taking the Zagreb Open title in February. 2024 Pan American champion Brooklyn Hays is opposite Blades in the bracket, starting her day against 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Buse Tosun of Turkey.

 

Two-time World medalist Macey Kilty takes on Canada’s Aleah Nickel to open her day at 65 kg. A win puts Kilty in the semifinals where she would likely face 20204 Olympic bronze medalist Grace Bullen of Norway. Final X runner-up Aine Drury sits on the opposite side of the bracket from Kilty, opening with Eniko Elekes of Hungary.

 

Four more members of this year’s U.S. World Team will take the mats at BOK Sport Hall—Audrey Jimenez at 50kg, Felicity Taylor at 53 kg, Cristelle Rodriguez at 55 kg and Adaugo Nwachukwu at 62 kg.

 

Both Jimenez and Taylor have notable first-round opponents from Asia, Jimenez against 2025 U23 Asian champion Priyanshi Prajapat of India and Taylor against 2025 Asian bronze medalist Zeinep Bayanova of Kazakhstan.

 

Rodriguez’s weight only features six entrants, meaning she will open with a three-woman round-robin bracket where the top two advance to the semifinals. In her group are 2022 U23 Asian champion Pushpa of India and 2022 World bronze medalist Karla Godinez Gonzalez of Canada.

 

Nwachukwu will get the other Godinez Gonzalez sister—2024 Olympian and 2021 U23 World champion Ana Godinez Gonzalez, also representing Canada.

 

Other athletes entered for Team USA include 2025 Final X runners-up Erin Golston at 50 kg, Abigail Nette at 59 kg and Dymond Guilford at 76 kg. Nette and Guilford were members of the 2022 U.S. World Team.

 

The women’s freestyle tournament will be held July 18-19 with five weights scrapping each day. Taking the mats on Friday are 50 kg, 53 kg, 57 kg, 59 kg and 72 kg. Going on Saturday are 55 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg and 76 kg. Wrestling begins at 10:30 a.m. local time both days. Budapest, Hungary, is located six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

 

The action from Budapest is available to watch for the U.S. market through FloWrestling. Brackets and match-by-match results can be found on UWW Arena.

2025 Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial #

July 17-20, Budapest, Hungary #

 

 

Women’s Freestyle Event Schedule #

Friday, July 18 #

10:30 a.m. – Qualification (WFS 50-53-57-59-72 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 50-53-57-59-72 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 50-53-57-59-72 kg)

5 p.m. – Medal matches (WFS 50-53-57-59-72 kg)

 

Saturday, July 19 #

10:30 a.m. – Qualification (WFS 55-62-65-68-76 kg)

1:30 p.m. – Semifinals (WFS 55-62-65-68-76 kg)

2:30 p.m. – Repechage (WFS 55-62-65-68-76 kg)

5 p.m. – Medal matches (WFS 55-62-65-68-76 kg)

 

*All times local to Budapest, Hungary, six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time

 

U.S. Women’s Freestyle Draws #

50 kg – Audrey Jimenez (Tempe, Ariz./Lehigh Valley WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Priyanshi Prajapat (India)

 

50 kg – Erin Golston (Denton, Texas/New York AC) #

VS Evin Demirhan (Turkey)

 

53 kg – Felicity Taylor (Iowa City, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan)

 

55 kg – Cristelle Rodriguez (Clovis, Calif./Tiger WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Pushpa (India)

VS Karla Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

 

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Amanda Martinez (United States)

 

57 kg – Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Helen Maroulis (United States)

 

59 kg – Abigail Nette (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) #

VS Elena Brugger (Germany)

 

62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) #

VS Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

 

65 kg – Macey Kilty (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Aleah Nickel (Canada)

 

65 kg – Aine Drury (Westminster, Calif./New York AC) #

VS Eniko Elekes (Hungary)

 

68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Chicago, Ill./Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Alina Shevchenko (UWW)

 

68 kg – Brooklyn Hays (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Buse Tosun (Turkey)

 

76 kg – Dymond Guilford (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) #

VS Vianne Rouleau (United States)