Blades wins women’s freestyle gold, Rodriguez, Kilty, Hays get bronze at Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event

BUDAPEST, Hungary – 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades claimed a gold medal at 68 kg in women’s freestyle at the Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event on Saturday night.

Blades was impressive in a 13-2 technical fall over Noemi Szabados of Hungary in the championship finals. Blades did most of her damage in the first period, getting three takedowns, a counter exposure and a step out to lead 9-2 at the break. In the second period, a blast double leg takedown followed by an ankle lace finished off the win.

Blades won all three matches in the first session. She opened with two technical falls, stopping Alina Shevchenko of UWW, 10-0 and Karolina Pok of Hungary, 12-1. In the semifinals, Blades defeated 2024 Olympian Yuliana Yaneva of Bulgaria, 6-2.

Team USA also had three athletes who won bronze medals, Cristelle Rodriguez (55 kg), Macey Kilty (65 kg) and Brooklyn Hays (68 kg).

Rodriguez was powerful in her 10-0 technical fall in the bronze-medal match over Amory Andrich of Germany. Rodriguez opened with a four-point hip toss and a turn for a 6-0 lead. A takedown and gut wrench turn ended the match in the first period.

Rodriguez, a 2024 U20 World champion, went 1-1 in her Group competition, beating Pushpa of India, 8-3, then losing to 2022 World bronze medalist Karla Godinez Gonzalez of Canada, 4-1. In the semifinals, she was beaten by 2025 European champion Ekaterina Verbina of UWW in a 10-0 technical fall.

Kilty, a two-time Senior World medalist, was in control in her 10-4 victory over Kadriye Kocak Aksoy of Turkiye for the bronze medal. Kilty jumped to an 8-2 lead in the first period, powered by three exposures in par terre using a strong leg turk. In the second period, Kilty had a takedown and Kocak Aksoy added a counter exposure.

Kilty opened with a solid 6-0 quarterfinal win over Aleah Nickel of Canada. In the semifinals, she fell in a high-scoring match against 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Grace Bullen of Norway. The score was 13-11 in Kilty’s favor when Bullen finished off a headlock for a pin in 5:37.

Hays won a choppy 5-4 match over Hyeonyeong Park of Korea in the bronze-medal round. Park controlled most of the match with a head and arm tie-up which had Hays in uncomfortable positions. Hays fell behind 2-0 on a caution and one penalty and a step out, but tied the match at 2-2 on a counter takedown. In the second period, Hays gave up a shot clock point to trail 3-2, but scored a takedown for a 4-3 lead. Another caution and one against Hays tied it at 4-4, but Hays had criteria. Park could not score in the final sessions, and Korea challenged, seeking another caution and one. The challenge was denied and Hays won 5-4.

Hays opened up with an impressive 6-5 victory over 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Buse Tosun of Turkiye, then beat Kendra Dacher of France, 4-3. In the semifinals, Hays was defeated in a 10-0 technical fall by Noemi Szabados of Hungary.

Rodriguez, Kilty and Blades will all represent Team USA at the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia in September. For Rodriguez and Blades, it will be their first Senior Worlds appearance.

The three other U.S. women competing Saturday placed in the top 10 of their weight class, Aine Drury (7^th at 65 kg), Dymond Guilford (7^th at 76 kg) and 2025 Senior World Team member Adaugo Nwachukwu (10^th at 62 kg).

The United States finished the women’s freestyle tournament with seven medals. On Friday, Helen Maroulis (57 kg) won a gold medal, and Felicity Taylor (53 kg) and Abigail Nette (59 kg) added bronze medals.

In the women’s freestyle team standings, India and the United States both finished on top with 130 points. Both teams had two gold medalists, but India also had a silver medalist and the USA did not, giving the top position to India. Hungary was third with 86 points. There were 18 nations in the women’s freestyle field.

UWW Ranking events are used to set the seeds at the upcoming World Championships as well as help determine the year-end UWW athlete awards.

The USA had its first five Greco-Roman wrestlers hit the mat on Saturday, with three Greco-Roman weights contested. The USA did not advance any wrestlers to the medal rounds, as none were eligible for repechage after losing bouts to athletes who did not reach the finals.

Going 1-1 for the day were 2025 Senior World Team member Colton Schultz (130 kg) and Denzel Freeman (130 kg). Freeman pinned Assylbek Abdikalyk of Kazakhstan in 3:54, while Schultz stopped 2019 World bronze medalist Mihail Kajaia of Serbia, 5-1 in his opener. Freeman finished seventh and Schultz placed ninth in the weight class, which will score points for the USA in the standings.

U.S. wrestlers Aliaksandr Kikiniou (72 kg), 2024 Olympian and 2025 Senior World Team member Payton Jacobson (86 kg) and Aden Attao (130 kg) lost their only matches of the day.

The Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial Ranking Event completes on Sunday with the final seven Greco-Roman weight classes: 55 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 82 kg and 97 kg. The USA will have nine wrestlers competing Sunday, including 2025 Senior World Team members Jayden Raney (55 kg), Max Black (60 kg), Ellis Coleman (63 kg), Alston Nutter (67 kg), Kamal Bey (77 kg) and Beka Melelashvili (82 kg). Coleman and Bey are past Olympians.

Wrestling begins with preliminaries at 10:30 a.m. local time, followed by semifinals at 1:30 p.m. and repechage at 2:30 p.m. The finals are set for 5:00 p.m. local time. Budapest is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

The event will be broadcast live by FloWrestling, with results on UWW Arena.

POLYAK IMRE & VARGA JANOS MEMORIAL RANKING SERIES EVENT

At Budapest, Hungary, July 19

Women’s freestyle results

55 kg

Gold - Ekaterina Verbina (UWW)

Silver - Karla Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

Bronze - Cristelle Rodriguez (USA)

4^th - Amory Andich (Germany)

5^th - Pushpa (India)

6^th - Esra Pul (Turkiye)

Gold - Ekaterina Verbina (UWW) dec. Karla Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 6-1

Bronze - Cristelle Rodriguez (USA) tech fall Amory Andich (Germany), 10-0, 1:39

62 kg

Gold - Amina Tandelova (UWW)

Silver - Alina Kasabieva (UWW)

Bronze – Manisha (India)

Bronze - Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada)

5^th - Krystsina Sazykina (UWW)

5^th - Nikolette Szabo (Hungary)

7^th - Veranika Ivanova (UWW)

8^th - Bilyana Dudova (Bulgaria)

9^th - Iris Thiebaux (France)

10^th - Adaugo Nwachukwu (USA)

Gold - Amina Tandelova (UWW) dec. Alina Kasabieva (UWW), 3-0

Bronze – Manisha (India) pin Krystsina Sazykina (UWW), 4:35

Bronze - Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada) tech fall Nikolette Szabo (Hungary), 10-0, 3:38

 65 kg

Gold - Grace Bullen (Norway)

Silver - Irina Ringaci (Moldova)

Bronze - Eniko Elekes (Hungary)

Bronze - Macey Kilty (USA)

5^th - Ekateria Koshkina (UWW)

5^th - Kariey Kocak Aksoy (Turkiye)

7^th – Aine Drury (USA)

8^th - Aleah Nickel (Canada)

Gold - Grace Bullen (Norway) pin Irina Ringaci (Moldova), 4:12

Bronze - Eniko Elekes (Hungary) inj dft. Ekateria Koshkina (UWW)

Bronze - Macey Kilty (USA) dec. Kariey Kocak Aksoy (Turkiye), 10-4

68 kg

Gold - Kennedy Blades (USA)

Silver - Noemi Szabados (Hungary)

Bronze - Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria)

Bronze - Brooklyn Hays (USA)

5^th - Alina Shevchenko (UWW)

5^th - Hyeonyeong Park (Korea)

7^th - Karolina Pok (Hungary)

8^th - Buse Tosun (Turkey)

9^th - Kendra Dacher (France)

10^th - Irina Kazyulina (Kazakhstan)

Gold - Kennedy Blades (USA) tech fall Noemi Szabados (Hungary), 13-2, 3:21

Bronze - Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria) tech fall Alina Shevchenko (UWW), 11-1, 4:10

Bronze - Brooklyn Hays (USA) dec. Hyeonyeong Park (Korea), 5-4

76 kg

Gold - Thamires Martins Machado (Brazil)

Silver - Priya (India)

Bronze - Medet Kyzy Aiperi (Kyrgyzstan)

Bronze - Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan)

5^th - Seoyeon Jeong (Korea)

5^th - Valeriia Trifonova (UWW)

7^th - Dymond Guilford (USA)

8^th - Elmira Yasin (Turkiye)

9^th - Kamile Gaucaite (Lithuania)

10^th - Vianne Rouleau (Canada)

Gold - Thamires Martins Machado (Brazil) dec. Priya (India), 4-3

Bronze - Medet Kyzy Aiperi (Kyrgyzstan) tech fall Seoyeon Jeong (Korea), 12-1, 3:21

Bronze - Elmira Syzdykova (Kazakhstan) tech fall Valeriia Trifonova (UWW), 11-0, 4:45

U.S. women’s freestyle results

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

WIN Pushpa (India), 8-3

LOSS Karla Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 4-1

LOSS Ekaterina Verbina (UWW), tech fall, 10-0, 2:35

WIN Amory Andrich (Germany), tech fall, 10-0, 1:39

62 kg – Adaugo Nwachukwu (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP), 10^th place

LOSS Ana Godinez Gonzalez (Canada), 6-5

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

WIN Aleah Nickel (Canada), 6-0

LOSS Grace Bullen (Norway), pin 5:37

WIN Kadriy Kocak Aksoy (Turkiye), 10-4

65 kg – Aine Drury (Westminster, Calif./New York AC), 7^th place

LOSS Eniko Elekes (Hungary), pin 1:26

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

WIN Alina Shevchenko (UWW), tech fall 10-0, 1:17

WIN Karolina Pok (Hungary), tech fall 12-1, 4:40

WIN Yuliana Yaneva (Bulgaria), 6-2

WIN Noemi Szabados (Hungary), tech fall, 13-2, 3:21

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

WIN Buse Tosun (Turkiye), 6-5

WIN Kendra Dacher (France), 4-3

LOSS Noemi Szabados (Hungary), tech fall, 10-0, 4:14

WIN Hyeonyeong Park (Korea), 5-4

76 kg – Dymond Guilford (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC), 7^th place

WIN Vianne Rouleau (Canada), 7-0

LOSS Medet Kyzy Aiperi (Kyrgyzstan), pin 5:53

Final Women’s Freestyle Team standings

1. India, 130

2. United States, 130

3. Hungary, 86

4. Turkiye, 74

5. Kazakhstan, 60

6. Canada, 45

7. Korea, 43

8. Norway, 33

9. Germany, 32

10. Brazil, 25

(of 18 nations)

Greco-Roman results

72 kg

Gold - Iuri Lomadze (Georgia)

Silver - Abdullo Aliev (Uzbekistan)

Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia)

Bronze - Giorgi Chkhikvadze (Georgia)

5^th - Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

5^th- Ruslan Nurallayev (Azerbaijan)

7^th - Merey Maulitkanov (Kazakhstan)

8^th - Furkan Yildiz (Turkiye)

9^th - Mihai Petic (Moldova)

10^th - Narek Oganian (UWW)

Gold - Iuri Lomadze (Georgia) dec. Abdullo Aliev (Uzbekistan), 8-2

Bronze – Otar Abuladze (Georgia) inj. dft. Hasrat Jafarov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Giorgi Chkhikvadze (Georgia) tech fall Ruslan Nurallayev (Azerbaijan), 9-0, 1:44

87 kg

Gold - Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark)

Silver - David Losonczi (Hungary)

Bronze - Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan)

Bronze - Tamas Levai (Hungary)

5^th - Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia)

5^th - Alan Ostaev (UWW)

7^th - Mukhammadkodir Rasulov (Uzbekistan)

8^th - Exauce Mukubu (Norway)

9^th - Islam Yevloyev (Kazakhstan)

10^th - Seunghwan Lee (Korea)

Gold - Turpal Bisultanov (Denmark) inj. dft. David Losonczi (Hungary)

Bronze - Islam Abbasov (Azerbaijan) dec. Aleksandr Komarov (Serbia), 5-2

Bronze - Tamas Levai (Hungary) dec. Alan Ostaev (UWW), 5-2

130 kg

Gold - Marat Kamparov (UWW)

Silver - Darius Vitek (Hungary)

Bronze - Koppany Laszlo (Hungary)

Bronze - Alimkhan Syzdykov (Kazakhstan)

5^th - Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan)

5^th - Elias Kuosmanen (Finland)

7^th - Courtney Denzel Freeman (USA)

8^th - Beka Kandelaki (Azerbaijan)

9^th - Cohlton Schultz (USA)

10^th - Muhammet Hamza Bakir (Turkiye)

Gold - Marat Kamparov (UWW) dec. Darius Vitek (Hungary), 3-1

Bronze - Koppany Laszlo (Hungary) dec. Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan), 2-1

Bronze - Alimkhan Syzdykov (Kazakhstan) dec. Elias Kuosmanen (Finland), 5-3

U.S. Greco-Roman results

72 kg: Aliaksandr Kikiniou (Poway, Calif./New York AC), 14^th place

LOSS Merey Maulitkanov (Kazakhstan), 7-2

87 kg: Payton Jacobson (Marquette, Mich./New York AC/NMU-NTS), 18^th place

LOSS Exauce Mukubu (Norway), 4-1

130 kg: Aden Attao (Boise, Idaho/New York AC), 13^th place

LOSS Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan), tech fall 9-0, 1:59

130 kg: Courtney Denzel Freeman (Richland, N.C./U.S. Marine Corps), 7^th place

WIN Assylbek Abdikalyk (Kazakhstan), pin 3:54

LOSS Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan), 4-3

130 kg: Colton Schultz (Tempe, Ariz./Atreus WC), 9^th place

WIN Mihail Kajala (Serbia), 5-1

LOSS Elias Kuosmanen (Finland), 2-1

Remaining schedule, local time

(Budapest is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time)

Sunday, July 20

(Greco-Roman 55 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 77 kg, 82 kg, 97 kg)

10:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds

1:30 p.m. – Semifinals

2:30 p.m. – Repechage

5:00 p.m. – Finals