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2025 Final X

Welker, Guilford to meet at 76 kg in women’s freestyle at 2025 Final X in Newark, N.J.

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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling

2024 World bronze medalist Kylie Welker and 2022 U.S. World Team member Dymond Guilford will meet for the Team USA spot at 76 kg in the women’s freestyle division at 2025 Final X on Saturday, June 14 at Prudential Center.


The Senior-level series between the two stands 3-1 Welker heading into the best-of-three series in Newark, N.J. Welker’s victories over Guilford have all come by decision, including a 5-4 win at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which was the last meeting between the pair. Guilford’s lone win in the series was a come-from-behind pin in the 2023 U.S. Open semifinals. Welker was up 8-2 when the fall occurred. If past results are any indication, 76 kg has the potential to be one of the more competitive Final X series this year.


After a highly successful stint at 72 kg last year, which saw Welker win a U23 World title and a Senior World bronze medal, the Wisconsin product made the move up to 76 kg to spread out proven performers across the Team USA lineup. This shift aligns with post-Olympics weight shuffling from 2024 Olympic champion Amit Elor, who bumped from 68 kg to 72 kg, and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades, who dropped from 76 kg to 68 kg. Welker forwent an automatic bid to Final X at 72 kg by way of her Senior World medal, instead qualifying for Final X at her new weight by winning the U.S. Open in Las Vegas, Nev.


Welker is a two-time Senior World Team member at 72 kg, finishing with bronze last year and in 10th place in 2021. She is a four-time age-group World medalist—U17 bronze in 2019, U20 gold in 2021, U23 bronze in 2021 and U23 gold in 2024. Recently, Welker brought home a gold medal at the Senior Pan American Championships held in Monterrey, Mexico.


Guildford has built a solid international resume herself. She was a member of the 2022 Senior World Team at 76 kg. Additionally, Guilford won a silver medal at the 2022 U23 Worlds and was 11th at the 2018 U20 Worlds. In February, Guilford topped the podium at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series event in Tirana, Albania.


After finishing in third place at the U.S. Open, Guilford rebounded to win the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Louisville, Ky., securing her place at Final X. Guilford defeated 2024 U23 World champion Yelena Makoyed in the finals, 5-3, avenging an 8-2 loss to Makoyed from the U.S. Open semifinals.


Both women boast impressive collegiate careers. Welker is coming off her redshirt sophomore season with the University of Iowa, where she has gone two-for-two on NCWWC national titles. Guilford was a WCWA champion for Missouri Baptist in 2019, and is a three-time NAIA champion, once with Missouri Baptist (2019) and twice with University of the Cumberlands (2022, 2023).


What’s at stake? #

Final X will determine the 2025 U.S. World Team in two international disciplines—men’s freestyle and women’s freestyle. In total, 20 weight classes will be contested, 10 in each discipline. The top two U.S. athletes in each weight classes will wrestle a best-of-three series at Final X to determine the U.S. representative at the 2025 Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.


Both women have previously appeared at Final X. Welker defeated Guilford in the 76 kg true-third match, 8-5, in 2023 at Prudential Center. Guilford swept a best-of-three series, 10-5 and 12-2, over Makoyed at 2022 Final X in Stillwater, Okla.


Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit #

Final X will serve as the Beat the Streets New York Annual Benefit, the 15th BTSNY Annual Benefit to date. These unique electrifying events help BTSNY raise more than $1 million each year to support local youth wrestling programs which empower young people in New York City. The BTSNY Annual Benefit after-party will follow the conclusion of Final X.


The 2023 Final X true-third match between the two is the only past Beat the Streets event appearance for Welker or Guilford.


Get Tickets #

Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages (Final X plus exclusive after party celebration access), that also provide the best wrestling-event seats, are available at btsny.org. Proceeds from Benefit tickets and sponsorship packages will directly help BTSNY serve NYC youth. For more information on ticket packages, email BTSNY Executive Director Brendan Buckley at bbuckley@btsny.org. 


Event-only tickets for Final X without access to the BTSNY after-party celebration are available on Ticketmaster.


Follow Final X #

FloWrestling will serve as the host broadcast partner for Final X. Fans can watch the event live or on-demand at FloWrestling.com.


Online results for Final X will be available on USA Bracketing, USA Wrestling’s new best-in-class event management software.


Final X will be held in two sessions on Saturday, June 14. Session I, which starts at 12:30 p.m. (ET), will feature U.S. National Team true-third matches, followed by round one in each best-of-three series. Session II, which starts at 5 p.m. (ET), will continue with round two and if-necessary round three matches. Match order for each session will be provided at a later date.


For more information about Final X, please visit themat.com.

2025 Final X #

June 14, Prudential Center, Newark, N.J. #


Men’s Freestyle Best-of-Three Series #

57 kg – Spencer Lee (Iowa City, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Luke Lilledahl (Saint Charles, Mo./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

61 kg – Vito Arujau (Ithaca, N.Y./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jax Forrest (Johnstown, Pa./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) *Series delayed

65 kg – Joseph McKenna (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Real Woods (Ann Arbor, Mich./Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – Yianni Diakomihalis (Rochester, N.Y./Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. PJ Duke (Slate Hill, N.Y./KD Training Center/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg – Mitchell Mesenbrink (Bellefonte, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. David Carr (Ames, Iowa/Cyclone RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg – Evan Wick (San Gabriel, Calif./Askren Wrestling Academy/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Levi Haines (Arendtsville, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg – Zahid Valencia (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kyle Dake (Port Matilda, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

92 kg – Trent Hidlay (Raleigh, N.C./Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Joshua Barr (Davison, Mich./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)

97 kg – Kyle Snyder (State College, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Hayden Zillmer (Deerwood, Minn./Gopher WC)

125 kg – Wyatt Hendrickson (Stillwater, Okla./Cowboy RTC/U.S. Air Force WCAP) vs. Trent Hillger (Minneapolis, Minn./Gopher WC)


Women’s Freestyle Best-of-Three Series #

50 kg – Audrey Jimenez (Bethlehem, Pa./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Erin Golston (Denton, Texas/New York AC)

53 kg – Brianna Gonzalez (Baldwin, Calif./Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Felicity Taylor (Coralville, Iowa/Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg – Cristelle Rodriguez (Fresno, Calif./Tiger WC) vs. Everest Leydecker (Phoenix, Ariz./Thorobred WC)

57 kg – Helen Maroulis (Rockville, Md./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Amanda Martinez (Riverside, Ill./Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)

59 kg – Abigail Nette (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP) vs. Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)

62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Phoenix, Ariz./Valiant WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army WCAP)

65 kg – Macey Kilty (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women’s WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Aine Drury (Westminster, Calif./New York AC)

68 kg – Kennedy Blades (Tiffin, Iowa/Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Brooklyn Hays (Colorado Springs, Colo./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)

72 kg – Alexandria Glaude (Atherton, Calif./Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

76 kg – Kylie Welker (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Dymond Guilford (Lancaster, Calif./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)


Men’s Freestyle True-Third Matches #

57 kg – Liam Cronin (Lincoln, Neb./Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Nico Provo (Stratford, Conn./California RTC)

65 kg – Marcus Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Brock Hardy (Brigham City, Utah/Nebraska WTC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg – Ian Parker (Charlottesville, Va./Cavalier WC) vs. Bryce Andonian (Kirtland, Ohio/Southeast RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

74 kg – Jarrett Jacques (Columbia, Mo./Tiger Style WC) vs. Joseph Blaze (Perrysburg, Ohio/Boilermaker RTC)

86 kg – Parker Keckeisen (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Panther WC-RTC) vs. Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa./Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)


Women’s Freestyle True-Third Matches #

50 kg – Anaya Falcon (Yorba Linda, Calif./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Kendra Ryan (Naperville, Ill./Cardinal WC)

53 kg – Sage Mortimer (Allendale, Mich./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Sydney Petzinger (Parsippany, N.J./Cardinal WC)

59 kg – Alexis Janiak (Plainfield, Ill./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Humble, Texas/Rise RTC)

62 kg – Alara Boyd (Muncie, Ind./Cardinal WC) vs. SaVannah Cosme (Denver, Colo./Atreus WC)

65 kg – Jennifer Page (Bellefonte, Pa./Titan Mercury WC) vs. Bella Mir (Las Vegas, Nev./Cardinal WC)

68 kg – Latifah McBryde (Buffalo, N.Y./Life) vs. Solin Piearcy (San Jose, Calif./Titan Mercury WC)

72 kg – Kaylynn Albrecht (Fort Worth, Texas/USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Skylar Grote (Newton, N.J./USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)

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