U.S. seeks multiple podium finishes at U17 & U20 Beach World Championships in Romania, Sept. 1-2

Amit Elor of the USA battles at the 2019 Cadet Beach World Championships, where she won the Over 50 kg gold medal. Photo by Molly Grabowski.


Amit Elor is having a great 2022 season. Already a multiple age-group World medalist, Elor has made three U.S. World Teams in 2022, the Senior World Team, the U23 World Team and the U20 World team. Elor won her second straight U20 World title in August. She was also a 2021 U17 World champion.


Elor’s first UWW World title came in 2019 at the U17 Beach World Championships, when she claimed a gold medal at the Over 50 kg weight class.


This year, the USA will be sending its largest age-group World Team to the Beach World Championships, seeking another gold medal and aiming to add to the three age-group Beach medals that have been won by American athletes. Below is the list of past U.S. age-group Beach World medalists.

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)

Kristal Betanzo, Hillsborough, Calif. (2019 U20 Worlds, Bronze at 50 kg)
Men

Caspian Grabowski, Pacifica, Calif. (2019 U17 Worlds, Bronze at Over 70 kg)


Who are some of the top medal hopefuls for Team USA at the 2022 U17 and U20 Beach World Championships in Constanta, Romania, September 1-2?


On the U20 Team, Mia Macaluso is ranked No. 14 at 60 kg in the 2022 Senior Beach World Series Rankings. Macaluso placed fifth at the Beach World Series event in Greece and seventh in France. She was also a U.S. Senior Beach Nationals champion this year. Macaluso was fourth for East Stroudsburg University as a freshman at the NCWWC (NCAA) Nationals this year.


Maren Anderson, who is also competing at the U20 Worlds, is No. 17 at Over 70 kg in the Senior Beach World Series. Anderson placed seventh at the Beach World Series Event in Greece in July. Both Macaluso and Anderson are also scheduled to compete in the Beach World Series Final starting on Saturday.


If you look at past Beach World Championships experience, only one member of last year’s U.S. age-group Beach World Team, Bella Hoffman, will compete this year. Hoffman, who is registered this year for the U20 World Championships at 60 kg, was seventh at the 2021 U17 Beach Worlds.


Winners from the 2022 U.S. Beach National Championships at the age-group levels who are wrestling in Constanta include Junior national champions (grades 9-12) Josie Davis (60 kg), Carmela Castaneda (60 kg), Erin Kremer (Over 70 kg) on the women’s side, as well as Damon Landreth (70 kg) and Lars Michaelson (80 kg) on the men’s side. 2022 Cadet Beach national champion (ages 15-16) Kane Foley (80 kg) is also competing.


They are identified by the weights they are competing in at this year’s World Championships. The age-groups and weight classes at the 2022 U.S. Beach Nationals did not match up to the international ages and weights.


If you look at high school rankings in all of the wrestling styles, there are a number of wrestlers on this team who held national rankings at the end of the 2021-22 season. On the girls side, they include Josie Davis (No. 12 at 127), Isabella Hoffman (No. 20 at 122), Alessandra Elliott (No. 21 at 127) and Ciara Riner (No. 28 at 127). On the Boys side, Thor Michaelson ended the year at No. 16 at 170 pounds in the FloWrestling Rankings.


Elliott is the only wrestler competing in both the U17 and U20 World Championships. With 12 athletes covering 13 entries at this year age-group Beach World Championships, USA Wrestling is hopeful it will add more names to the list of age-group Beach World medalists. And how about another champion to join Amit on the list?


Fans will need to go to United World Wrestling’s platforms for video coverage and results from the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships. (It will not be on FloWrestling). Check out these resources:

UWW Beach Wrestling website

Information on Beach Worlds on UWW website


Constanta is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone.

U17 AND U20 BEACH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Constanta, Romania, September 1-2

U.S. U17 women

60 kg – Ciara Riner, Huntington, W.Va.

60 kg – Alessandra Elliott, Staten Island, N.Y. (Tottenville High School)

U.S. U17 men

80 kg – Lars Michaelson, Bremerton, Wash. (NWWC)

80 kg – Kane (Foley) Devall, New Bern, N.C.

U.S. U20 women

60 kg – Mia Macaluso, Otisville, N.Y.

60 kg – Josie Davis, Sidney, Ohio

60 kg – Carmela Castaneda, Defiance, Ohio

60 kg – Bella Hoffman, Tega Cay, S.C. (Fort Mill High School)

70 kg – Alessandra Elliott, Staten Island, N.Y. (Tottenville High School)

Over 70 kg – Maren Anderson, Tinley Park, Ill. (Natural Athlete WC)

Over 70 kg – Erin Kremer, Covington, Wash. (Bombers WC)

U.S. U20 men

70 kg – Damon Landreth, Hendersonville, N.C. (BaynardTrained)

80 kg – Thor Michaelson, Bremerton, Wash. (NWWC)


Age-Group Worlds Team Leader – Rusty Davidson, Grants, N.M.

Senior World Series Team Leader – Ed Duncan, Spruce Pine, N.C.

Coach – Britney Carrington, Dayton, Ohio

Coach – Steve Baynard, Naples, N.C.

Coach – Cheryl Baynard, Naples, N.C.

Referee – Jay Watkins, Temecula, Calif.

Event Schedule

seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern time zone

Thursday, September 1

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – U17 Group Rounds

4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – U17 Elimination Rounds and Finals

Friday, September 2

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – U20 Group Rounds

3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – U20 Elimination Rounds and Finals