USA to send talented young team to compete at Klippan Lady Open, Feb. 17-19

Shelby Moore (WA) competing at the 2022 National High School Recruiting Showcase. Moore is one of the EAP athletes competing at the Klippan Open. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.


The United States is bringing a strong team of talented young women’s freestyle athletes to compete at the Klippan Lady Open in Klippan, Sweden, Feb. 17-19.


This is one of the traditionally strong women’s events each year and includes both a Senior division and a U17 division.


Team USA will enter three athletes in the U17 event, Ava Ward at 49 kg, Sydney Perry at 65 kg and Skylar Little Soldier at 65 kg. All three are among the highest ranked high school wrestlers in the nation including Little Soldier (No. 2 at 127), Perry (No. 2 at 144) and Ward (No. 3 at 117). Ward was a 2021 U17 World bronze medalist and a 2022 U17 Pan American champion. Perry was a 2022 Pan American U17 silver medalist and was fifth in the 2022 U17 Worlds. Little Soldier was a 2022 Pan American U17 silver medalist.


There will be 10 U.S. wrestlers entered into the Senior division. All of these athletes are in the U20 age group, but moving up to Senior for this event.


U.S. Army WCAP athlete Tristan Kelly, who was a 2022 U20 World bronze medalist, will compete at 76 kg. Her Army WCAP teammate Estrella Dorado Marin (53 kg), a 2022 Pan American U20 silver medalist will also wrestle.


A group of athletes from USA Wrestling’s Elite Accelerator Program (EAP), who train at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center will compete: Genesis Cejudo at 50 kg, Shelby Moore at 55 kg, Skylar Hattendorf at 62 kg and Rose Cassioppi at 72 kg. Little Soldier is a former EAP athlete.


Moore and Cassioppi are still in high school, with Moore ranked No. 1 nationally at 127 pounds, and Cassioppi ranked No. 6 at 152 pounds. Hattendorf was a 2019 U17 World silver medalist. Cassioppi was a 2021 Pan American U17 champion. Moore was fifth in the 2022 U17 World Championships.


High school star Elena Ivaldi, ranked No. 1 at 117 pounds, will compete at 53 kg in the Senior division. Elleni Johnson, ranked No. 7 at the high school level at 144 pounds, will wrestle at 65 kg. Chloe Ogden, with the Tarheel WC, will battle at 68 kg. University of Iowa wrestler Ella Schmidt will compete at 62 kg.


USA Wrestling’s National Women’s Developmental Coach Jessica Medina will lead the delegation. Among the coaches on the tour is six-time World champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist Adeline Gray.

KLIPPAN LADY OPEN

At Klippan, Sweden, Feb. 17-19


U.S. U17 women’s freestyle wrestlers

49 kg - Ava Ward, Centralia, Mo.

65 kg - Sydney Perry, Batavia, Ill.

65 kg - Skylar Little Soldier, Welch, Minn.

U.S. Senior women’s freestyle wrestlers

50 kg - Genesis Cejudo, Phoenix, Colo.

53 kg - Elena Ivaldi, Newcastle, Calif.

53 kg - Estrella Dorado Marin. Colorado Springs, Colo.

55 kg - Shelby Moore, Buckley, Wash.

62 kg - Skylar Hattendorf, Hookset, N.H.

62 kg - Ella Schmit, Bettandorf, Iowa

65 kg - Elleni Johnson, West Jordan, Utah

68 kg - Chloe Ogden, Geneva, Fla.

72 kg - Rose Cassioppi, Roscoe, Ill.

76 kg - Tristan Kelly, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Note: These U.S. wrestlers are also U20 age-eligible.


National Women’s Developmental Coach – Jess Medina, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach - Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach - Geneva Gray, Orem, Utah

Coach - Jermaine Hodge, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach - Jon Perreira, Roseville, Calif.

Medical Judi Tekautz, Rushford, Minn.

Event Schedule

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

Friday, February 17

6:00 p.m. – U17 preliminaries

Saturday, February 18

9:00 a.m. – U17 competition through finals

1:00 p.m. – Senior competition Session I

5:00 p.m. – Senior competition Session II

Sunday, February 19

10:00 a.m. – Senior competition Session III

1:00 p.m. – Senior Finals