Tamyra Mensah named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week

Tamyra Mensah in action at the Golden Grand Prix Final in Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Martin Gabor, United World Wrestling.

Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Wayland Baptist/Titan Mercury WC) has been selected as TheMat.com Athlete of the Week on Nov. 29, 2016.


Last weekend, Mensah earned her sixth international medal in 2016 with a tremendous showing at the Golden Grand Prix Final held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Texas native posted a 3-1 record on the day and came away with a silver medal at 69 kg/152 lbs.


She opened the competition with three quality wins over international foes. Mensah defeated Pan American runner-up Yudari Sanchez Rodriguez of Cuba by fall and edged two-time Junior World bronze medalist Elis Manolova of Azerbaijan, 4-2, before handing 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Elmira Syzdykova of Kazakhstan a 12-4 defeat.


In the finals, Mensah battled to the end, but was upended by six-time Cadet and Junior World champion Masako Furuichi of Japan, 11-4.


In addition to her silver-medal performance in Baku, Mensah earned bronze medals at the Olympic Test Event, 1st World Olympic Games Qualifier, 2nd World Olympic Games Qualifier, Canada Cup and Grand Prix of Spain this year. She was also the 69-kg champion at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials back in April.


Although Mensah won the Olympic Trials, she did not compete at the Olympic Games due to the 69 kg women’s freestyle weight class not being qualified by the U.S.


On the college side, Mensah won the 2014 WCWA Women’s College Nationals for Wayland Baptist and is a three-time WCWA All-American entering her senior year. She did not compete at the college level last year. Instead, Mensah elected to take an Olympic redshirt and focus on making the U.S. Olympic Team.


Mensah won her first U.S. Open title last December and also earned silver medals at the 2014 University World Championships and 2015 U.S. World Team Trials. 


Each week USA Wrestling will select an Athlete of the Week based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level.


To nominate a wrestler for USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week please send the athlete’s name, wrestling program and weekly and career accomplishments to Richard Immel at rimmel@usawrestling.org.