Augello, Maroulis, Campbell, Mensah receive draws for women's freestyle World Olympic Games Qualifier in Mongolia

2015 World champion Helen Maroulis will attempt to qualify herself for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Photo: Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia – Four U.S. women have weighed in and received their draws for Saturday competition at the 1st Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament at the Buyant-Uhaa Sports Arena.


U.S. Olympic Team Trials champions Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC/OTC), Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids), Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) and Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC/OTC) will attempt to qualify their weight class for the U.S. and themselves for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Unlike the men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions being held this weekend in Mongolia where the top three placers qualify for the Olympics, the women’s freestyle competition will only qualify the two wrestlers in each weight class that make the championship finals.


Augello dropped down to 48 kg/105.5 lbs. to win the U.S. Olympic Team Trials two weeks ago in one of the toughest women’s weight classes domestically. She will begin her run to Olympic qualification against young Belarussian Viyaleta Chyruk who made her first World Team last year. Chyruk won the Junior European Championships in 2015 and was fifth at the U23 European championships this year. However, she did struggle on the senior level internationally, not placing at both the Alexander Medved International and Grand Prix of Spain.


Maroulis, 2015 World Champion at 55 kg/121.25 lbs., will square off against familiar foe Alma Jane Valenica Escoto of Mexico to open competition at 53 kg/116.5 lbs. Valencia Escoto finished in seventh place at both the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier and Pan American Championships in Frisco, Texas earlier this year. She claimed a silver medal at the prestigious Pan American Games in 2015.


Looking to qualify for her second Olympic Games, 58 kg/128 lbs. U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion Campbell starts her day in Mongolia against a highly credentialed Emese Barka of Hungary. Barka finished in fifth place at the European Olympic Games Qualifier, but in the past year she has won gold at the Golden Grand Prix and European Games. The five-time World Team member for Hungary won a World bronze medal back in 2013 and was a University World champion in 2014.


Texas product Mensah has emerged at 69 kg/152 lbs. for the U.S. women’s squad and is one solid performance away from the Olympic Games. Mensah is set to face India’s five-time World Team member Kaur Navjot in the opening round tomorrow. Navjot finished in fifth place at the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier.


United World Wrestling will provide a live webcast and updated brackets on its website www.unitedworldwrestling.org.


The women’s freestyle competition will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday in Ulaanbaatar, 13 hours ahead of U.S. East Coast Time. This places the start of the tournament at 8 p.m. (ET) on Friday night. Finals are slated for a 6 p.m. start in Mongolia, or 5 a.m. (ET) for those watching stateside.

1st OLYMPIC GAMES WORLD QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

At Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia


U.S. women’s freestyle pairings


48 kg/105.5 lbs. – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC/OTC)

Viyaleta Chyruk (Belarus), 2015 World Team member, 2014 Junior European champion


53 kg/116.5 lbs. – Helen Maroulis, Huntington Beach, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Alma Jane Valenica Escoto (Mexico), Four-time Mexico World Team member, 2015 Pan American Games silver medalist


58 kg/128 lbs. – Kelsey Campbell, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)

Vs. Emese Barka (Hungary), 2015 Golden Grand Prix champion, 2015 European Games champion, 2014 World University champion, 2013 World bronze medalist, 2013 World University Games bronze medalist


69 kg/152 lbs. – Tamyra Mensah, Katy, Texas (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)

Vs. Kaur Navjot (India), Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament bronze medalist, 2009 Junior World bronze medalist