Augello and Maroulis capture berths in Olympic Games, to wrestle for gold in Mongolia

2015 World champion Helen Maroulis advanced to the finals in  Mongolia and qualified for the Olympic Games. Photo: John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia – Two U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers, Helen Maroulis (Huntington Beach, Calif./Sunkist Kids) and Haley Augello (Lockport, Ill./New York AC/OTC), punched through to the finals of the 1st Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament and solidified their spots on the U.S. Olympic Team that will compete in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August.


Maroulis, a 2015 World champion, left little doubt in her 53 kg/116.5 lbs. semifinal as she launched Lilya Horishna of Ukraine with a Russian tie, foot sweep combination to pick up a 28-second fall and secure her first trip to the Olympic Games.


The three-time World medalist Maroulis cruised to an 8-2 decision over Alma Jane Valencia Escoto of Mexico and a 10-0 technical fall over Kumari Babita of India in her first two matches in Mongolia. She will battle 2012 World bronze medalist Maria Prevolaraki of Greece in the championship finals.


Newcomer to the 48 kg/105.5 lbs. division stateside, Augello rode the momentum of her U.S. Olympic Team Trials win to a phenomenal performance thus far in Mongolia. Augello won all three of her morning matches by technical fall and outscored her opponents by a combined total of 32-1.


Augello will face her stiffest 48 kg competition yet in the gold medal match. Awaiting the breakthrough American star is 2014 World bronze medalist Hyon-Gyong Kim of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.


With the highs of today’s competition also came a pair of tough losses for the U.S. women.


The women’s freestyle competition in Mongolia only qualified the two wrestlers in each weight class that made the championship finals for the Olympic Games, and unfortunately two American’s came up short of that goal.


U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion Tamyra Mensah (Katy, Texas/Titan Mercury WC/OTC) fell one-point shy of qualifying herself for the Olympic Games at 69 kg/152 lbs.


After winning her first two matches over Kaur Navjot of India, 10-0, and Gozal Zutova of Azerbaijan, 10-7, Mensah found herself one win away from making the championship finals. She took the early lead over Ilana Kratysh of Israel before giving up a four-point headlock that would prove to be the match winner. Mensah’s end-of-match rally fell short, 6-5, after a questionable slip throw call was ruled against her.


Mensah will face this year’s Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier bronze medalist Diana Paulina Miranda Gonzales of Mexico in the 69 kg bronze medal match today.


Looking to book her second trip to the Olympic Games, 2012 U.S. Olympian Kelsey Campbell (Tempe, Ariz./Sunkist Kids) dropped her opening round bout at 58 kg/128 lbs. to 2013 World bronze medalist Emese Barka of Hungary, 1-1, on criteria. Barka would lose her next bout eliminating Campbell from repechage contention.


Mensah and Campbell will have one final opportunity to qualify for the Rio Olympics two weeks from today at the 2nd Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.


The medal matches for today’s competition in Mongolia are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. local time/5 a.m. Eastern. The finals can be viewed live courtesy of United World Wrestling at www.unitedworldwrestling.org.

1st OLYMPIC GAMES WORLD QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT

April 23 at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia


U.S. women’s freestyle results


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

WIN Viyaleta Chyryk (Belarus), 12-1

WIN Sarianne Savola (Finland), 10-0

WIN Mariya Livach (Ukraine), 10-0

GOLD Hyon-Gyong Kim (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)


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

WIN Alma Jane Valenica Escoto (Mexico), 8-2

WIN Kumari Babita (India), 10-0

WIN Lilya Horishna (Ukraine), Fall 0:28

GOLD Maria Prevolaraki (Greece)


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

LOSS Emese Barka (Hungary), 1-1


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

WIN Kaur Navjot (India), 10-0

WIN Gozal Zutova (Azerbaijan), 10-7

LOSS Ilana Kratysh (Israel), 6-5

BRONZE Diana Paulina Miranda Gonzales (Mexico)