2024 Olympic Team Trials Women's Freestyle Preview (62, 68, 76kg)
It’s almost here! The field has been set and the eyes of the American wrestling world are ready to collectively focus on State College, Pennsylvania, the setting of the 2024 US Olympic Team Trials. The Trials are always incredible and a must-see for fans; however, this one is a bit more special after the most recent Trials. Delayed by a year, because of COVID, the 2020(1) Trials were moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and did not have the type of crowd that is expected to pack the Bryce Jordan Center this time.
Our previews have been broken down to half of a particular style at a time. Earlier in the week, we started with men's freestyle - now we're wrapping up women's freestyle. The good news is that all six weights have been qualified for women's freestyle - either at the 2023 World Championships or at the 2024 Pan-American Olympic Qualifier. In a rule unique only to women's freestyle, the wrestler who earned the allocation bid for the United States can sit out until the best-of-three finals.
For each weight, we’ll mention the qualifiers, along with how they qualified, and notes about each of the participants, followed by a finals prediction.
62 kg Qualifiers
2024 Pan-American Olympic Games Qualifier Finalist: Kayla Miracle
2023 World Medalist in non-Olympic Weight: Jennifer Page (59 kg)
2023 World Medalist in non-Olympic Weight: Macey Kilty (65 kg)
2022 World Team member: Mallory Velte
2023 Bil Farrell runner-up: Katerina Lange
Senior National Runner-Up: Ashlynn Ortega
Senior Nationals Third Place: Aine Drury
Senior Nationals Fourth Place: Maya Letona
Senior Nationals Fifth Place: SaVannah Cosme
2024 NCWWC National champion: Reese Larramendy
2024 NCWWC National champion: Claire DiCugno
2024 NAIA National champion: Adaugo Nwachukwu
Last Chance Qualifier champion: Lauren Louive
Without a doubt, 62 kg is the deepest women’s freestyle weight in the Trials. Four of the entrants have won world medals at the Senior level. The field is led by mainstay Kayla Miracle. She has made the last five world/Olympic teams at this weight. After missing out on the medal stand at the 2020(1) Olympic Games, Miracle captured silver medals in the two World Championship events that followed the Games. In 2024, Miracle struck gold at the Pan-American Championships, then turned around and claimed a pair of wins at the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier, which ensured the United States would be in the Olympics, at this weight. Miracle will have the advantage as she’ll wait in the best-of-three finals for a challenger to emerge.
The other three past Senior world medalists in this bracket are Jennifer Page, Macey Kilty, and Mallory Velte. Page had quite the 2023 after getting upset in the finals of the US Open at 62 kg, which prevented her from competing in Final X at that weight. She then moved down to 59 kg and won the World Trials which pushed her into Final X. Not only did Page make the Senior World team, but she also came away from Belgrade with a bronze medal.
After a ton of success on the age-group level, Macey Kilty made her first Senior World Team in 2023. She would go all the way to the world finals before suffering a loss, which netted her a silver medal. Kilty has now made the world finals at every age group available for her. Earlier this year, Kilty lost in a three-match series to Miracle for the chance to compete in the Pan-American Olympic Qualifier. The two had also met in the 2020(1) Olympic Trials finals, when Kilty was injured in the decisive third bout.
Velte has made three world teams and has come away with bronze medals in two of those appearances. The most recent coming in 2022 at 65 kg. Velte lost a pair of close bouts to Kilty at Final X last year. Though she had already locked up a spot in the Trials, Velte competed in, and won, both the Bill Farrell and Senior Nationals.
One of the other top contenders at this weight is Miracle’s Final X opponent Nwachukwu. Nwachukwu had the opportunity to unseat Miracle after stunning Page in the US Open finals. Earlier this month, Nwachukwu was named the second annual Women’s Collegiate Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. She earned the honor after going 21-0 with bonus points in all of her wins; while claiming an NAIA national title for William Penn.
Another veteran at this weight is the Last Chance Qualifier champion Lauren Louive. Louive advanced to Final X in 2019, but is still looking to make her first World/Olympic team. She ran through the LCQ tournament without surrendering a point in any of her four bouts.
The contingent of this weight class that qualified through Senior Nationals includes Ashlynn Ortega, Aine Drury, Maya Letona, and SaVannah Cosme. Ortega blanked Drury and Letona to make the Senior finals, where she fell to Jacarra Winchester. In 2023, Ortega finished fourth at the US Open, then went on to make the finals of the Grand Prix of Spain.
Drury and Letona are no strangers. While Drury defeated Letona by a point in the Senior National third place bout, it was Letona who prevailed in the third place match at the 2023 US Open. Not only was Cosme fifth at Senior Nationals, but she also was a bronze medalist in 2023 at the U20 Pan-American Championships.
U23 World Team member Katerina Lange got into the Trials via a finals appearance at the Bill Farrell. She was third at the 2023 US Open competing up at 68 kg.
The remainder of the women in this bracket come from the NCWWC ranks. Claire DiCugno and Reese Larramendy were national champions in 2024 with DiCugno winning the 136 lb bracket and Larramendy winning at 143 lbs.
Prediction: Macey Kilty over Kayla Miracle
68 kg qualifiers
2023 World Champion at non-Olympic weight (72 kg): Amit Elor
2021 World Team member: Forrest Molinari
2023 Bill Farrell runner-up: Alex Glaude
Senior National third place: Alara Boyd
Senior National fourth place: Solin Piearcy
Senior National fifth place: Kaylynn Albrecht
2024 NAIA national champion: Caitlyn Davis
Last Chance Qualifier champion: Chloe Ogden
Three years ago at the 2020(1) Olympic Games, it was Tamyra Mensah-Stock who prevailed at this weight class and became the second American woman to win Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling. While Mensah-Stock has turned her attention to the WWE, the United States still has a highly-decorated favorite who is expected to prevail in the Trials and also come away with a second straight gold medal at this weight.
That favorite is Amit Elor who has won U20, U23, and Senior World titles in each of the last two years. Previously, an American had not accomplished the feat; however, she’s done it twice. Elor comes into the trials on a winning streak that dates back to 2019 when she lost at the U17 World Championships and bounced back to take third. Not only has Elor won, but she’s done so in dominating fashion. Neither of her Final X opponents in 2022 and 2023 were able to manage a single point. During 2023’s title run, she outscored the competition 33-4, and at U23’s she pinned three of her four opponents in less than :30 seconds.
Elor’s dominance domestically and internationally may be a reason why this is the smallest of the women’s freestyle brackets, in terms of entries.
The opponent with the longest track record of success is Forrest Molinari. Molinari has made three world teams during her career and brought home a bronze medal in her most recent appearance (2021). In her only appearance of 2024, Molinari claimed a silver medal at the Zagreb Open Ranking Series event.
There aren’t any other competitors in this bracket with Senior World Team experience; however, there is Alex Glaude who has made world teams at the Junior and U23 age groups. In 2018, Glaude captured a bronze medal at U23’s. A year later, Glaude made Final X but was defeated in two straight bouts by Mensah-Stock.
Another entrant here was plenty of international experience is Alara Boyd. Boyd made two U20 World Teams in 2019 and 2021. Previously, she won a pair of world medals at the Cadet age group. Over the weekend, Boyd fell in the best-of-three finals in an attempt to also make the 2024 U23 team.
Boyd earned her spot by finishing third at Senior Nationals. Right behind her were Solin Piearcy and Kaylynn Albrecht, taking fourth and fifth, respectively. In 2023, Piearcy was fourth at the US Open and a finalist at the Dan Kolov/Nikola Petrov Tournament and competed in the bronze medal match at the Zagreb Open. Albrecht went unbeaten at the Henri DeGlane this year and was third at the 2023 Bill Farrell.
Rounding out the weight class are Cailtyn Davis and Chloe Ogden. Davis was a 2024 NAIA national champion for Southern Oregon and made the 2024 U20 World Team at this weight. Ogden comes in after winning the Last Chance Qualifier. We’ll have to monitor her status, as she also competed this weekend at the U23 division and injury defaulted out after a semifinal loss.
Prediction: Amit Elor over Forrest Molinari
76 kg Qualifiers
2023 Senior World medalist at Olympic weight: Adeline Gray
2022 World Team member: Dymond Guilford
2021 World Team member: Kylie Welker
2023 U20 World Bronze Medalist: Kennedy Blades
2023 Bill Farrell champion: Yelena Makoyed
2023 World Military Championships gold medalist: Tristan Kelly
Senior Nationals champion: Precious Wieser
Senior National runner-up: Marlynne Deede
Senior National third place: Skylar Grote
Senior National fourth place: Brooklyn Hays
Senior National fifth place: Rose Cassioppi
Last Chance Qualifier Champion: Madison Sandquist
Perhaps the most fascinating weight in the women’s freestyle tournament is 76 kg. You have the legendary Adeline Gray sitting in the best-of-three finals waiting for a challenger to emerge from a very deep field of contenders. Gray is seeking to make her third Olympic team and chase down the gold medal that’s eluded her in her previous two trips. Altogether, Gray has ten World/Olympic medals - which includes six world titles. In addition to her third Olympic team, she’s seeking to make her 13th World/Olympic team.
Even with Gray’s credentials and her standing as one of the all-time greats of USA Wrestling, her making the team is not a lock. Last year, after giving birth to her twins, Gray returned for the US Open and was noticeably rusty (after only returning to training a few weeks earlier) in a one-sided loss to Kennedy Blades. Gray earned a rematch against Blades after winning the World Team Trials and dispatched Blades in two straight matches, though both were close. So far, in 2024, Gray has taken third at the Zagreb Open and was knocked off by an opponent from Ecuador at the Pan-American Championships - she’d rebound for bronze.
The question is, “Can Adeline make another team and chase the gold or is the youth movement at this weight ready to prevail?”
This weight has plenty of youthful challengers that could push or defeat Gray and make an impact at the Olympic Games. The aforementioned Blades has won medals at the U23 and U20 levels in each of the last few years. Blades made both teams last year and was second at U23’s and third at U20’s. In 2021, Blades was a U20 world champion.
Blades’ U20 world title came at 72 kg and right behind her was Kylie Welker, who won gold at 76 kg. That same year she also took home bronze from U23’s. Both Blades and Welker were finalists at the most recent Olympic Trials. Welker fell to Blades, while Blades lost to Mensah-Stock.
Another past world team member in this bracket is Dymond Guilford who made the 2022 team, while Gray was unavailable. In 2024, Guilford claimed a bronze medal at the Dan Kolov/Nikola Petrov and was unbeaten at the Henri DeGlane. She was also a 2022 U23 World silver medalist.
One of Guilford’s frequent opponents, Yelena Makoyed, will be in the mix, as well. Guilford beat Makoyed to make the 2022 World Team in Final X; however, they’ve traded wins since - with Makoyed having the most recent win; at the 2024 Henri DeGlane. Makoyed has been a trailblazer for the North Central wrestling program and just finished her collegiate career with a loss in the national finals to Welker. She’ll finish as a three-time national champion and five-time finalist.
Guilford’s former high school teammate and also regular opponent, Precious Wieser is in the field. Wieser got in with a Senior National title. In 2019, Bell opposed Gray in Final X and was a part of the U20 world team.
Marlynne Deede, Skylar Grote, Brooklyn Hays, and Rose Cassioppi also qualified via Senior Nationals. Deede was a 2024 NCWWC national champion for Iowa and a teammate of Cassioppi. Grote made Final X at 72 kg in 2022. She, along with Guiford, earned bronze medals in a DeGlane weight class won by Makoyed. Over the weekend, Hays won the 68 kg spot at the U23 WTT’s. Last year, Hays defeated Cassioppi in a true-third place match at Final X.
Also in the field are Tristan Kelly and Madison Sandquist. Kelly, a member of the Army’s WCAP, earned her spot with a gold medal at the World Military Championships. In 2022, Kelly was a U20 world bronze medalist. She’ll have an opportunity to add to her medal haul later this year as she won the U23 Trials at, 76 kg, over the weekend. Sandquist was a sixth-place finisher at the NCWWC’s but claimed a title at the Last Chance Qualifier event.
Prediction: Kennedy Blades over Adeline Gray
