The Olympic trials have ended, and the women's freestyle team has been decided. With all six weight classes qualifying for Paris, the U.S. Olympic Team (by age group) is:
2024 Olympic Team
Hildebrandt (bronze), Maroulis (bronze) and Miracle were named to the 2020 Olympic team, with Maroulis becoming the first American woman to win a gold medal in wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Parrish and Elor are making the Olympic team for the first time, but are world champions at the senior level. Blaise reached the 68kg final of the 2020 Olympic Trials, but she lost in straight sets to eventual Olympic champion Tamira Mensah-Stock.
Here's a look at how the six 2024 Olympians fared in three straight races.
50kg: Sara Hildebrandt vs. Audrey Jimenez, 2 wins, 0 losses
Match 1: Hildebrandt's technique vs. Jimenez, 10-0
Match 2: Hildebrandt technique vs. Jimenez, 10-0
Take-out: High school student Audrey Jimenez had a memorable run in the challenge tournament, advancing three places to the finals. Hildebrandt fell short of his world-famous leg lace, but he was sharp with his takedowns and countered Jimenez's attempts with flawless defense.
53kg: Dom Parrish vs. Haley Augello, 2 wins, 0 losses
Game 1: Parrish vs. Augello, 2-1
Game 2: Parrish vs. Augello, 5-2
Take-out: Parrish faced off against 2016 Olympian Hayley Augello, who returned to competition after a four-year layoff. Augello has consistently improved since the Bill Farrell Memorial International in November, but fell just short of making his second Olympic team. Parrish made it to the senior level team for the third year in a row in the 53kg weight class.
Hear Dom Parrish's story after making the Olympic team
57kg: Helen Maroulis vs Jakara Winchester, 2 wins, 0 losses
Game 1: Maroulis pins Winchester, 2:41
Game 2: Maroulis vs. Winchester, 6-0
Take-out: This was the only best-of-three series that featured the return of two senior-level world champions. Winchester won silver in the 55kg weight class at the 2023 World Championships, qualifying for the semi-finals of the Challenge Tournament, but moved up to 57kg despite talk of dropping to 53kg. Maroulis controlled both matches and made his third Olympic appearance.
Interview with Helen Maroulis after joining the Olympic team
62kg: Kayla Miracle vs. Macy Quilty, 2 wins, 0 losses
Game 1: Miracle over Quilty, 8-5
Game 2: Miracle over Quilty, 4-1
Take-out: This was a rematch of the best-of-three between the 2020 Olympic Qualifying Finals and this year's Pan Am Olympic Qualifying Trials. Miracle won the first and third games in the previous series, but won back-to-back games to become the Olympic representative for the second time.
Hear Kayla Miracle's story after joining the Olympic team
68kg: Amit Errol vs. Forrest Molinari, 2 matches, 0 losses
Game 1: Errol vs. Molinari, 6-0
Match 2: Errol vs. Molinari, 2-1
Take-out: Errol, a two-time world champion in the 72kg weight class, outperformed Molinari, the 2021 World Championship bronze medalist in the 65kg weight class. Molinari gave Errol his toughest domestic match yet, but it wasn't enough to overcome Errol's two-on-one and underhook. The 20-year-old superstar hit a double in his first game, en route to a 6-0 shutout victory.
Hear Amit Errol's story after making the Olympic team
76kg: Kennedy Blaze vs. Adeline Gray, 2 matches, 0 losses
Match 1: Blaze over Gray, 11-6
Match 2: Blades over Gray, 8-3
Take-out: The Blaze won 3 matches in the challenge tournament and beat the Grays by 2 to make the Olympic team. Gray is a six-time world champion and 2020 Olympic silver medalist who defeated Blaze in straight matches at Final X last year.
Hear Kennedy Blaze's story after making the Olympic team
king's court
A quarter of the Olympic Trials finalists attended King University in Bristol, Tennessee. Hildebrandt, Augello, and Molinari were national champions and Tornado teammates. Simon Fraser selected two wrestlers, Parrish and Maroulis, to the Olympic team in the final. Jimenez was the only high school student to advance to the finals.
mini college nationals
Ten people participated in the 50kg challenge tournament, eight of whom are currently attending university. Erin Golston, who turned 31 on April 20, and Jimenez (a high school student) are outliers. Iowa State had three wrestlers in this bracket, but Sage Mortimer finished highest among college-eligible athletes in this bracket.
NCAA finals rematch
Iowa State teammates Felicity Taylor and Brianna Gonzalez clashed in a rematch of the Olympic Trials National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship finals. Click here for more information on his three-game series this year.
NAIA defeats NCAA in mythical college tournament of Olympic Trials…
There is an unspoken rivalry between the women's freestyle NAIA and NCAA programs. The Women's Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) hosted a year-end championship featuring teams from each division.
The WCWA held its final tournament in 2020, and although each division went its separate ways, the competition between divisions is real. His current NAIA wrestlers won more matches against current NCAA wrestlers at the Olympic Trials.
Below are NAIA vs. NCAA match results for wrestlers who are college-eligible or who completed their senior season in March. If the school is unknown, list the sumo wrestler's latest school. Menlo is transitioning to the NCAA, but he is currently an NAIA school.
NAIA beats NCAA (8)
50: Mia Palumbo (William Penn) vs. Emily Gonzalez (Iowa), 11-0
50: Mia Palumbo (William Penn) vs. Eva Bayless (Iowa), fall 3:50
50: Mia Palumbo (William Penn) vs. Kendra Ryan (North Central), 2-0.
57: Christel Rodriguez (Doan) vs. Alexis Janiak (Aurora), 13-2
57: Christel Rodriguez (Doan) vs. Cameron Guerin (McKendree)
62: Adaugo Nwachukwu (William Penn) vs. Katie Lange (Augsburg/Transfer Portal), 6-4
62: Adaugo Nwachukwu (William Penn) vs. Claire DiCunyo (King), 13-3
68: Kaylin Albrecht (Baker/TBC) vs. Alara Boyd (North Central), 7-0.
NCAA wins over NAIA (4)
50: Sage Mortimer (Grand Valley State) vs. Mia Palumbo (William Penn) 10-2
57: Amani Jones (North Central) vs. Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon), Indian. 1:42
68: Reese Larramendi (Iowa State) vs. Kaylin Albrecht (Baker/TBC), 8-4
76: Marilyn Deed (Iowa) vs. Tavia Heidelberg-Tillitson (Menlo), 10-0.
…but the NCAA had the most participants
The NCAA program had the most representatives at the 2024 Olympic Trials with 37 current or former wrestlers. Here's the full breakdown:
High school (1)
50: Audrey Jimenez (Sunnyside High School)
NCAA (32)
50: Neela Valencia (Iowa State)
50: Eva Bayless (Iowa State)
50: Kaelani Shufelt (Lock Haven)
50: Samara Chavez (King)
50: Kendra Ryan (North Central)
50th place: Emily Gonzalez (Iowa State)
50: Sage Mortimer (King/Grand Valley Province)
50: Sarah Hildebrand (King)
53: Vile Baker (Augsburg/King)
53: Sidney Petzinger (North Central)
53: Hayley Augello (King)
53: Felicity Taylor (McKendree, Iowa)
53: Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa State)
53: Dom Parrish (Simon Fraser)
57: Cam Guerin (McKendree)
57: Shelby Moore (McKendree)
57: Amani Jones (North Central)
57: Lexi Janiak (Aurora)
57: Amanda Martinez (North Central)
62: Mallory Verte (Simon Fraser)
62: Claire Dicugno (King)
62: Ashlyn Ortega (King)
62: Katie Lange (Aupsburg)
68: Alara Boyd (McKendree/North Central)
68: Reese Larramendi (Iowa)
68: Brooklyn Hayes (Augsburg)
68: Alex Glaude (McKendry)
76: Maddie Sandquist (Sacred Heart)
76: Tristan Kelly (Colorado Mesa/McKendree)
76: Elena Macoed (North Central)
76: Marlin Deed (Augsburg, Iowa)
76th: Kylie Welker (Iowa State)
Nia (15)
50: Mia Palumbo (Iowa Wesleyan/William Penn)
53: Amy Mason (Jamestown)
57: Bridget Duty (Cumberland)
57: Carolina Moreno (Southern Oregon)
57: Christel Rodriguez (Doan)
57: Jakara Winchester (Missouri Valley)
62: Lauren Ruib (Cumberland)
62: Adaugo Nwachukwu (Iowa Wesleyan/William Penn)
62: Jennifer Page (Oklahoma City)
62: Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville)
68: Sorin Piercy (Menlo)
68: Kaylin Albrecht (Baker)
68: Caitlin Davis (Southern Oregon)
76: Dimond Guilford (Missouri Baptist/Cumberland)
76: Precious Wieser (Menlo)
NAIA and NCAA (4)
57: Abbey Nett (Emanuel/Campbellsville)
57: Helen Maroulis (Missouri Baptist/Simon Fraser)
68: Forrest Molinari (Missouri Baptist/King)
76: Tavia Heidelberg-Tillitson (King/Menlo)
NJCAA and NCAA (1)
68: Aine Drury (Cerritos/King)
U Sports (Canada) (1)
76: Skyler Groat (Block)
Not affiliated with college wrestling (may have attended college but did not wrestle for an accredited program) (12)
50: Erin Golston
53: Alisha Hauck
53: Arena Villaescuza (WCAP)
53: Katie Gomez
57: Xochitl Mota Pettis
62: Maya Letna (Colombia)
62: Savannah Cosmetics (Arizona/Sunkist Kids)
62: Macy Quilty
68: Chloe Ogden
68: Amit Errol (Diablo Valley University)
76: Kennedy Blaze (Sunkist Kids)
76: Adeline Gray (Colorado – Colorado Springs)
