what: US Olympic Trials
weight:62kg (women's freestyle)
when: April 19th-20th
where: Penn State University (Bryce Jordan Center)
How to watch:peacock
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If you want to be intrigued, pay attention to this weight.
Kayla Miracle won the weight for the U.S. team at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February, earning her a spot in the best-of-three finals. Miracle won silver medals in the 62kg category at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships, but she did not medal in 2023 with 1 win and 1 loss.
This leaves the former Campbellsville star outside of the division he has held nationally since 2019. Had she not won the Pan Am, she would have been forced to wrestle throughout the entire challenge tournament.
Two wrestlers in this bracket won world medals in non-Olympic weight classes last year and each reached the semifinals of a challenge tournament. Jennifer Page won bronze in the 59kg category and Macy Quilty won silver in the 62kg category. Each must win two matches to earn the right to face Miracle in the finals.
Mallory Verte is another world medalist, but she will have to compete throughout the tournament to reach the finals. Verte won world championship bronze medals in 2018 (62kg) and 2022 (65kg), but lost in straight sets to Quilty in the Final X, missing out on her last year's world team when she was 65. did.
Senior world medalist in the 62kg class at the Olympic Trials
Quilty, Page, and Verte have won miracles, but Verte has had the most historic success. The former Simon Fraser star joined the team after beating Miracle at the 2018 Final X and eventually won a medal at the World Championships.
They will also be joined by William Penn's Adaugo Nwachukwu, who recently won his third NAIA title and won a bronze medal at the U20 World Championships. Nwachukwu defeated Page in the 2023 US Open final at 62kg, reducing Page's weight to 59kg. The move ultimately paid off, earning her a world medal and a spot in the semifinals.
Based on her match history and results, Miracle is still the favorite to win, but she will have her hands full no matter who she faces. Quilty won the second match against Miracle at the 2020 Olympic Trials and Pan Am Qualifiers, but lost the series both times.
Verte won two of three matches against Miracle at the 2018 Final X, but moved up a weight class the following year and dropped straight matches. Page won the first match against Miracle at the postponed 2022 Final X, but lost the next two matches.
The remaining field will try their best to win the match in the most competitive field of the tournament. Lauren Louive is a US Open champion who made it to Final X in 2019, but it's a tough task against such a loaded field.
In addition to collegiate national champions Katie Lang, Ashlyn Ortega and Claire DiCuno, Maya Letna and Savannah Cosme are also entered.
The smart bet is Quilty vs. Miracle in the finals, but something interesting happens at the Olympic Trials.
