UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sunkist Kids, one of America's most successful senior-level wrestling clubs, is closing for the season. Al Martoli, who founded the club in 1976, is retiring and looking to leave behind a glorious legacy.
Their numbers: 67 Olympians, 29 Olympic medalists, including 12 gold medals, and countless world team members and medals. Its prominence and importance to the growth of wrestling in the United States is likely to be unparalleled for years to come.
At these U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, the last batch of Sunkist kids are hoping to do Martoli proud one last time. Among them is Kennedy Blaze, a 20-year-old sensation from Chicago, who is one step closer to realizing her Olympic dream after her first day of competition at the Bryce Jordan Center here on Friday. Approaching the.
Blaze made it through the challenge tournament in the 76kg weight class. She won all three matches by technical fall for a total of 33-1. She defeated Skyler Groat 11-0 in the quarterfinals, Dimond Guilford 11-1 in the semifinals, and Elena Macoed 11-0 in the final. She pitched Groat 5-for-5 once and took Guilford off her feet and onto her back twice.
“Honestly, it’s a great honor, especially since this is my last year,” Blades said Friday. “They have a lot of decorated athletes and it's an honor for them to consider me one of them. I will always represent Sunkist on and off the mat. Martolis is great. Yo.”
Blaydes has long been one of the best young female wrestlers in the United States. She won the Cadet World Title in 2018, the Junior World Title in 2021, and a silver medal at the U23 World Championships in 2023. She also reached the best-of-three championship final at the 2020 Olympic Trials and has competed regularly at senior level.
She's here again and is two wins away from going to Paris this summer. She will have to defeat one of the giants of USA wrestling, Adaline Gray, a six-time world champion, nine-time world medalist, and 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist.
The Blades can benefit from recent experience. In fact, she defeated Gray 12-2 in last year's U.S. Open final, but in Final X, Gray bounced back and went undefeated in two games, overwhelmingly defeating Blaze and earning a place on the world team. She also won a bronze medal in Belgrade, Serbia.
It won't be easy, but Blaze is excited about the challenge.
“I focused on getting points and having fun, not feeling like I had to win,” Blaise said of his mindset. “That will be my approach.”
This weekend has been going well for her so far. If she can accomplish it two more times, she will have her name added to the long, long list of Sunkist Kids Olympians and she will have a chance to win what could be the first of many Olympic medals. It will happen.
Here's a quick summary of what happened Friday night by weight.
50kg — High school senior Audrey Jimenez rose through the ranks, defeating three opponents by a combined score of 30-6 to advance to the best-of-three championship final. In the challenge final, she scored six straight points in the final 30 seconds of the first period to rally from a 4-0 hole to a 10-6 victory over Sage Mortimer.
53kg — Haley Augello scored just 12 points in three games Friday, but allowed just two points and is two wins away from making her second Olympic team. Augello defeated Felicity Taylor 5-1 in the quarterfinals, defeated No. 2 seed Katie Gomez 4-1 in the semifinals, and defeated No. 4 seed Arenana Villaescuza 3-0 in the final. and won the challenge tournament. Augello is on the 2016 Olympic team at 48kg and must beat 2022 world champion Dom Parrish to get to Paris.
57kg — Jakara Winchester earned a bye into the semi-finals thanks to her world silver medal (but at a non-Olympic weight of 55 kg). She took advantage of that opportunity and won the challenge tournament on Friday with two wins, 11-0 over Abigail Nette and 4-2 over Alex Hedrick. She will face two-time Olympic medalist Helen Maroulis. They were both members of the 2020 Olympic team. Only one person is going to Paris.
62kg — Like Winchester, Macy Quilty also benefited from a bye in the semifinals. The returning world silver medalist opened with a decisive 6-2 victory over Aduago Nwachukwu, followed by a close 9-8 win over fellow returning world medalist Jen Page, who is also a two-time world medalist. She defeated bronze medalist Mallory Verte in a match. Challenge tournament finals. After Quilty led her 4-1, Paige came back to give her a 5-4 lead and then it was back and forth. Quilty leads with her 6-5, Paige ties it with her 6-6, Quilty leads with her 8-6, Paige ties it with her 8-8, and Quilty scores with 8 seconds left. , achieved a complete victory.
68kg — Forrest Molinari scores a step-out point with 14 seconds left to earn a 4-3 victory over Alex Glaude in the challenge tournament finals and secure a spot in Saturday's best-of-three finals series. Both defeated their first two opponents. Molinari defeated Sorin Percy 11-0 and then defeated Aine Drury by pin in 57 seconds. Glaude advanced to the finals with a 6-0 win over Kaitlin Davis and a 9-1 win over Rhys Larramendi.
76kg – See above.
