Final X Rutgers: Women's Recap
Final X Rutgers: Women's Recap
Our recap of the women's freestyle wrestling matches from Final X: Rutgers.
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Ladies and gentlemen, presenting one-half of your World Team.
50: Whitney Conder (2011, 2014, 2015, 2018 World Teams)
57: Jenna Burkert (2014 and 2018 World Teams)
65: Forrest Molinari (2018 World 5th)
68: Tamyra Mensah-Stock (2016, 2017 World Teams; 2018 World Bronze)
72: Victoria Francis, (2017 World Team)
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The Condor, the Vortex, and the World Team
50 Kilograms: Whitney Conder over Victoria Anthony, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: 7-4 Conder
Match 2: 4-2 Fall Conder
In the latest chapter of the Conder-Anthony saga, it was Whitney Conder that left triumphant over the seventh-ranked Victoria Anthony in a captivating two-match series. In match one, the two world-class wrestlers were active early, getting into a back-and-forth flurry off a Conder attack. As Conder advanced in the flurry and Anthony defended, they found themselves chest-to-chest and Anthony bit hard on double-overhooks for an inside-trip attempt. In a perfect counter, Conder drove into a bodylock to take Anthony down for four points. After a failed challenge, it was 5-0 Conder. Suddenly facing a large deficit, Anthony’s pace accelerated with urgency. Anthony continued initiating action but both traded scores and it was Conder that left with the victory, 7-4.
Anthony continued pushing a blistering pace in match two and Conder boldly braved the storm. With heavy handfighting, Anthony put Conder in a minor vortex, hitting a clean front headlock shuck to score the opening takedown in the first ten seconds of the match. In the midst of fighting ties, Anthony fired off a post-double and beat the corner just as Conder reached back and ripped a standing chin-whip to take Anthony straight to her back. As four points were going on the board, Conder sunk Anthony deeper and deeper before securing the fall in just under two minutes.
“I knew I had to fight every position,” Conder later said of the aggressiveness with which she attacked -- and defended -- in the pivotal moments of each match. Back on the World Team, Conder looks at her all-time best. If she is able to bring her tenacity alongside her proven skillset to Kazakhstan, Conder may well be a threat to medal.
Burkert Grinds Through World Medalist Leathers
57 Kilograms: Jenna Burkert over Becka Leathers, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: 4-2 Burkert
Match 2: 5-0 Burkert
The fact that she gave up a late score to lose the Open final fueled Jenna Burkert leading up to Final X. Burkert shored up her weaknesses and refined her approach, bringing to Rutgers a smothering advance that took command of the series from start to finish. Aptly stated by Andrew Spey on the call, “this is Jenna Burkert 2.0.” Early in match one, Burkert used quick feet and aggressiveness to secure an early go-behind takedown, a step-out, and an additional caution-and-one to put together a four point opening period. A Leathers go-behind would be inconsequential as Burkert’s dependable head-hands defense fended off her opponent’s final attempts and secured the victory, 4-2*.
Burkert carried her momentum into match two and increased the separation between herself and Leathers. Burkert scored on a snap-and-smash go-behind early to again score first takedown. A step-out in the first and a leg attack in the initial fifteen seconds of the second period gave Burkert a 5-0 lead that she would not relinquish. In the remainder of the match, Burkert confronted Leathers’s best attacks and defended each to walk away with the win.
In defeating a World Medalist in Leathers, Burkert displayed a strong ability to adapt and improve at the highest-level. In her post-series interview, Burkert elaborated on her preparation for Final X, explaining that her biggest foe on the mat was herself. “I knew she wasn’t gonna beat me, I knew I had it in me. I just… I beat myself up, you know? If I lose I feel like, genuinely, it’s not because the person is better than me, it’s because I beat myself up.” Her improving ability to close matches will serve her well as she faces a strong field of World contenders at 57KG.
Nelson and Molinari Wage Three-Match War
65 Kilograms: Forrest Molinari over Maya Nelson, 2 matches to 1
Match 1: 5-3 Nelson
Match 2: 12-2 Technical Superiority Molinari
Match 3: 4-1 Molinari
Leading up to Final X, Forrest Molinari had secured two wins over Maya Nelson, first at the Dan Kolov and second in the finals of the US Open. If those losses shook Nelson’s confidence at all, she had surely regrouped by Final X. Fresh off of making the U23 World Team, Nelson took the mat and stunned Molinari in match one with two edge takedowns to lead 4-0 after a period. In the second, Molinari’s forward pressure secured her first points of the match, winning a scramble and subsequent challenge to tighten the score to 4-3. As the clock burned away Molinari continued to attack, but Nelson extinguished the barrage with ease. A caution point against Molinari for hands-to-the-face closed the match, 5-3 Nelson.
The loss to Nelson strengthened Molinari’s resolve, as she came out in match two with a distinctly “Iowa” pace. After a Nelson step-out point, Molinari took command of the scoring, earning two takedowns-to-turns in rapid succession to surge ahead 8-1. Nelson earned a step-out, but a Molinari counter takedown moved the score to 10-2, with Nelson taking injury time after an ostensible left leg injury. Visually pained in her stance, Nelson was overcome by Molinari who scored a go-behind to force a third match via 12-2 technical superiority. Match three brought a tentative yet chippy tone, with both trading step-outs. Thirty seconds into the deciding period of their series, Molinari fired a single-leg to spark a thirty-second long scramble that was eventually called two points for Molinari on the edge. A Nelson challenge failed, giving Molinari another point and a 4-1 lead. Molinari weathered Nelson’s final storm flawlessly, holding her lead and taking the series.
“I mean, what do you want me to say? I came out a little flat that first match… BUT I train at Iowa, man, and we don’t get tired! I wrestle hard for eighteen minutes -- I live for best-two-out-of-three. Let’s f*cking go!” Coming off the mat, Molinari addressed the press with the aura of victory still emanating from her. Molinari readily cited her new training environment, the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, as the catalyst for her improvements since last year. With a strong response to match one, Molinari secured her second-straight senior World Team placement and appears in strong form to fight her way back into medal contention at the World tournament.
Mensah-Stock Continues Flawless Season, Sweeps U23 Bronze Glaude
68 Kilograms: Tamyra Mensah-Stock over Alexandria Glaude, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: 8-0 Fall Mensah
Match 2: 10-0 Technical Superiority Mensah
Returning World Bronze medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock entered Final X as the most heavily-favored wrestler amongst the women’s freestyle match-ups and demonstrated why in her two matches against 2019 WCWA Champion Alexandria Glaude. Mensah overwhelmed Glaude with offense and counter-offense scores, bringing the old adage -- “I shoot I score, she shoots I score” -- to relief. In match one, Mensah secured two takedowns -- and nearly a third -- in the first period. Glaude attempted to answer but she could not overtake Mensah. A go-behind pushed the lead to 6-0 before Mensah immediately transitioned to an armbar, earning two more points for exposure before securing the fall in the second period. Mensah followed her first victory with an equally dominant six point first period in match two. Mensah finished a single-leg feet-to-back to open with a four point lead, followed by two step-outs. Two go-behinds in the second period iced a 10-0 technical superiority victory for the second-ranked wrestler in the World.
An animated Tamyra Mensah-Stock spoke with reporters after her series victory, hinting at potentially competing in what would be her fourth Ranking Series event of the year at the Yasar Dogu (Turkey) while giving assurance that she will compete at the Pan Am Games regardless. Mensah appeared to be aware of the fact that she has had tremendous success on the international circuit this year. When asked of her success and whether she will be able to carry her momentum into the World Championships, Mensah simply replied, “God willing. I’m gonna try. I’m gonna keep training and I’m gonna do my best.”
Francis Victorious Against Collegian Fiske
72 Kilograms: Victoria Francis over Alyvia Fiske, 2 matches to 0
Match 1: 7-2 Francis
Match 2: 4-2 Fall Francis
After losing a 5-4 match to Fiske in the US Open finals, Francis forged ahead with her plan to reclaim her place on the World Team. After all, she was still working to get back into peak technical and physical form after a year away from competition. Francis knew she needed to increase her attack rate as well as employ a diverse arsenal to ensure victory. Fiske, on the other hand, had been keeping busy since her initial encounter with Francis, having made both the Junior and U23 World Teams.
In the opening period, Fiske held up under Francis’s familiar assault well, clearing the front headlock and scoring off a Francis shuck attempt with a double-leg to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Francis, however, kept pressing a tremendous pace on Fiske, constantly switching sides, bouncing the head, and threatening angles from the front headlock. In doing so, Francis would drown Fiske with a seven-point second period to take match one. A takedown and step-out made it 3-2 Francis late. Instead of defending her narrow lead Francis continued to advance, hitting a cow-catcher for four points to seal the victory, 7-2. In the second match, it was again Fiske that scored the initial takedown to lead at the end of the first period. Nonetheless, Francis committed to her strategy of wilting Fiske under the heat of a stifling short-offense and, in the second period, she caught Fiske in transition with another cow-catcher -- this time for a fall.
Since making her first World Team two years ago, Francis has been on quite the odyssey. Francis has spoken matter-of-factly of her one-year sanction rooted in a tainted supplement as well as an MCL injury that disrupted her already limited training schedule the past year. Nonetheless, Francis showed her mettle, earning her second World Team selection the hard way, wrestling through the US Open, the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament, and Final X while looking stronger and more offensive each step of the way. With the World Championships ahead of her, I hope we get to watch Francis drown her opponents in the front headlock all the way to medal-stand.
