Huge Olympic Implications At WCWA Championships
Huge Olympic Implications At WCWA Championships
The Women's College Wrestling Association's 2020 championships will also boast competitions between eight of America's top senior-level women's wrestlers.
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The Women's College Wrestling Association's 2020 championships will also boast competitions between eight of America's top senior-level women's wrestlers.
Saturday, February 8 | 9:00AM and 4:00PM ET
Women's college wrestling's annual championship, where programs from the NCAA, NAIA and Junior College ranks all come together to compete, has gotten a shot in the arm this year thanks to the Olympics. To begin with, individual winners of the tournament will earn a berth at the Olympic Team Trials on April 4-5. Additionally, eight women will compete in three weight classes for the right to represent the USA at the Pan-Am Olympic Qualification Tournament in Ottawa on March 13-15.
The United States has only qualified two women's wrestling weights for Tokyo, 68 and 76 kilograms, thanks to the 2019 World Championship gold medals won by Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray. The USA gets one rep to try and finish in the top two of the tournament in Ottawa to earn an Olympic bid in the four other divisions, 50, 53, 57, and 62 kilograms. It is also worth keeping in mind that any woman who qualifies a weight for the Olympics gets an automatic bye to the finals of the 2020 Olympic Team Trials.
It has already been determined that Kayla Miracle will be the American at 62 kilograms. The wrestlers vying for the other three weight classes and the schedule of the wrestle-offs are below.
Schedule
50 kg/110 lbs.
4:00PM - Whitney Conder vs Sarah Hildebrandt (Best of 3 series)
53 kg/116.5 lbs.
9:00AM - Katherine Shai vs Haley Augello (prelim match)
4:00PM - Shai/Augello winner vs Jacarra Winchester (Best of 3 series)
57 kg/125.5 lbs.
9:00AM - Helen Maroulis vs Alli Ragan (prelim match)
4:00PM Maroulis/Ragan winner vs Jenna Burkert (Best of 3 series)
These women represent some of America's most accomplished wrestlers. A combined total of nine Olympic and world medals have been won by the competitors, including Helen Maroulis' Rio gold, a historic first for Team USA in women's wrestling history.
Below, we provide an incomplete list of the accolades of the eight senior-level athletes in competition to represent Team USA at the Pan-Am Olympic qualifier.
50 Kilograms
Whitney Conder
2019, 2018, 2015 Pan-Am champion
World Team Member 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2011
2007 Junior World champion 51kg
Sarah Hildebrandt
2019 World Team member 53kg
2019, 2018, 2015, 2013 Pan-Am champion
2019 Yariguin champion
2018 World silver 53kg
53 Kilograms
Katherine Shai
2020 Pellicone Bronze
2016 Dave Shultz Champion
2008 World University Champion
Haley Augello
2017 World Team Member 53kg
2016 Olympian 48kg
2011 Cadet World champion 46kg
Jacarra Winchester
2019 World champion 55kg
2018 World fifth 55kg
2018 Ukraine champion
2016 Canada champion
57 Kilograms
Helen Maroulis
2018 World team member 57kg
2017 World champion 58kg
2016 Olympic gold medalist 53kg beat 16X world/Olympic champ Saori Yoshida
2015 World champion 55kg
2014 World bronze 55kg
2013 World team member 55kg
2012 World silver 55kg
2011 World team member 55kg
3X Junior World medalist
Alli Ragan
2019 World team member 59kg
2018 Yariguin silver 59kg
2017 World silver 60kg
2017 Pan-Am champion 60kg
2016 World silver 60kg
2015 World team member 58kg
2014 World team member 58kg
2013 World team member 59kg
2X Junior World bronze
Jenna Burkert
2014, 2018, 2019 World team member 60kg, 59kg, 57kg
Junior World team member 2011, 2012, 2013