On June 10th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, 14 Titan Mercury athletes claimed their spots on the 2023 USA World Team. This year’s Final X was full of great match ups, surprises and huge implications as we move towards both the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Olympic Games. It is expected that each wrestler at an Olympic weight who medals at the 2023 World Champions will sit in the finals of the 2024 Olympic Trials: medalists at a non Olympic weight will earn a spot in the Olympic Trials semi finals. With these factors in place, we saw several changes to the World team roster, with several Titan Mercury wrestlers placing themselves in the driver’s seat for a strong bid at an Olympic spot.
Below is a list of who made the 2023 World Team:
Women’s freestyle World Team
55 kg –Jacarra Winchester
59 kg –Jennifer Page
68 kg – Emma Bruntil
72 kg – Amit Elor
Men’s freestyle World Team
57 kg – Zane Richards
61 kg – Vitali Arujau
65 kg –Nick Lee
70 kg – Zain Retherford
74 kg – Kyle Dake
79 kg – Chance Marsteller
86 kg – David Taylor
97 kg – Kyle Snyder
Greco-Roman World Team
55 kg – Brady Koontz
97 kg – Josef Rau
Women’s freestyle results
50 kg – Sarah Hildebrandt (New York AC/USOPTC) vs. Audrey Jimenez (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Hildebrandt dec. Jimenez, 8-0
Bout Two: Hildebrandt tech fall Jimenez, 11-0
Hildebrandt wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
53 kg – Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Katie Gomez (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One – Parrish pin Gomez, 1:54
Bout Two: Parrish dec. Gomez, 5-0
Parrish wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
55 kg –Jacarra Winchester (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) vs. Alisha Howk (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Winchester tech fall Howk, 10-0
Bout Two: Winchester tech fall Howk, 11-0
Winchester wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
59 kg –Jennifer Page (Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC) vs. Michaela Beck (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Page tech fall Beck, 11-0
Bout Two: Page tech fall Beck, 11-0
Page wins series, 2 matches to 9, and makes World Team
62 kg – Kayla Miracle (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Miracle dec. Nwachukwu, 6-1
Bout Two: Miracle dec. Nwachukwu,, 10-3
Miracle wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
65 kg – Macey Kilty (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Mallory Velte (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Kilty pin Velte, 5:50
Bout Two: Kilty dec. Velte, 6-5
Kilty wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
68 kg – Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC) vs. Forrest Molinari (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 6-3
Bout Two: Molinari dec. Bruntil, 3-2
Bout Three: Bruntil dec. Molinari, 3-2
Bruntil wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
72 kg – Amit Elor (New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Joye Levendusky (Southern Oregon RTC)
Bout One: Elor tech. fall Levendusky, 10-0
Bout Two: Elor tech fall Levendusky, 10-0
Elor wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
76 kg –Adeline Gray (New York AC) vs. Kennedy Blades (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Gray dec. Blades, 7-5
Bout Two: Gray pin Blades, 4:38
Gray wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
Men’s freestyle results
57 kg – Zane Richards (Illinois RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Thomas Gilman (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Richards dec. Gilman, 4-3
Bout Two: Richards dec. Gilman, 8-6
Richards wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
61 kg – Vitali Arujau (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Nahshon Garrett (Titan Mercury WC/Lehigh Valley WC)
Bout One: Arujau dec. Garrett, 6-5
Bout Two: Arujau dec. Garrett, 13-10
Arujau wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
65 kg –Nick Lee (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Lee dec. Diakomihalis, 7-6
Bout Two: Lee dec. Diakomihalis, 8-8
Lee wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
70 kg – Zain Retherford (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Tyler Berger (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Retherford dec. Berger, 11-2
Bout Two: Retherford dec. Berger, 4-3
Retherford wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
74 kg – Kyle Dake (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Jason Nolf (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Dake dec. Nolf, 6-0
Bout Two: Dake dec. Nolf, 3-0
Dake wins series, 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
79 kg – Jordan Burroughs (Pennsylvania RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Chance Marsteller (York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Burroughs dec. Marsteller, 3-3
Bout Two: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 5-4
Bout Three: Marsteller dec. Burroughs, 8-3
Marsteller wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
86 kg – David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Aaron Brooks (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Taylor dec. Brooks, 6-0
Bout Two: Taylor dec. Brooks, 5-4
Taylor wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
92 kg –. Zahid Valencia (Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Michael Macchiavello (Wolfpack WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Valencia dec. Macchiavello, 8-0
Bout Two: Valencia dec. Macchiavello, 9-2
Valencia wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
97 kg – Kyle Snyder (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. J’den Cox (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 0:00
Bout Two: Snyder inj. dft. Cox, 0:00
Snyder wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
125 kg – Gable Steveson (Gopher WC-RTC) vs. Mason Parris (Cliff Keen WC/Titan Mercury WC)
Bout One: Steveson dec. Parris, 6-2
Bout Two: Steveson dec. Parris, 5-0
Steveson wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
Greco-Roman results
55 kg – Brady Koontz (Titan Mercury WC/Dubuque RTC) vs. Dalton Duffield (Army WCAP)
Bout One – Duffield tech fall Koontz, 8-0
Bout Two: Koontz dec. Duffield, 4-1
Bout Three: Koontz dec. Duffield, 7-3
Koontz wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
60 kg –Ildar Hafizov (Army WCAP) vs. Dalton Roberts (Army WCAP)
Bout One: Hafizov pin Roberts, 4:01
Bout Two: Roberts tech. fall Hafizov, 9-0
Bout Three: Hafizov dec. Roberts, 2-1
Hafizov wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
63 kg –Xavier Johnson (Army WCAP) vs. Hayden Tuma (Suples WC)
Bout One: Johnson tech fall Tuma, 10-1
Bout Two: Johnson tech fall Tuma, 10-0
Johnson wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
67 kg –. Alejandro Sancho (Army WCAP) vs. Robert Perez III (Sunkist Kids WC)
Bout One: Sancho dec. Perez III, 3-2
Bout Two: Sancho dec. Perez III, 5-1
Sancho wins series 2 matches to 0 and makes World Team
72 kg –Patrick Smith (Minnesota Storm) vs. Justus Scott (Army WCAP)
Bout One: Scott dec. Smith, 3-3
Bout Two: Smith dec. Scott, 5-4
Bout Three: Smith dec. Scott, 7-5
Smith wins series, 2 matches to 1 and makes World Team
77 kg – Kamal Bey (Army WCAP) vs. Aliaksandr Kikiniou (California)
Bout One: Bey tech fall Kikiniou, 9-0
Bout Two: Bey dec. Kikiniou, 5-1
Bey wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
82 kg – Spencer Woods (Army WCAP) vs. Ryan Epps (Army WCAP)
Bout One: Woods dec. Epps, 3-3
Bout Two: Epps tech fall Woods, 9-0
Bout Three: Woods dec. Epps, 5-0
Woods wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
87 kg –Zachary Braunagel (Illinois RTC/Illini WC) vs. Alan Vera (New York AC)
Bout One: Vera tech fall Braunagel, 11-0
Bout Two: Braunagel dec. Vera, 6-5
Bout Three: Braunagel inj. dft. Vera, 0:00
Braunagel wins series, 2 matches to 1, and makes World Team
97 kg – Josef Rau (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Christian DuLaney (Minnesota Storm)
Bout One: Rau dec. DuLaney, 3-2
Bout Two: Rau tech fall DuLaney, 8-0
Rau wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
130 kg – Cohlton Schultz (Sunkist Kids WC) dec. Adam Coon (Cliff Keen WC/New York AC)
Bout One: Schultz dec. Coon 3-2
Bout Two: Schultz dec. Coon, 5-1
Schultz wins series, 2 matches to 0, and makes World Team
***Result information can be originally found on www.themat.com