FORT WORTH, Texas – The King University women's wrestling team had 11 current and six former Tornado compete at the 2023 U.S. Senior National Championships for qualification to the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. Out of those 17 wrestlers, the Tornado had six qualify for the trials, bringing the current total to eight Tornado qualified for the April event.
THE BASICS
LOCATION: Fort Worth Convention Center; Fort Worth, Texas
HOW IT HAPPENED – CURRENT ATHLETES
- Samara Chavez, Aine Drury and Chey Bowman all qualified for the Olympic Trials over the weekend.
- Chavez finished runner-up at 50 kilograms after winning her first four matches of the day. She took two wins by pin and another via technical fall before falling 12-10 in the final to Sage Mortimer.
- At 62 kilograms, Aine Drury reached the quarterfinals with a pair of pins, but fell to Tornado alum and assistant coach Ashlynn Ortega. Drury responded with a pair of pins to reach the third-place bout where she topped Maya Letona 6-4.
- Bowman reached the final at 68 kilograms with a pair of pins, technical fall and a 6-4 decision in the semifinals. However, she finished runner-up to do an injury forfeit in the final.
- Virginia Foard finished sixth at 57 kilograms and Tiffani Baublitz finished sixth at 76 kilograms.
- Foard dropped her second match of the day, but fought back in the consolation bracket, taking three straight wins before a pair of defeats gave her a sixth place finish.
- Baublitz won her first match via pin, but dropped her next match before fighting back in the consolation bracket. She won back-to-back matches before dropping her final two, to take sixth.
- Danielle Garcia (50 kilograms), Alyssa Guardiola (50 kilograms), Melanie Mendoza (53 kilograms), Montana DeLawder (57 kilograms), Anna DiCugno (57 kilograms) and Claire DiCugno (62 kilograms) also competed.
- DeLawder reached the quarterfinals, but dropped back-to-back matches to end her day.
HOW IT HAPPENED – ALUMNI
- Vayle-Rae Baker '23 won the 53-kilogram bracket and was named the outstanding wrestler of the event.
- Aleeah Gould '21 finsihed seventh at 50 kilograms.
- Haley Augello came in third at 53 kilograms.
- Ortega '22, '23 finished runner-up at 62 kilograms to Jacarra Winchester.
- Ana Luciano '23 and Vikorya Torres also competed for the Tornado.
KING WRESTLERS QUALIFIED FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
- Sarah Hildebrandt and Chavez at 50 kilograms.
- Augello and Baker and 53 kilograms.
- Ortega and Drury at 62 kilograms.
- Forrest Molinari '17 and Bowman at 68 kilograms.
UP NEXT
- There are still two more chances to qualify for the Olympic Trials.
- The first is the national champion at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Coalition (NCWWC) National Championships on March 8-9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
- There will also be a last chance qualifier, but the date and location hasn't been announced at this time.
- The 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials are scheduled for April 19 at Penn State University in State College, Pa.
