Sarah Hildebrandt, Jacarra Winchester, Helen Maroulis and others will be the contenders in the trials. Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray won World titles at the 2019 World Championships in Kazakhstan, the 68 kg and 76 kg weight classes for the USA have already been qualified for the Tokyo Games.
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As Per the 2020 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier procedures for women’s freestyle, the 2019 Senior World Team Member (Olympic weights) will be the U.S. representative; however, a Senior World medalist, at any weight, within the period of 2017-2019 will be given the opportunity to challenge the 2019 Senior World Team Member for the spot.
Four past Senior World medalists from this time period have confirmed their intentions to wrestle off for one of the four eligible weights, including 2018 Senior World silver medalist Sarah Hildebrandt, 2019 World champion Jacarra Winchester, 2017 World silver medalist Alli Ragan and 2017 World champion Helen Maroulis.
50Kg – Sarah Hilderbrandt to challenge Whitney Conder
Hildebrandt will challenge five-time World Team member Whitney Conder for the 50 kg spot in a best-of-three series.
53kg – Jacarra Winchester to start as favorite
At 53 kg, there will be a three-woman wrestle-off for the spot. Because Hildebrandt vacated her spot at 53 kg, Winchester, who is moving down from 55 kg, will be advanced to the finals of the bracket as a returning World champ. Winchester will face the winner of a prelim bout between 2019 National Team members No. 2 Katherine Shai and No. 3 Haley Augello.
Another three-woman wrestle-off will play out at 57 kg. As the 2019 World Team member, Jenna Burkert will sit in the finals. Burkert will face the winner of a prelim match between 2016 Olympic champion and 2017 World champion Helen Maroulis and two-time World silver medalist Alli Ragan.
2019 World Team member Kayla Miracle will be the 62 kg U.S. representative at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier as her spot was not challenged.
The preliminary rounds will feature one match at the respective weights and all finals will be a best-of-three series.
“I would like to thank National Coach Terry Steiner and USA Wrestling for giving Life University the opportunity to host this event and play a role in the 2020 Olympic journey,” Sword said.
Below is a schedule of how the wrestle-offs will play out.
2020 PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIC QUALIFIER WRESTLE-OFFS
at Life University (WCWA Championships), Feb. 8, 2020
50kg
Whitney Conder vs. Sarah Hildebrandt (Best of 3 series)
53kg
Katherine Shai vs. Haley Augello (prelim match)
Shai/Augello winner vs. Jacarra Winchester (Best of 3 series)
57kg
Helen Maroulis vs. Alli Ragan (prelim match)
Maroulis/Ragan winner vs. Jenna Burkert (Best of 3 series)
