Senior Nationals Day 3 Recap: Bruntil, Molinari, Bell Win It All

Forrest Molinari moments before she pulled the trigger to get the fall over Victoria Francis in the 68 kg final. Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com.

by Derek Levendusky, AWW staff writer

FORT WORTH, TX - That’s a wrap! It was another day of drama, disappointment, and glory on the mats in the final day at the 2019 U.S. Open Senior Nationals.

62 kg
Emma Bruntil went out to wrestle the finals, only to have her hand raised by forfeit, as Maya Nelson sat out due to an injury in a previous round. With that, the McKendree college freshman became the 2019 Senior Nationals Champion. “Last year I watched the Open and called my parents crying because I was so crushed I couldn’t compete,” wrote Bruntil on Twitter. “That week I had had my 5th surgery and wasn’t sure how I was ever going to get healthy. No matter what happens now, every day I get to toe the line is an incredible blessing.”

What a difference a year makes. Bruntil is now a Senior Level national champion.

#2 seed Macey Kilty, upset by Bruntil 6-4 in the semis, bounced back in big way from her loss to take 3rd with 10-0 tech over 2019 Pan Am champ Julia Salata. Kilty was already qualified for the Olympic Trials. Maya Nelson, Emma Bruntil, Salata, and Jennifer Page all qualified.

1st Emma Bruntil
2nd Maya Nelson
3rd Macey Kilty
4th Julia Salata
5th Jennifer Page
6th Alara Boyd
7th Desiree Zavala
8th Michaela Beck

68 kg
Not sure yet if there’s an O.W. for the women, but it would probably be Forrest Molinari, who dominated her way to the title with 4 falls and a tech fall, including a pin in the finals at 1:08 against fellow world teamer Victoria Francis. Molinari ripped a mixer from the front head to shock Francis and watching fans with a bully fall over a strong opponent who probably hasn’t been in that position for a long time.

There were three “blockers” at this weight—wrestlers already qualified who could steal top 5 spots from non-qualified wrestlers: Alexandria Glaude, Victoria Francis and Forrest Molinari. All three landed in the top 5, mean there were only two new qualifiers.

#4 seed Ashlynn Ortega pulled the upset over #3 seed Alexandria Glaude in 3rd place match 2-1. Ortega & 5th place Nahiela Magee were the only new qualifiers.

1st Forrest Molinari
2nd Victoria Francis
3rd Ashlynn Ortega
4th Alexandria Glaude
5th Nahiela Magee
6th Iman Kazem
7th Skylar Grote
8th Myranda Velazquez

76 kg
Familiar faces in the finals here as Precious Bell took care of Dymond Guildford 7-0. Guilford got to her underhook and 2-on-1 positions throughout the match, though she had no answer for Bell’s suffocating defense and counters.

North Central College freshman Yelena Makoyed beat 2019 U.S. Open winner Alyvia Fiske for the second time in the tournament 8-7 in the 5th place match. With that, the young star not only took 5th, but blocked Fiske from qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Fiske won the U.S. Open last April at 72kg. Now she’ll have to try to qualify at the Last Chance Qualifier in March. Makoyed upset the #5 seed on Day 1 with a comeback 6-6 victory.

Unseeded WCAP wrestler Randi Beltz, who was seeded at 68 kg before she bumped up to this class, wrestled her way to 3rd place finish and qualified for Olympic Trials. Jessika Rottier also qualified.

1st Precious Bell
2nd Dymond Guilford
3rd Randi Beltz
4th Jessika Rottier
5th Yelena Makoyed
6th Alyvia Fiske
7th Andrea Sennett
8th Kori Bullock

Last Chance Qualifier will be held March 26-28, 2020 in Millersville, PA. This year the top 2 will qualify for the Olympic Trials, as the Dave Schultz, normally a qualifier, was cancelled for the 2019-2020 season.