Ten Women's Matches To Watch For At Senior WTT

76 kg #2 seed Precious Bell. Photo courtesy of WrestlersAreWarriors.com/Tony Rotundo.

by Derek Levendusky
Twitter: @AWWderek

It’s the eve of the Senior World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Iowa City. World team spots and U23 spots are on the line starting tomorrow at 10am CST.

Wondering which matches to watch for? Here’s some potential matchups, one at each weight class, for you to keep an eye on. With every entry seeded, we have an idea of what might happen, especially if it goes chalk.

50 kg: #4 Nyla Valencia (Titan Mercury WC) vs. #5 Emily Shilson (Twin Cities RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
You know which one. If the first round goes according to seed, #4 Nyla Valencia will hit #5 Emily Shilson in the quarters, a rematch of two weeks ago at U23 Nationals when Valencia pulled the huge 8-5 upset win in the semis over the 3x world champion. Can the California high school star do it again? Of course she can, but I’m betting the experienced Shilson makes the tactical adjustments to flip the script this time.

53 kg: #1 Felicity Taylor (McKendree Bearcat WC) vs. #4 Dominique Parrish (Sunkist Kids WC)
Not that I’m counting out #5 Howk against Parrish, but with two shut-out wins over Howk in the last year alone, Parrish is the heavy favorite to win that match, which means she’d likely hit red hot Felicity Taylor in the semis. Currently 3rd on the national team, Parrish has the resume to pull the upset, though probably many wouldn’t consider it an upset. Parrish won bronze at the Yasar Dogu in Instanbul in February, a tournament that draws in some of the top talent in the world. This one is a toss up, folks. Parrish has savvy attacks, but if Taylor can get to her leg lace, it’s lights out.

55 kg: #2 Marissa Gallegos (Colorado Mesa/Titan Mercury WC) vs. #3 Lauren Mason (Brunson UVRTC)
It doesn’t look like they’ve hit before, but they might now. Both took 3rd in the NCAA national invite this year, and both have posted big wins in USA Wrestling events over the last year. Gallegos took 3rd at this event last fall, while Mason was a finalist at last year’s Senior Nationals. This will be one to watch. The winner gets rewarded with a best-of-three against 2019 world champion Jacarra Winchester.

57 kg: #2 Cameron Guerin (McKendree Bearcat WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. #3 Alex Hedrick (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
I was tempted to pick the potential final in this weight, #1 Adriana Dorado Marin vs. #2 Cameron Guerin, a rematch of the dramatic last second win for Dorado Marin in the finals of the U.S. Open, but then I realized that Guerin would have to get through Hedrick again. Not an easy task. In fact, Guerin only won the match 2-1 in the semis of the Open. It’s 2x NCAA champ vs. 2x NCAA champ when these two meet. Grab the popcorn.

59 kg: #1 Nanea Estrella (Titan Mercury WC) vs. #4 Lexie Basham (Spartan Mat Club)
These two met in the NAIA finals in March and it was 3-2 Basham. ‘Nuff said. The seeds means nothing in this one. They just fell that way based on Estrella’s U.S. Open finish. Basham wasn’t there, so that’s how it goes. Don’t miss this match.

62 kg: #3 Andrea Schlabach (Grand View WC) vs. #6 Alexandria Liles (Army/WCAP)
After taking 3rd at the NAIA National Invite, Schlabach won the Bill Farrell in April. Meanwhile, Liles has been a well-known name for years in the wrestling community ever since her high school days, where she was a 3x Fargo champ. Liles took 3rd a few weeks ago at U23 Nationals. This will be an interesting one to watch in the quarterfinals.

65 kg: #1 Emma Bruntil (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. #2 Mallory Velte (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
Welp, I know that Bruntil has to get through a topside that includes legit contenders Ashlynn Ortega and Amanda Hendey, but assuming she does that, this final will be one of the most exciting ones of the whole event. Bruntil and Velte are microscopically close to each other, with Bruntil winning the U.S. Open final 4-4, and their recent series over the last few years favoring her 3-2. Expect these matches to be tight and to come down to one winning exchange. They both know how to score and they both love to attack. Fun one of it happens.

68 kg: #4 Solin Piearcy (Menlo WC) vs. #5 Ana Luciano (Team Tornado WC)
Piearcy won Senior Nationals last year and Luciano won a U23 national title two weekends ago. Doesn’t look like they’ve ever hit, but they will this weekend in the quarters. It’s a battle of Piearcy’s fluid offense and Luciano’s stingy defense. Whoever wins that one will earn it.

72 kg: #1 Skylar Grote (NY Athletic Club) vs. #2 Amit Elor (NY RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
This weight sure looks like a Grote vs. Elor final. The #3 seed Deede is very tough and will scrap, but lost by tech fall twice to Elor in the finals of the U23 division in Fort Worth. Grote is on a tear, winning the U.S. Open title last month and a Pan Am gold last weekend, but we still haven’t found Elor’s ceiling domestically. The 2021 Junior World champion absolutely dominated both the U20 and U23 divisions last weekend. Unfortunately, if the final happens, we won’t see it this weekend, as they’d both advance to Final X with no returning world medalist at this weight.

76 kg: #2 Precious Bell (Victory School of Wrestling/Titan Mercury WC) vs. #3 Yelena Makoyed (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)
When these two hit in 2019 & 2020, it was Bell with the wins, 5-4 and 8-2, respectively. That being said, anyone who has watched Makoyed over the last few years knows she’s leveled up. With a 2019 Junior Pan Am title under her belt, two NCAA titles, and a U23 title two weeks ago, she’s become a legit contender to make the Senior World Team this year. Obviously, she’d have to get through Bell, a proven talent at the Senior level with a lot of accolades. That being said, she’s never made the Senior World Team, something I’m sure she’s hungry to do. With 6x world champion Adeline Gray sitting it out this year because she’s having a baby, the door seems open. If this match happens, heart and soul will be on the mat as these two both want the opportunity to represent their country in Serbia.