By Tanner Lafever
USA Wrestling

LAS VEGAS – After a busy first day of action at the 2026 U.S. Open Championships, chalk continues to (mostly) hold in the Senior Women’s Freestyle division.

20 finalists earned their spots during Session IV. Among them were 9/10 number one seeds and 7/10 number two seeds – with the remaining four going to a recent NCAA champion, a U20 World champion and a pair of former champions at this very event.

Needless to say, the stage has been set for what should be a high-powered collection of finals on Friday evening.

Headlining the group will be multi-time World/Olympic medalists Sarah Hildebrandt (53kg), Macey Kilty (62kg) and Kayla Miracle (65kg) – each of whom rolled through their respective semifinals via bonus-point victories.

For Hildebrandt, her title bout will feature an opponent who made last year’s Senior World team up at 5 5kg – Cristelle Rodriguez.

The same goes for Kilty, set for a must-see matchup against returning 62 kg World team member Adaugo Nwachukwu.

Miracle, meanwhile, will be tested by 2023 Senior World teamer Emma Bruntil – who punched her finals ticket with a late go-ahead takedown of recent U23 national champion Nina Makem.

Circling back to the lightest weight class, both 50 kg finalists needed their own come-from-behind efforts to advance.

For top-seeded Erin Golston, that meant a buzzer-beating takedown of #5 Kendra Ryan to cap a thrilling back-and-forth match.

Up next, she’ll face #6 seed (and 2023 US Open champion) Katie Gomez, who ground out a 3-1 seminal win over returning (53 kg) World teamer Felicity Taylor – scoring all three of her points after the break.

At 55 kg, high school phenom Everest Leydecker continued her roll to the finals by picking up her third bonus-point win of the day.

The same goes for her finals opponent, Areana Villaescusa – a 2024 World teamer.

These two met at this event a year ago, when the then 17-year-old Leydecker defeated Villaescusa 2-1 as part of her coming-out party on the Senior level.

The next two weight classes will stage their own one-versus-two finals as well.

At 57 kg, #1 seed Amandra Martinez will get the chance to repeat as U.S. Open champ when she matches wits against #2 Alexandra Hedrick.

Hedrick reached the finals thanks to an eight-point flurry in the waning moments of her semi against three-time NAIA national champion Carolina Moreno.

And at 5 9kg, Senior World team veteran Abigail Nette outscored three opponents by a margin of 31-0 – earning her a bout with #2 Michaela Beck, a 7-3 winner over five-time collegiate national champion Cameron Guerin in the opposite semifinal.

The only weight without a number one/two seed in the final is 6 8kg.

NCAA champion Isabella Mir took care of the first leg when she defeated #1 seed Latifah McBryde. Meanwhile, U20 World champion Jasmine Robinson capitalized on her opportunity against high school senior Nora Akpan – posting a quick 10-0 tech. fall in their semifinal matchup.

Rounding out the finalists were a pair of former Senior World teamers – Alexandria Glaude (2025) and Dymond Guilford (2023) – at 72 and 76 kg, respectively.

Glaude has yet to be seriously tested, but will face 2019 U.S. Open champion Precious Wieser with a spot in Final X on the line.

As for Guilford, her opponent will be back-to-back NCWWC/NCAA champion Tristan Kelly.

The 2026 U.S. Open Championships are broadcast live on FloWrestling.

Brackets, mat assignments and other information are available through USA Bracketing.

Friday’s Senior Women’s Freestyle action resumes at 2:30 p.m. (PT) with the wrestling of the third, fifth and seventh-place medal matches.

Championship finals will begin a few hours later, at 6 p.m. (PT).

2026 U.S. Open Championships 

At Las Vegas, Nevada, April 23 

Reference Links 

• Live stream

• Brackets

• Event hub

Senior Women’s Freestyle 

Finals Matchups 

50 kg 

Erin Golston (New York AC) vs. Katie Gomez (Titan Mercury WC)

53 kg 

Sarah Hildebrandt (New York AC) vs. Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC/Titan Mercury WC)

55 kg 

Everest Leydecker (New York AC) vs. Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP)

57 kg 

Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Alexandra Hedrick (Titan Mercury WC)

59 kg 

Abigail Nette (Army WCAP) vs. Michaela Beck (Titan Mercury WC)

62 kg 

Macey Kilty (Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP)

65 kg 

Kayla Miracle (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC)

68 kg 

Isabella Mir (Cardinal WC) vs. Jasmine Robinson (Army WCAP)

72 kg 

Alexandria Glaude (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Precious Wieser (Titan Mercury WC)

76 kg 

Dymond Guilford (Titan Mercury WC) vs. Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP)

Semifinal Results 

50 kg 

Katie Gomez (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Felicity Taylor (Titan Mercury WC), 3-1

Erin Golston (New York AC) dec. Kendra Ryan (Cardinal WC), 7-6

53 kg 

Cristelle Rodriguez (Tiger WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Sydney Petzinger (Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC), 10-0

Sarah Hildebrandt (New York AC) tech. fall Clare Booe (West Point WC), 10-0

55 kg 

Areana Villaescusa (Army WCAP) tech. fall Karissa Turnwall (Emmanuel Training Center), 11-0

Everest Leydecker (New York AC) tech. fall Marissa Gallegos (Titan Mercury WC), 11-0

57 kg 

Amanda Martinez (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC) dec. Amani Jones (Titan Mercury WC), 9-1

Alexandra Hedrick (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Carolina Moreno (Matador WC), 10-4

59 kg 

Abigail Nette (Army WCAP) tech. fall Alexis Janiak (Titan Mercury WC), 11-0

Michaela Beck (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Cameron Guerin (Titan Mercury WC), 7-3

62 kg 

Macey Kilty (Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Katerina Lange (New York AC), 10-0

Adaugo Nwachukwu (Army WCAP) tech. fall Alara Boyd (Titan Mercury WC/Bears RTC/Cardinal WC), 10-0

65 kg 

Kayla Miracle (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Reese Larramendy (Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC), 10-0

Emma Bruntil (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Nina Makem (New York AC/Storm), 5-3

68 kg 

Isabella Mir (Cardinal WC) dec. Latifah McBryde (Life), 12-7

Jasmine Robinson (Army WCAP) tech. fall Nora Akpan (Pinnacle Wrestling Club), 10-0

72 kg 

Alexandria Glaude (Titan Mercury WC) tech. fall Skylar Grote (Titan Mercury WC), 12-1

Precious Wieser (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Alexandria Alli (USOPTC Women's Resident Freestyle Program), 6-4

76 kg 

Dymond Guilford (Titan Mercury WC) dec. Naomi Simon (Iowa Women's WC/Titan Mercury WC), 8-1

Tristan Kelly (Army WCAP) tech. fall Shenita Lawson (New York AC), 13-2