2016 Cadet Worlds USA Women’s Preview
Women's wrestling will fill the middle two days of the 2016 UWW Cadet world championships. Action starts at 1 a.m. central time both nights (Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th) and can be watched LIVE on FloWrestling.
38kg - Caitlyn Walker, Pennsylvania
Walker’s Body Bar title was uncontested, while she did have one foe in Fargo. The Peruvian she pinned at Pan Ams is not entered, though her finals opponent will be there. In a field with only 11 girls registered, the same as last year, bracket placement is key, as it is possible to not win a match and still end up fifth.
Walker will need to keep from pressing forward too hard and leave herself open for throws. Additionally, she has to keep her elbows tight on her high gut, and not let her hips get too far up, allowing her opponent to get reversals.
40kg - Erin Mance, Texas
The only other girl in Mance’s weight at Body Bar was the opponent she teched and pinned in the finals. She went 1-2 in Fargo at junior 97. She is equally adept with a leg lace and a gut wrench.
Though she has a different frame than the Doi sisters, Mance will look to follow in their footsteps. Both were past world finalists at this weight, and are now having success at the Junior level and in the WCWA.
43kg - Marijah Morales, Colorado
Morales will be making her first world team appearance.
46kg - Alleida Martinez, California
Martinez has one of the highest ceilings on this women’s Cadet team. She is a returning world silver medalist and doubled up in Fargo, pinning and teching her way through cadet 101 and junior 105. Included in that was a 10-0 win over McKayla Campbell of Ohio, who was on last year’s Cadet world team and this year’s Junior world team.
At Body Bar this year, Martinez beat Vayle Baker 9-2 in the semis. Baker was a Pan Am champ this year and also on the Cadet world team last year. However, Martinez had to battle her way to a three-match series victory over Fargo double champ Emily Shilson. There is no question that Martinez will be battle tested as she goes for her first world title.
Martinez takes out Russia to make the world finals
49kg - Macey Kilty, Wisconsin
Kilty followed up her Body Bar title with a strong Fargo, winning cadet 108, taking bronze at junior 112 and going undefeated in junior duals. She is used to being the best athlete in any bracket she enters, and likes to go swing single to either a tabletop finish or she can re-direct it. The coaches will need to have her ready for girls just as, if not more athletic than her, as well as competition that may try to slow her down with elbow control as we saw in her Fargo final.
52kg - Ronna Heaton, South Dakota
This was going to be a huge summer for Ronna Heaton, as she had designs of repeating as Cadet world champ and also making a Junior world team. The South Dakotan did as expected and won 52kg at Body Bar, then made the Junior finals at 55kg. Though she lost to world bronze Becka Leathers, Heaton ended up going to Macon for Junior worlds when Leathers got sick at the last second.
Before that, Heaton got pinned in the Fargo finals by her nemesis Brenda Reyna. There will be a great deal of pressure on her in Tbilisi in her role as a veteran leader on the squad, a girl who can win her second straight world title.
Ronna wins Cadet worlds
56kg - Gracie Figueroa, California
One of four girls coming back from last year's squad, Figueroa has massive potential. She is teammates with Martinez at Selma High, and like Martinez doubled up in Fargo for the second straight year. The key for Figueroa will be getting to legs. She is very calculating and converts a takedown almost every time she shoots, but sometimes her wariness to pull the trigger costs her in matches where she needs more than one score.
Last year at 52kg, Figueroa lost to the two best girls at the weight. She hit her ankle pick in the first five seconds against the eventual world champ from Azerbaijan, but only attempted it twice more in a very close and controversial match. In repechage against Japan, she was in the lead as well on a first period ankle pick. Yet again, she was taken down and did not attempt her shot in the second period, spending too much trying to counter her opponent's attacks.
Gracie Figueroa wins a battle in Fargo
60kg - Alara Boyd, Indiana
Boyd did her best work at Body Bar, as she wound up second in cadet and fourth in junior up at Fargo. Boyd likes to go upperbody, she is not afraid to try big throws an wants to put her opponent in a hole early. That is an especially vital skill on the Cadet level, where four minute matches lend themselves to quick starters and criteria wins based on four pointers.
65kg - Ashlynn Ortega, Colorado
Ortega is a veteran on this squad, having been our 60kg representative in Sarajevo. She won Cadet 132 in Fargo in both 2014 and 2015, and was second in juniors this year to Teshya Alo. Ortega has wins in her career over cadet world bronze medalist Kayla Marano and her teammate on this year’s squad Emily Cue. She took a couple of wins over wrestlers in the field at the Klippan Open back in February.
Ortega is a high volume shooter who will stay in her stance for an entire match. The constant leg attacks keeps her opponents on the defensive, but she can also leave herself open for counters and exposures. If her shots are crisp and her finishes are clean, she can absolutely wrestle for a medal in her second trip to worlds.
70kg - Emily Cue, Colorado
Cue is a tall 70kg still learning how to use her length. She is a wildcard in a weight where the defending world champ is not a lock to repeat. Her leglace could change matches for her, but she will need to stay in the center and not leave edge scores up to chance against experienced Europeans.