How much hardware will this year’s women’s team bring home from U23 Worlds? It all goes down this week in Pontevedra, Spain. The U.S. women’s program is sending one of the best teams we’ve ever sent to U23 Worlds since the conception of the event in 2017, carrying with them the high hopes of bringing home lots of hardware.

The team is led by Senior World Team members Amit Elor (72 kg) and Dymond Guilford (76 kg), both of whom competed in Belgrade, Serbia just last month at the UWW Senior World Championships. There, Elor made history, becoming the youngest U.S. wrestler ever to win a Senior World title. And she did that after winning her second U20 World title in Sofia, Bulgaria in August. Guilford, ranked #14 in the world in UWW rankings, is a three-time college national champion and beat two-time NCAA champion Yelena Makoyed to earn her spots on both the Senior World Team and U23 World Team.

There are others on the squad with Senior-level cred, and in fact, the team includes eight women who have made the Senior National Team in the past. The roster includes Felicity Taylor at 53 kg, who had an outstanding USAW season, including winning the U.S. Open, making Final X, and winning a bronze medal at the Grand Prix in Spain. The recent McKendree transfer to the inaugural Iowa program will be a legit medal contender for Team USA in Spain this week.

At 55 kg, Alisha Howk is ranked #3 at the Senior level in FloWrestling’s domestic Senior Women’s freestyle rankings. Barely missing making the team in 2021, she broke through to earn a spot on this year’s team. She also won a silver medal in Spain last July at the Grand Prix, including a win over Lauren Mason, who had previously beaten her in a true third-place match at Final X. This will be Howk’s third age-level World Championships as she was also a member of the 2017 U17 World team and the 2018 U20 World team. 

At 57 kg, Alex Hedrick also has a long resume of accolades, including winning the U.S. Open in 2018, Senior Nationals in 2021, and also taking fifth at Olympic Team Trials. This year she made Final X, where she lost to the legendary Helen Maroulis. For an athlete just exiting her college career, the two-time college national champ from powerhouse program Simon Fraser has an exceptional amount of experience and accolades. You would think Hedrick is as ready for this opportunity as anyone.

Lexie Basham (59 kg) had a breakout year, winning an NAIA college title and earning a trip to Final X where she lost a competitive final to current Senior World teamer Abby Nette. Basham also won a bronze at the Grand Prix in Spain. Hopefully her return trip to that country this week will garner another medal.

At 65 kg, two-time college national champ Emma Bruntil has established herself as one of the top wrestlers we have at that weight at the Senior level. Women’s wrestling fans watched the rivalry of Bruntil-Velte-Molinari play out over the last year, and it’s clear that those three are all world-class. In fact, Bruntil is currently ranked #11 in the World by UWW. She also earned a title at the prestigious Yarygin tournament in Russia earlier this year and has two Senior Nationals titles. Look for Bruntil to compete for a U23 gold medal this week.

At 68 kg, Sienna Ramirez also had a breakout year. After winning an NAIA national title in 2021, she won a U.S. Open title this year and made it to Final X, where she lost to Olympic gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock. Ramirez is a tough out and ready to toe the line with anyone in the world.

There’s also some new faces on the scene. Nyla Valencia stunned the wrestling world when the then-high-school wrestler upset Emily Shilson at U23 World Team Trials to earn the spot on this year’s team. By doing so, Valencia, now on the Iowa roster, defeated not only last year's U23 World champion but also the first woman to win a U23 world title for our country. She’s got big shoes to fill in Spain and carries the hopes of a medal finish with her to Pontevedra. Valencia was also a 2019 Pan American U17 champion.

Also making the team this year is 62 kg Alexandria Liles, though she’s no stranger to the domestic or international wrestling scene. Liles had a remarkable high school career, boasting four Texas state titles and two Junior Fargo titles. She’s been training with the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) and with this spot, earns her fourth trip to an age-level world championship, previously making two U17 teams (2015 & 2017) and one U20 World (2018).

Watch U.S. women compete at U23 Worlds live on FloWrestling starting Wednesday morning.

U.S. U23 Women’s Freestyle roster

50 kg: Nyla Valencia, Morgan Hill, CA (Hawkeye WC/TMWC)

53 kg: Felicity Taylor, Spillville, IA (Hawkeye WC/TMWC)

55 kg: Alisha Howk, River Falls, WI (Victory School of Wrestling/Sunkist Kids)

57 kg: Alexandra Hedrick, Colorado Springs, CO (Titan Mercury WC)

59 kg: Lexie Basham, Roanoke, TX (Spartan Mat Club)

62 kg: Alexandria Liles, Pueblo, CO (U.S. Army WCAP)

65 kg: Emma Bruntil, Colorado Springs, CO (Titan Mercury WC)

68 kg: Sienna Ramirez, Ashland, OR (Southern Oregon RTC)

72 kg: Amit Elor, New York, NY (NYC RTC/TMWC)

76 kg: Dymond Guilford, Colorado Springs, CO (Titan Mercury WC)

U23 World Championships Women's Freestyle Schedule

Wednesday, October 19 (All Times ET) 

4:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)

10:45 a.m. – Semifinals (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)

Thursday, October 20

4:30 a.m. – Qualification rounds (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)

4:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)

10:45 a.m. – Semifinals (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)

12 p.m. – Finals (WFS 50, 55, 59, 68, 76 kg)

Friday, October 21

4:30 a.m. – Repechage (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)

12 p.m. – Finals (WFS 53, 57, 62, 65, 72 kg)