Some of the nation’s best wrestlers will battle for U23 World Team spots this weekend in Spokane for the right to represent the United States this fall at the U23 World Championships in Finland. Others will try to make their mark on the national scene by cracking the top eight to earn U23 All-American status or placing in the top three to earn opportunities with USA Wrestling.

Women’s Nationals — once known as Body Bar — always provides plenty of intrigue as the U23 divisions feature matchups between some of the best high school and college wrestlers.

Here’s a preview of the U23 division:

Macey Kilty is back — again. Her career has been on a cycle of injury and recovery for the past few years. She got injured in the Olympic Trials finals against Kayla Miracle in April of 2021 and returned in 2022. After an early exit from the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament last year when she suffered another injury, Kilty has been out for almost a year again. She’ll make her return at U23 Nationals.

The division also features returning U20, U23, and Senior World champion Amit Elor, who begins her 2023 run here. She’s entered in the U20 and U23 divisions.

Weights To Watch 

50 kg features a potential rematch of last month’s National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship finals — McKendree’s Emily Shilson versus King’s Sage Mortimer. Mortimer nearly pinned Shilson with a headlock in the first period, but the five-time college national champion found a way to stay alive and come back for the win. Before that match ever happens though, we’d likely have another rematch. This one would feature Mortimer against U20 silver medalist Audrey Jimenez. These two hit in the finals of the U20 division last year, the younger Jimenez besting Mortimer 2-0 in a best-of-three, winning 11-0 and 7-2. If the results go as they did last year, we’d see a Jimenez-Shilson final. This weight also features California state champion Anaya Falcon, and college All-Americans Elizabeth Dosado, Kendra Ryan, Kaelani Shufeldt, Izabella Frezzo, and Angelina Graff.

53 kg also stands out as a tough group, led by last year’s Final X participant and current #2 at the Senior level Felicity Taylor. Also entered at this weight are North Central 2023 national champion Jaslynn Gallegos, King’s 2023 national finalist Samara Chavez, Maryland’s 2022 Fargo champ Alexandra Szkotnicki, who is ranked #1 in high school, King’s fourth-place All-American Danielle Garcia, and NAIA All-American Josie Bartishofski from the Jamestown program.

At 55 kg, there are five women who are ranked in the top 10 of FloWrestling Senior Women’s Freestyle Rankings — #3 Alisha Howk, #4 (at 57 kg) Mia Macaluso, #5 (at 57 kg) Alana Vivas, #7 (at 57 kg) Vayle Baker and #9 Payton Stroud. This group will be a fun one to watch.

57 kg is one of the smaller groups, but is also loaded, featuring Southern Oregon two-time national champion Carolina Moreno, Baker All-American Nicole Moore, 2021 Fargo champ Ngao Shoua Whitethorn, 2021 NAIA national champion Jasmine Hernandez, Missouri Valley NAIA All-American Ashley Whetzal, and King University All-Americans Melanie Mendoza and Montana DeLawder, who will compete representing Tornado Wrestling Club. 

68 kg will be an interesting weight, as it features two 2023 college national champions in Baker’s Kaylynn Albrecht, who won an NAIA title, and Augsburg’s Katie Lange, who won an NCWWC title, the national championship for NCAA programs. But it won’t be easy for either of them to make the finals, as the group also includes North Carolina’s Chloe Ogden, who was a top recruit coming out of high school, and Nina Makem, a teammate of Lange’s at Augsburg, a two-time All-American who was ranked #1 for most of the college season. Cardinal Wrestling Club’s Tiera Jimerson, an All-American for North Central, is also a tough out.

Just like it will be in the Open in a few weeks, 76 kg is one of the toughest weights at Women’s Nationals. The U23 division features four-time college national champion Sydnee Kimber, multiple-time age level World teamer Tristan Kelly, five-time college All-American and three-time college national finalist Joye Levendusky, Augsburg All-American Brooklyn Hays, and All-American teammates Cara Broadus and Jacklyn Smith from Sacred Heart.

Wrestlers To Watch 

At 59 kg, keep an eye on the favorite, Xochitl Mota-Pettis. She’s become one of the top wrestlers at the Senior level, ranked #6 at 59 kg.

62 kg has some standout names, like returning U23 bronze medalist and two-time NAIA champ Adaugo Nwachukwu, 2021 NAIA champ Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp, NCWWC 2023 runner-up Yele Aycock, 2020 Junior national champ Marisol Nugent, and college All-Americans Louisa Schwab and Paige Wehrmeister.

At 65 kg, outside of the heavy favorite Macey Kilty, names that stick out are Lock Haven freshman All-American Grace Stem, New York City RTC’s Maya Letona, who is ranked #6 in Senior rankings and took third last year at the WTT Challenge Tournament, and Viktorya Torres, a multiple-time college All-American for the mighty King program.

Besides World champion Amit Elor, there’s three names that stand out at 72 kg — 2023 NCWWC 155-pound national champion Marlynne Deede, 2023 NCWWC 170-pound national runner-up Cheyenne Bowman, and King All-American Tiffani Baublitz.

Dark Horses 

Though she’s young, it will be interesting to see what California’s two-time Fargo finalist Kiely Tabaldo can do at 53 kg. At 59 kg, Cardinal Wrestling Club’s Salome Walker is very tough and could make a deep run. At 65 kg, don’t forget Kendall Bostelman, who took sixth at the NCWWC and could do some damage at this weight.

Women’s Nationals will live stream April 14-16 on FloWrestling.