What: U.S. Olympic Trials
Weight: 53 kg (women’s freestyle)
When: April 19-20
Where: State College, Pennsylvania (Bryce Jordan Center)
How to watch: Peacock 

There is one thing we know for sure about the 53-kilogram class: Dom Parrish is halfway to becoming an Olympian. Parrish earned the right by winning the Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier, which places her in the best-of-three finals against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. 

The Scots Valley, California, native won the 2022 World Championships with a breakthrough performance that carried her into the following season. She automatically earned a spot at Final X last season, defeating Katie Gomez in straight matches to make her second World Team. 

Parrish is good from a two-on-one who showed off her counterattacks at Pan-Ams. She stymied several of Laura Herin’s (Cuba) best shots and turned them into big points, and she can end matches early if she can get to a turn. Her quarterfinal match at the 2022 Worlds against Ecuador’s Lucia Yepez Guzman is Parrish at her best. 

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Dom Parrish was at her best during her quarterfinal win at the 2022 World Championships

The overwhelming favorite to win the challenge tournament is Jacarra Winchester — a 2019 World champion at 55 kg who represented the United States at 53 kg during the 2020 Olympic Games. Winchester earned a spot in the semifinals since she won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships at a non-Olympic weight. 

What we don’t know is if Winchester can make the weight. She won the U.S. Nationals in December at 62 kilograms (136.5 pounds), around 20 pounds heavier than the 53 kg class (116 pounds), and hasn’t gotten that low since the 2020 Olympics. 

If she can get that low again and be effective, Winchester will likely challenge Parrish for the spot. If she can’t, Winchester can move up to 57 kg and take a semifinal spot there. 

The rest of the field determines Winchester’s fate. 

Haley Augello returned to competition late last year after a four-year layoff. Augello made the 2016 Olympic team at 48 kilograms and has shown improvement since the Bill Farrell Memorial International in November. She dropped a 6-6 match to Gomez in the 2023 Senior Nationals semifinals before wrestling back for third. 

Gomez won the 2023 US Open as the three-seed with wins over 10-0 over Melanie Mendoza (10-0), Vanessa Ramirez (10-0), Felicity Taylor (7-2), and Samara Chavez (12-2). She gave up the opening takedown against Taylor and Chavez, so she needs to move her feet and stay on the attack for her best shot at winning the challenge tournament. 

Taylor looked exceptional at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships in March. She started the season at 123 pounds before moving down to 116 for the post-season. She dropped a 9-3 match to teammate Brianna Gonzalez in the regional final before flipping the script with a 9-2 win in the national finals a few days later. 

Taylor and Gomez fell in straight matches to Parrish at Final X each of the last two years. 

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Felicity Taylor faced teammate Brianna Gonzalez in the finals of the 2023 National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships

Vayle Baker is wrestling her best and proved she’s a threat after her win at Senior Nationals. She had impressive wins over Lauren Mason (13-1), Areana Villaescusa (fall), and Gomez (5-2). Villaescusa is a consistent performer who is always in the mix.

Alisha Howk is dropping from 55 kg and will be competitive in a balanced field. She has made four age-level World teams and reached last year’s Final X, where she fell in straight matches to Winchester. 

College stars Brianna Gonzalez (Iowa), Sydney Petzinger (North Central), and Juliana Diaz (Missouri Baptist) can play spoiler if the remaining field isn’t ready.

Parrish is the safe bet here. She is a World champion, she qualified the weight for the United States, and she’s sitting in the finals. Don’t be surprised if Dom Parrish adds Olympian to her name.