Like Greco on the men's side, the Women's World Team Trials are split up in to two flights. Half the weights will begin on Friday at 9AM PT/12 ET.

53, 60, 63, and 69 kg's step on the mat tomorrow, with 48, 55, 58, and 75 kg's beginning on Friday.

Brackets for Day 1 have been released and, below, we look at how the draws look for top contenders as quest for spots on the World Team, and a trip to Paris get underway.

Top seeds all went to the winners of the 2016 U.S. Senior Nationals in December. 

53kg

Whitney Conder gets the top seed at one of the most entertaining weight classes of these WTT. Conder has made three world teams, including two in a row in 2014 and 2015, before being stopped at the Olympic Team Trials by future gold medalists Helen Maroulis. Maroulis' Olympic teammate Haley Augello is on the other side of the bracket, having bumped up from 48kg, the weight class she wrestled in Rio where she placed ninth. Augello is looking for revenge, having fallen to Conder in all three previous meetings between them. 

Looking to unseat the veterans is 2015 cadet world champ Ronna Heaton, who also has a silver medal from the 2016 cadet worlds. Heaton has a sneaky good quarterfinal against university champ and WCWA runner up Amy Fearnside. Also keep an eye on Autumn Gordon on the backside. 

60kg

Carla Ponce sits atop the 60kg bracket, by dint of her two bronze medals in the last five months, one at the Dave Schultzs and the other at the Bill Farrell. Francesca Giorgio is waiting on the other side of the bracket with the second seed. Giorgio hasn't been as busy recently but did finish fifth at the 2012 cadet world championships.

Nicole Joseph is a promising freshman for King University who could surprise some people. Sitting out this tournament and waiting with a bye in the finals is Alli Ragan, silver medalist at the 2016 World Championship.

63kg

2017 Dave Schultz Memorial Tournament winner Jennifer Page nabs the top seed at 63kg. Page has made a couple junior national teams in the past and also won the 2015 PanAms down at 60kg. Page will get the winner of the battle between junior world bronze medalists Alexis Porter and Maya Nelson. 

On the other side of the eight woman bracket is Mallory Velte. Velte made the 2015 junior team and has been active ever since, wrestling in four other international tournaments and the Olympic Team Trials in the last two years. Jenna Burkert is also in the lower half of the bracket. Burkert's been less active since 2014 when she made the senior team. She also made three junior world teams in a row from 2011 to 2013. Burkert will have to go through Randi Beltz, who has notched win against most everyone in the bracket including a pin over Burkert. 

69kg

The stage is set for a massive finals match between two highly decorated veterans, Elena Pirozhkova and Tamyra Mensah. Pirozhkova made eight straight world teams starting in 2008 and then made the squad for the 2016 Olympics at 63kg. She has a World Championship medal of every color in her trophy case, and came within one match of an Olympic bronze in Rio.

Mensah won the 2016 Olympic Team Trials at 69kg but unfortunately the USA had not yet qualified the weight for Rio. Mensah finished third in both her attempts to qualify the weight, one placement shy of making it to Rio. Mensah did not let that setback slow her down, earning medals in the next four international tournaments she entered, including a gold at the prestigious Yarygin this last January.

Rachel Watters represents the youth movement looking to upset the establishment. She made the last two junior teams and is now settling into the senior level. 

Related Links

Schedule
Preview & Seed Analysis
Brackets