Seven Power Performances from the Captains’ Cup

The Captains’ Cup exposed just how important these matches were for all of the wrestlers. It was a fun and competitive team dynamic with a collective $50,000 dollar cash prize on the line. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are just weeks away (Apr. 2-3 in Fort Worth, Texas), and for some athletes this was a first competition back under return to mat guidelines. Here are some individual power performances. 

Macey Kilty (SKWC/THWC) over Mallory Velte (TMWC)
Macey Kilty defeated World Bronze Medalist Mallory Velte in the very first match of the Captains’ Cup by superiority, 11-0. The matchup didn’t have any prior history and feels pretty important coming into the Olympic Team Trials. With no score half-way through the first period, Velte was put on the shot clock and Kilty finally got to her sweep single with :30 seconds left in the first. From there it looked like Kilty had figured out her pressure and caught the right openings. Kilty has been successful at 62 kg domestically and internationally this season. Just going backward to October, she earned silver at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix, won card-style events over Bruntil and Zavala, won back-to-back titles at UWW Juniors and U23s and placed second at Senior Nationals. That’s a lot of mat time and a lot of success. Kilty also defeated Julia Salata (10-0) and Xochitl Mota-Pettis (10-0).

Emily Shilson (TMWC/TCRTC/Augsburg) over Amy Fearnside (TMWC)
I don’t think it was noted this weekend, but Emily Shilson won back-to-back titles at the 2020 UWW Juniors and U23 Nationals. She’s been on multiple cards testing her training against opponents from the college and senior ranks. In the latest, she wrestled an entire six minutes, and close match, with Erin Golston. All of that to say Shilson’s win over Amy Fearnside was her first high caliber win over a senior-level wrestler ranked above her. When they wrestled at Senior Nationals (Oct.) the score was 6-4, Fearnside won. In the third-place matchup Shilson teched King’s Aleeah Gould 10-0 earning bonus points for Team Francis in a dual with three match wins each. Shilson and Gould are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at 109 pounds in the NCAA so this was a good look for what could be an NCWWC matchup at next month’s championships. It also speaks to the gap Shilson has in the college field—she went undefeated her freshman year with Augsburg and is looking to maintain that status again this season.

Skylar Grote (NYAC/LVWC) over Kayla Marano (Emmanuel) and Alyvia Fiske (Simon Fraser)
“It’s going to be a close scrap won by decision,” was my prediction for this matchup. Both of these women are 2020 U23 champions and Marano is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA. When they wrestled at the U.S. Open in 2019, Marano won 4-3. But Grote was heavy on the handfight from the first whistle and had Marano at her pace. She’s an aggressive wrestler and got to her offense early creating a 6-0 lead in the first period. In the placement dual versus Team Burkert, Grote was able to secure last second points to earn a critical match win for Team Francis over Alyvia Fiske. Skylar Grote’s training is being showcased this season. She wrestled an outstanding match versus Olympian and African Champion Enas Ahmed at Summit 1 in January. Before that, she placed second at Senior Nationals, which included an exciting finals match with Forrest Molinari.

Dymond Guilford (TMWC) over Precious Bell (TMWC/Victory) and Victoria Francis (TMWC)
Dymond Guilford was the first overall draft pick for the Captains’ Cup. Her wrestling (and energy) was part of what made Team Mensah-Stock successful this weekend. Guilford’s first win was over Precious Bell, and it was the third time in a row she’s come up with a win over Bell this season. The first was at Senior Nationals in the consolation semis (Oct.) and then again in the finals at U23 Nationals (Nov.)—both of those wins were by fall. This weekend’s match was 1-1 until Bell was put on the shot clock with :32 seconds left in the second period. Bell wasn’t able to get to her offense and Guilford secured the final passivity point. These matches are big for Guilford because she’s taken several losses to Bell in the past. Her second match was another win over Victoria Francis – we saw this same match on the Pitt Wrestling Club card in January, but Guilford created much more of a lead this time shutting Francis out 10-0.

Amy Fearnside (TMWC) over Alyssa Lampe (SKWC/Dam RTC)
The match between Lampe and Fearnside was a swing match in the championship dual and it’s such an impressive win for Fearnside because she was down 9-0 with :30 seconds left in the first period of what looked like a match sealed up for Lampe. But Fearnside got to her sweep single and rolled through a gut wrench three times making it a 1-point match in just 30 seconds. Halfway through the second period Fearnside secured her own 4-point move on the edge, taking the lead outright 12-9. By the end of the second period each wrestler exchanged another set of takedowns and Fearnside walked away with the win by decision, 14-11. This is the second close match between the two this season—Fearnside won in the semifinals at Senior Nationals in October by decision, 6-5.

Brenda Reyna (McKendree) over Figueroa (TMWC) and Sugiyama (Victory School of Wres.)
Brenda Reyna is no stranger to high level competition. She’s a two-time Junior World Team member and two-time WCWA All-American. Reyna came in as a replacement for 57 kg Team Captain Jenna Burkert, and hit the mark for her team going undefeated. In both matches for Day 1 Reyna created her gap in the second period. Sugiyama was able to put a 4-point move on the board in a 4-2 exchange and collected another takedown in the first period. But trailing 6-2 headed into the second period Reyna figured out her openings and came back with an impressive 11-10 decision. Reyna put 12 points on the board in the second period of her match with Gracie Figueroa to win by a 14-4 technical superiority and won by decision 7-2 over Lauren Mason in Team Burkert’s dual for third. Reyna is back this season after using a medical redshirt last year.

Abby Nette (SKWC) over Louive (NYAC) and Mason (Simon Fraser)
Abby Nette had a win over Lauren Louive at the 2019 U.S. Open with the same final result as this weekend by technical superiority, but I am noting this here along with her win over Lauren Mason because they were stellar matches for Nette. And Louive is No. 2 on the Senior National team whereas Nette is No. 3. Louive’s handfight and strength can wear on and fluster opponents and the key to Nette’s win here was getting to her offense, and she looked great. Nette’s win over Louive was the deciding factor in the win for Team Mensah-Stock over Team Hildebrandt. In her 10-0 win over Lauren Mason, Nette controlled the exchanges and tightened up the score since their last head-to-head in the semifinals at U23 Nationals.

Bonus

62 kg: Mallory Velte won by decision over Emma Bruntil, 8-0. Velte’s last competition prior to this event was a gold-medal performance at the 2020 Pan Am Championships. At the 2019 Bill Farrell International they split wins—Bruntil on the championship side, winning 3-1, and Velte for third, winning 4-3.

57 kg: Lauren Louive won by fall over Lauren Mason. When they wrestled at the U.S. Open in 2019 Mason won by decision, 5-4. Gracie Figueroa won by technical superiority over Koral Sugiyama, 12-1. When they wrestled in the U23 semifinals (Nov.) Sugiyama won by fall with high value points 16-6. Koral Sugiyama hit three arm spins (a 12-point value) in her win by technical superiority over Lauren Louive, 17-5.

76 kg: Colorado Mesa’s freshman Tristan Kelly defeated Senior National Team Member Hannah Gladden 3-1. Kelly is a 2020 Junior Nationals champion and placed fourth at Senior Nationals last October.

Read all of our headlines from the Captains’ Cup, here.