WRTC Underground 2 Women’s Preview

Installment one of the Wisconsin Underground series set the stage for two women’s matches and was highlighted by a battle between World medalists Alyssa Lampe and Sarah Hildebrandt. For Underground 2, the Wisconsin RTC confirmed four women’s matches. And what’s great about this lineup is that it will showcase experience from high school, college and the senior level. Most of the competitors have direct ties to Wisconsin. 

Bout 3: Katelynn Gunderson vs Mateah Roehl
This is a college matchup between NCAA wrestlers Katelynn Gunderson and Mateah Roehl—a pair of competitors that grew up within an hour of each other. Gunderson, a junior at Lakeland University, is from McFarland, Wis., and has been on the Muskies roster since its inaugural season in the fall of 2018. Lakeland was Wisconsin’s first program to offer college women’s wrestling. Her opponent, Mateah Roehl, is a freshman at North Central College in Naperville, IL. Originally from Watertown Wis., she’s back within the borders of her home state to compete. Roehl finished her prep career ranked No. 20 in the nation at 122 pounds and committed to NCC back in April; the Cardinals are ranked No. 5 as a team this fall. 

Bout 9: Kylie Welker vs Amor Tuttle
The second women’s match is a high school border battle between Wisconsin’s Kylie Welker (Higher Level Wrestling) and Minnesota’s Amor Tuttle (Twin Cities RTC). Welker, a past cadet World and U15 Pan Am team member, holds the No. 1 spot at 144 pounds in USA Wrestling’s national high school rankings. Just a junior this year, Welker had a standout performance in Omaha last month—she teched her way to the junior division finals at 62 kg where she faced fellow Wis. native Macey Kilty. Welker was able to score the first takedown, but Kilty won by decision. Amor Tuttle is a senior at Stillwater High School in Minnesota and is ranked No. 6 at 138 pounds. She wrestled in the junior and U23 divisions at UWW Nationals and defeated senior-level wrestler Bri Csontos to place 3rd in the U23 division at 65 kg. 

Bout 10: Ronna Heaton vs Koral Sugiyama
Match three for the women is between U23 champion Ronna Heaton (53 kg) and U23 finalist Koral Sugiyama (59 kg). Heaton’s match for Underground 1 was pulled from the card due to an opponent’s injury so this is an exciting time for her to compete at home. Both wrestlers are Wisconsin transplants. Heaton, originally from South Dakota, trains at the Wisconsin RTC and represents Sunkist Kids. In addition to a U23 title this fall, Heaton is a 2020 Senior Nationals finalist, five-time age-group World team member and 2015 cadet World champion. 

Koral Sugiyama (Victory School of Wrestling/Twin Cities RTC) is most recently a 2020 U23 finalist. She defeated UWW junior champ Gracie Figueroa, a five-time age-group World team member, in the semifinals by fall. Sugiyama is a past cadet World team member, multiple time collegiate All-American and part of the Tigers team that won the WCWA National Championships in 2018. Sugiyama, originally from Idaho, moved to Wisconsin after graduating from Campbellsville in 2019.

Bout 12: Erin Golston vs Maria Vidales
The final women’s match of the evening is between Erin Golston (New York Athletic Club) and Maria Vidales (Emmanuel College). Golston, a three-time national team member, wrestled at the HWC Showdown Open on November 1st where she defeated Devyn Gomez (Life University). Gomez stepped in as a late replacement for Sarah Hildebrandt. In 2019 Golston was a finalist at the Bill Farrell International and U.S. Open tournaments. 

Maria Vidales is a redshirt senior at Emmanual College. Vidales opened the 2020 season with a 5-1 performance at U23 nationals where she placed 3rd at 50 kg. The college season for most NCAA programs will likely begin in January, and Vidales is ranked No. 2 in the first set of NWCA individual rankings. The pair wrestled in the quarterfinals at the US Open in 2019; Golston won 14-5.