Felicity Taylor at the 2022 U23 World Championships (photo courtesy of Kadir Caliskan)It's no secret that the United States is consistently producing some of the best women's freestyle athletes in the world. While recent years have brought some historic performances and sealed Hall of Fame statuses for athletes like Adeline Gray, Helen Maroulis, Tamyra Mensah Stock, there is a whole new crop of women hitting the scene, who are ready to show that the U.S. women's freestyle team is in good hands moving forward.
We'll get a chance to see some of that talent on display against some of the world's best at this weekend's World Cup in Iowa City.
The U.S. roster, which is peppered with Senior World champions and medalists, will also feature four current college athletes.
Felicity Taylor - Sr. at Univ. of Iowa, 116 pounds
Felicity Taylor is part of the historic University of Iowa squad led by World champion and Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun. It's the first Power Five Division I women's wrestling team in the country. Taylor transferred from McKendree University, a perennial powerhouse, where she was a 2021 NCWWC champion and two-time runner-up. She also was a 2019 WCWA runner-up. Taylor, who will rep the Stars and Stripes this weekend at 53 kg, has been an age-group level athlete to watch for years, making two U23 World Teams as well as the 2019 Junior Pan American team. Earlier this year, she took fifth at the U23 World Championships. She was also a 2022 Final X runner-up, falling to eventual World champion Dom Parrish. The second-place finish earned Taylor a spot on the U.S. National Team, the first of her career.
Note: The Hawkeyes will compete exclusively unattached this year with their first NCAA season set for 2023-24.
Lexie Basham - Jr. at Texas Wesleyan, 130 pounds
Lexie Basham had a breakout year last season, winning the NAIA title at 130 pounds to become the first national champ in Texas Wesleyan program history. Just months later, she landed a spot on the U.S. National Team with a runner-up performance at Final X. Basham kept the momentum going into the U23 World Championships, where she finished fifth, meaning she advanced to the bronze-medal bout in her World debut. This weekend, Basham will compete at 59 kg.
Dymond Guilford - Graduate student at Univ. of the Cumberlands, 170 pounds
If you're a women's wrestling fan, you've likely heard of Dymond Guilford's exciting wrestling style or at least her dance moves. Guilford represented the United States at both the Senior and U23 World Championships this year. She put the world on notice at the Senior Worlds, keeping a close first-round match with Japan's Yuka Kagami, who eventually won bronze. While Guilford ultimately did not place in Serbia, she bounced back tremendously a month later, dancing her way to a silver medal at the U23 World Championships for her first World medal. Collegiately, Guilford started her career at Missouri Baptist before transferring to the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky. She won the NAIA Nationals in 2019 and 2022 and was a 2019 WCWA national champion. She'll wrestle at 76 kg this weekend.
Yelena Makoyed - Sr. at North Central College, 170 pounds
Yelena Makoyed is an up-and-coming star in women's wrestling. Though she has yet to make a World Team (despite coming very close), Makoyed has competed at four notable international events, claiming gold in every outing, including at Junior Pan Am title and two UWW Ranking Series tournament wins. Like Basham, Makoyed has already started her legacy, becoming the first NCWWC national champion for North Central College in 2021. She repeated the feat in 2022. Makoyed also has an NCWWC runner-up finish on her resume from 2019. On the Senior level, she made her first National Team this year, taking second at Final X against Guilford. Makoyed is expected to compete at 76 kg in Iowa City.
The Men's Freestyle and Women's Freestyle World Cup begins Saturday and wraps up on Sunday live on FloWrestling.
Below is USA's expected roster for the weekend.
U.S. Women's Freestyle roster
50 kg - Alyssa Lampe, Corvallis, Ore. (Beaver Dam RTC/Sunkist Kids)
50 kg - Erin Golston, Madison, Wis. (Wisconsin RTC/New York AC)
53 kg - Felicity Taylor, Spillville, Iowa (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)
55 kg - Jacarra Winchester, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
55 kg - Jenna Burkert, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army WCAP)
57 kg - Alexandra Hedrick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
57 kg - Amanda Martinez, Naperville, Ill. (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)
59 kg - Lexie Basham, Roanoke, Texas (Spartan Mat Club)
59 kg - Michaela Beck, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
62 kg - Kayla Miracle, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
62 kg - Jennifer Rogers, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC/Titan Mercury WC)
65 kg - Mallory Velte, Corvallis, Ore. (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
68 kg - Sienna Ramirez, Ashland, Ore. (Southern Oregon RTC)
68 kg - Solin Piearcy, San Jose, Calif. (Menlo WC)
72 kg - Amit Elor, New York, N.Y. (NYC RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
72 kg - Skylar Grote, Corvallis, Ore. (Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC)
76 kg - Dymond Guilford, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOPTC/Titan Mercury WC)
76 kg - Yelena Makoyed, Orangevale, Calif. (Cardinal WC/Titan Mercury WC)
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