Here They Come: Final X Finalists

Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com

by Derek Levendusky
@AWWderek

The Final X card is taking shape. The event will be held in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center on June 10, 2023. The prestigious event, representing the highest level of domestic wrestling in non-Olympic years, features the top two Senior wrestlers at every weight class in a best-of-three series. The winners will represent Team USA at the 2023 Senior World Championships on September 16-24 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Here’s the current finalists along with some of their best accolades. In weights where there’s currently only one wrestler, the final contenders will be added at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament May 20-21 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

50 kg: Sarah Hildebrandt (Colorado Springs, CO/USOPTC/New York AC) vs. Audrey Jimenez (Tucson, AZ/Sunkist Kids WC)

Hildebrandt: 3x world medalist (2 silver, 1 bronze), 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, 2x WCWA National Champion (King), 2x US Open Champion (2018 & 2020)

Jimenez: U15 Worlds gold medalist (2019), U17 Worlds bronze medalist (2021), U20 Worlds silver medalist (2022), 2023 US Open Champion

53 kg: Dominique Parrish (Tempe, AZ/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Katie Gomez (Van Nuys, CA/Sunkist Kids WC)

Dominique Parrish: 2022 World Champion, 2x WCWA Champion (Simon Fraser)

Gomez: 2021 U17 Worlds champion, 2022 U20 Worlds bronze medalist, 2023 US Open Champion

55 kg: Alisha Howk (River Falls, WI/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Jacarra Winchester (Colorado Springs, CO/Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC)

Howk: 2x U23 National Champion, 2022 U23 bronze medal, 2023 US Open Champion
Winchester: 2018 & 2019 U.S. Open & Final X Champion, 2019 UWW Senior World Champion, 5th place 2020 Olympics, 2021 Pan Am Champion, 2022 Yasar Dogu Champion

57 kg: Helen Maroulis (Tempe, AZ/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Xochitl Mota-Pettis (Humble, TX/Rise RTC)

Helen Maroulis: 6x world medalist, 3x world champion, 2x Olympic medalist, 2016 Olympic gold medalist, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist, 4x WCWA Champion (Missouri Baptist, Simon Fraser)

XMP: 2020, 2021 & 2023 U23 National Champ, 2023 US Open Champ, 2x US Open finalist, 2023 Pan Am Champ

59 kg: Michaela Beck (New York, NY/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Jennifer Page (State College, PA/Titan Mercury WC/Nittany Lion WC)

Beck: 2x age level world teamer (2019 U20 & 2021 U23), 3x US Open finalist, 2023 US Open Champ, 2019 Senior WTT finalist
Page: 2013 U20 World Bronze, 2x Pan Am Champion, 3x U.S. Open Champion

62 kg: Kayla Miracle (Tempe, AZ/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Adaugo Nwachukwu (San Jose, CA/Titan Mercury WC)

Miracle: 2020 Olympian, 2x Worlds silver (2021 & 2022), 2019 U23 Worlds silver, 4x WCWA Champion, 4x US Open Champion

Nwachukwu: 2022 U23 Worlds bronze medalist, 2022 U20 Worlds bronze medalist, 2x NAIA Champion (Iowa Wesleyan), 2023 US Open Champ

65 kg: Mallory Velte (Corvallis, OR/Beaver Dam RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Macey Kilty (Colorado Springs, CO/Sunkist Kids WC)

Velte: 2x Senior Worlds bronze medalist (2018, 2022), 4x Senior world teamer, 3x Final X finalist, 2x Final X Champion, 3x WCWA Champion (Simon Fraser)

Kilty: 2020 Olympic Team Trials runner-up, 2x Junior Worlds silver, 3x Cadet Worlds medalist, 2x Cadet Worlds gold medalist, 2019 U23 Worlds silver medalist, 2023 US Open Champ

68 kg: Forrest Molinari (Mesa, AZ/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Emma Bruntil (Colorado Springs, CO/Titan Mercury WC/USOPTC)

Molinari: 3x world teamer (2018, 2019, 2021), 2021 Worlds bronze, 2022 Yasar Dogu Champion, 4x WCWA AA, 2016 WCWA Champion, 3x US Open Champion
Bruntil: 2x NCWWC college champion (McKendree), 2x U.S. Open Champion, 2022 Yasar Dogu Bronze Medalist

72 kg: Amit Elor (Walnut Creek, CA/New York City RTC/Titan Mercury WC) vs. Joye Levendusky (Avon, NY/Southern Oregon RTC)

Elor: 2021 Cadet & Junior World Champion, 2022 Junior, U23 & Senior World champion

Levendusky: 2x Junior national team (2019, 2020), 5x college All-American, 3x college national finalist, 2023 US Open Champion

76 kg: Kennedy Blades (Chicago, IL/Sunkist Kids WC) vs. Adeline Gray (Colorado Springs, CO/New York AC)

Blades: 2019 Cadet world teamer, 2020 Olympic Trials Runner-up, 2021 Junior Worlds gold, 2023 US Open Champion, 2019 & 2020 Klippan Cadet Champion
Gray: 6x World Champion, 8x World Medalist, 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist