The Top 5 Stories in Women's Wrestling in 2021

Tamyra Mensah-Stock brought home gold from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Photo courtesy of Tony Rotundo / WrestlersAreWarriors.com

by Derek Levendusky, AWW staff writer
Twitter: @AWWderek

What a year for women’s wrestling! Not only did we see so many memorable performances, but women’s wrestling took a massive step forward. Here’s my top 5 stories of 2021.

5. Team USA Women Break Record in Olso
The USA women’s freestyle squad had an historic performance at the World Championships in Oslo, Norway in October, taking second to Japan in the team race while matching an American women’s record with seven medalists, including champions Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis.

It was Gray’s sixth world title while Maroulis brought home her fourth, including her gold in Rio in 2016. Gray won it at 76 kg, while Maroulis competed at 57 kg. Maroulis completed her amazing comeback story, winning bronze in Tokyo and gold in Oslo in 2021, a journey that captured the hearts of the women’s wrestling community.

In winning the world title, Gray finally passed Kristie Davis as the most decorated U.S. women’s wrestler of all-time with nine world medals.

Also in Oslo, Sarah Hildebrandt seized her second World silver—and first since 2018—at 50 kg. Jenna Burkert took bronze at 55 kg, Kayla Miracle secured a silver at 62 kg, Forrest Molinari claimed bronze at 65 kg, while Tamyra Mensah-Stock was bronze at 68 kg. In all, it was two golds, two silvers, and three bronze for U.S. women.

4. McKendree Lands Six National Champs at the NCWWC
Powerhouse NCAA women’s program McKendree went back-to-back in 2021, claiming six national champs at the Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships last March in Tiffin, Ohio. In the end, they had eight finalists and 14 All-Americans at the event. The Illinois-based program finished with 209 points, outpacing second place King by 38 points.

Of their eight finalists, McKendree had one in each of the last six weight classes, winning five of them: Cameron Guerin (130), Brenda Reyna (136), Emma Bruntil (143), Alara Boyd (155), and Sydnee Kimber (191) all won national titles. Felicity Taylor won it at 116. Joye Levendusky took was runner-up at 170, while returning champ Pauline Granados was runner-up at 101. Both Bruntil and Kimber went back-to-back to become 2x national champions.

3. Blades and Welker Make OTT Final
We knew they were good, but the NBC-watching world saw just how good they are as both Kennedy Blades (68 kg) and Kylie Welker (76 kg) made the finals at the Olympic Team Trials last April. Blades scored in both matches against the eventual Olympic gold medalist Tamyra Mensah-Stock, while Welker fell to a dominant Adeline Gray. Both Blades and Welker went on to dominate at UWW Junior Worlds in April, winning world titles along with teammates Emily Shilson and Amit Elor.

2. Iowa Adds Women’s Wrestling
Iowa announced in September that it will be the first Power Five program to offer women’s wrestling, starting in the 2023-2024 school year. In November they announced that Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun would be the first head coach. The news shook the wrestling community, a huge step for women’s college wrestling.

1. U.S. Women’s Team Historic Olympics
The U.S. women’s team made headlines as they came home with four Olympic medals in August, including Tamyra Mensah-Stock’s gold medal performance. U.S. women had never previously earned more than two medals in any Olympic Games, and had only five total coming into this Olympics. In contrast, Maroulis was the sole medalist for the women in Rio in 2016. This time, it was Tamyra Mensah-Stock gold at 68 kg, Adeline Gray silver at 76 kg, Helen Maroulis bronze at 57 kg, and Sarah Hildebrandt bronze at 50 kg.