Welker into a third straight U23 World final
Kylie Welker went tech, pin, tech to reach the U23 World final at 76kg for the third year running, with gold on the line tonight. Meanwhile Jesse Mendez quietly reappeared on Ohio State's roster as a fifth-year.
Read the whole week in one goWelker goes 38-0 at U23s, US men's 74kg melts down
On the mat
Welker reaches third straight U23 World final, faces Ujhelji
Kylie Welker is in the 76kg final at the U23 World Championships for the third straight year after an 11-0 tech fall in the semifinals. USA Wrestling says she bonused her way through the bracket in Las Vegas. She faces Serbia's Evelin Ujhelji for gold at 9 pm ET, per The Wrestling Nomad.
And with a tech -> pin -> tech, Kylie Welker is into the U23 World Championship Finals for the 3rd straight year!
Why it matters: A third consecutive U23 world title would be the headline result of the week for US women's freestyle.
- 76kg gold medal match, 9 pm ET
Men's freestyle opens at U23 Worlds, Bassett draws a bye
Five Americans open U23 Worlds men's freestyle Friday: Ben Davino at 61kg, Jayden James at 74kg, Aeoden Sinclair at 86kg, Seth Shumate at 92kg and Coby Merrill at 125kg, per Justin Basch.
Brown is an Ohio State freshman, so Bassett could open against a Buckeye.
Why it matters: Six US men's freestyle entries at U23 after a medal-less Greco showing in Las Vegas.
- Friday 1:30 pm ET: Davino, James, Sinclair, Shumate, Merrill open
- Saturday 1:30 pm ET: Bassett at 65kg
Portal, commits and coaches
Jesse Mendez back on Ohio State roster, listed as fifth-year
Two-time NCAA champion Jesse Mendez is now listed as a "5th-year" on Ohio State's official roster, per Justin Basch. @jbthehawkeye says Mendez was added back to the roster at 141. Nobody has said what changed on his eligibility.
Last thing I wanted to see is Bassett 18-3 TF Mendez, who I have a ton of respect for.
Why it matters: Another year of Mendez at 141 reshapes the weight and Ohio State's team score.
- Our take: watch for Ohio State to confirm the eligibility status